Want to avoid supply chain disruptions? Prolo’s AI-driven procurement promises to give SMEs the same buying power as Tier 1 giants. James Morris-Manuel, founder and CEO of Prolo, gives the lowdown
CM Digital: What problem does your technology solve and how does it do it?
The construction supply chain inherently penalises SME contractors, burdening them with opaque pricing, labour-intensive procurement workflows, and rigid payment terms that suffocate cashflow. Prolo solves this by acting as an AI-driven procurement-as-a-service that equips SMEs with the buying power of tier 1 giants.
Site teams message their material requirements via WhatsApp or email,
allowing our technology to scan over 185 supplier brands to secure trade rates and guarantee supply chain reliability. By pairing this frictionless sourcing with up to 90 days of strategic financing, we empower contractors to protect their cashflow, maximise margins, and confidently scale their operations.
OK, who’s tested or is already using your tech and what are the results?
We currently partner with more than 50 SME contractors who continually rely on Prolo across their sites, and their feedback highlights a transformative operational impact.
Mike Laffan, an estimator for The Property Crew, told us how Prolo saved his team £750 on an electrical order compared with their regular suppliers. Similarly, Tamara Alonso, commercial director at Integral Builders, credited the platform with streamlining their purchasing process and improving the company’s cashflow using our flexible credit facilities.
By eliminating the friction of manual ‘ring-arounds’, we allow site teams to focus exclusively on managing the build, and this has fostered strong loyalty,
resulting in repeat purchasing across our customer base. We’ve also been told by
contractors they feel confident taking on larger projects because they know they can depend on us to deliver materials exactly when needed.
Tell us about your senior management team’s background?
Our senior management team combines decades of construction sector expertise with enterprise-level technology leadership. On the operational and commercial side, our leadership team includes seasoned procurement directors who have managed group-level supply chains and heavy-side commercial operations for major national buying groups.
“By entirely eliminating the friction of manual ‘ring-arounds’, we allow site teams to focus exclusively on managing the build.”
This industry depth is matched by world-class technical capability, spearheaded by a PhD-qualified engineering leader with over 20 years’ experience designing large-scale software platforms and data architectures for global enterprise organisations.
Furthermore, our Go-to-market team has a wealth of experience within the
construction industry.
Ultimately, this powerful blend ensures Prolo pairs authentic industry insight with robust, scalable innovation.
Are you looking for funding?
We have just successfully closed our seed funding round, raising a total of £4.2
million. At present, we are not actively seeking further investment. Instead, our focus is now on accelerating business growth, scaling our operations and continuing to deliver transformative value to our growing base of SME contractors.
