Meet WISE MARKET, Winner of Startups of The Year 2024 in Delaware City/Supply Chain Tech (SaaS AI) | HackerNoon

The special Startups of The Year 2024 Winners Interview series is a celebration of all this year’s Tech Champions. You’ve earned it! The HackerNoon community can’t wait to learn more about your journey!

Tell us about you.

Wise Market is a North American tech company building the next generation of intelligent B2B supply chain infrastructure. Our mission is to simplify procurement for businesses while helping manufacturers reach qualified buyers directly. We connect both sides of the supply chain — buyers and global manufacturers — through a unified platform powered by AI, real-time data, and predictive automation. We envision a future where supply chains are streamlined, resilient, and accessible — replacing fragmented, manual processes with intelligent, efficient and transparent collaboration.

Tell us how your startup is changing the world.

Wise Market is redefining how the world sources, buys and moves goods. We’re building an AI-powered B2B platform that eliminates inefficiencies, reduces costs, and strengthens global supply chains — especially for the small and mid-sized businesses often left behind.

By enabling direct access to manufacturers, real-time demand aggregation and predictive sourcing, we give businesses the tools to make smarter decisions and operate more sustainably. Our ultimate goal is to become the intelligent infrastructure that powers global trade — making supply chains faster, more transparent, and radically more resilient.

What sets you apart from the competition?

Wise Market stands apart by combining deep tech with real-world supply chain impact. We’re not just listing suppliers — we’re building an intelligent infrastructure that predicts demand, consolidates purchasing power and automates sourcing from end to end. Our platform is uniquely dual-sided, serving both buyers and manufacturers, with real-time visibility, blockchain-based traceability, and AI-driven negotiation tools. What makes us truly different is our focus: we’re not trying to serve everyone — we’re built to empower the underserved backbone of the economy: small and mid-sized businesses.

What does it mean for you to win this title?

Winning the title of Startup of the Year 2024 in Delaware City was unexpected, to be honest — we’re still in pilot mode — but incredibly energizing. It highlights the ongoing effort we’re putting into building a meaningful tech solution to real-world supply chain challenges. This recognition fuels us to keep innovating, growing, and pushing boundaries for the businesses we’re here to empower. We’re incredibly grateful to the HackerNoon community and everyone who voted. This win isn’t just for us — it’s for all the underestimated teams quietly but boldly building behind the scenes.

What do you love about your team, and why are you the ones to set out for this mission?

I love how our small, tight-knit team — along with our collaborators — shares the drive to rethink how the world sources, moves, and connects. We’re agile, fast, and deeply collaborative. For us, innovation isn’t just about features — it’s about asking the right questions, testing bold ideas and staying obsessed with creating real value for the businesses we serve. We’re not just building a product — we’re building the future of procurement. And it’s because of this team that we truly believe we’ll get there.

Looking back, what milestone was the biggest turning point for your startup?

In the early days, we were spinning our wheels — chasing revenue from side markets just to avoid burning cash too fast. Our biggest turning point came when we stopped trying to sell and stepped away from adjacent markets that distracted us from our real mission. Instead, we laser-focused on the product and how our solution could simplify the real-life operations of our customers.

We leaned into what made us different: demand aggregation, predictive sourcing, and direct manufacturer access. That shift resonated deeply with our early partners — not because we had all the features, but because we were solving the right pain points. We’re still in pilot mode, but product–user alignment became clear the moment we started co-designing with them.

Lesson learned: Product–market fit isn’t about features or timelines — it’s about listening hard, adapting fast, and having the courage to stay focused on what actually matters.

What’s one valuable lesson you learned this year that you’d pass on to other startups?

Speed isn’t just about building fast — it’s about focusing fast. Don’t try to do too much too soon. Learn to say no — to distractions, to noise, to anything that doesn’t align with your core mission. The moment we focused relentlessly on solving one real problem for one real user group, momentum started to build. In 2025, we’re looking forward to scaling that focus — expanding with intention, deepening our AI capabilities, and turning our pilot successes into lasting impact across the supply chain industry.

How do you envision your industry evolving in the coming years, and how will your startup stay ahead?

Global supply chains are shifting from reactive and fragmented to intelligent, connected, and resilient — and that transformation is accelerating. In the coming years, we’ll see massive adoption of AI-driven procurement, real-time data collaboration, and decentralized sourcing models that reduce dependency on single regions or intermediaries. Regulatory pressure, climate risk, and geopolitical uncertainty will force businesses to rethink not just how they buy, but from whom, where, and why.

Wise Market is built for that future. By combining predictive AI, direct access to manufacturers, and a platform that centralizes procurement intelligence, we’re enabling businesses — especially SMEs — to act faster, smarter, and more sustainably. Our edge will come from staying close to the real pain points, building with users, and scaling with purpose.

How do you or your company intend to embrace the responsibility of this title in 2025?

This recognition fuels our determination to go further. In 2025, we intend to use this momentum to keep building with purpose- and prove that bold ideas from lean teams can reshape entire industries. We’ll continue to challenge outdated procurement models and push forward an intelligent, inclusive and more resilient supply chain for businessess of all sizes. Our goal is to turn this title into real traction- driving more trust, more partnerships and meaningful impact.

What goals are you looking forward to accomplishing in 2025?

Our key goals for 2025 include:

• Successfully scaling from pilot to live deployment with our early partners
• Expanding manufacturer integrations across the world within our initial target market segment
• Deepening our AI capabilities for smarter demand prediction and sourcing automation
• Strengthening our platform’s supply chain traceability through blockchain technology
• Securing strategic partnerships and funding to accelerate market adoption

Every milestone we reach brings us closer to our vision: making intelligent procurement accessible, sustainable, and scalable for businesses of all sizes.

2024 has been crazy, with all the new techs, and all the geopolitics fluctuations. What are the impacts of these to your startup, and to your industry as a whole? Be as brief or as detailed as you like.

2024 — just like 2021, when the idea first took root — has been another wake-up call for global supply chains. Geopolitical tensions, inflation, and instability reminded businesses — especially SMEs — that relying on a fragile, centralized procurement model is no longer viable. At the same time, the explosion of AI and automation opened new doors to rethink how we operate. For Wise Market, it confirmed that we’re solving the right problem, at the right time. We doubled down on building a platform that helps companies anticipate instead of react — through predictive sourcing, diversified supplier access, and real-time visibility. In 2024, the chaos didn’t slow us down. It gave our mission more clarity — and more urgency.

We would love your feedback on HackerNoon as a tech publication! How has your experience been with us?

HackerNoon is a rare platform that truly gives a voice to builders. As a startup, we’ve appreciated the visibility, the storytelling freedom, and the opportunity to connect with a global tech audience without gatekeepers. Winning Startup of the Year 2024 through your community-driven process gave us a huge boost — not just in visibility, but in validation. It’s empowering to see a platform that values ​​emerging voices, deep tech thinking and real-world impact.

Thanks for making space for startups like ours to be seen and heard!

Any words of wisdom you’d like to share with us?

Big vision. Solve one real problem. Obsessively & relentlessly. Oh! And at some point, stop listening to everyone. Too much advice kills clarity.