Curalate gets cash; next goal is staffing

Apu Gupta, who runs Curalate, the "visual commerce" software maker that helps Urban Outfitters and Forever21 sell clothes through Instagram, Pinterest, and other social-media partners, is the latest start-up boss to show he can raise piles of money in Philadelphia.

Now he hopes he can find enough talent to keep his firm growing here.

Gupta last week announced a $27.5 million investment in Curalate from past investors: New Enterprise Associates, the largest U.S. venture capital outfit, based in Silicon Valley; Josh Kopelman's Philadelphia-based FirstRound Capital (the biggest venture firm based on the East Coast); and MentorTech Ventures, which focuses on firms run by Penn grads. Gupta has a Wharton MBA.

These backers have pumped $40 million into Gupta's vision since 2012. "They believe," he said.

So do Curalate users, like the developer who used Curalate API, and told me they're "a good vendor because their stuff never breaks."

Retailers love that, and that Curalate pumps product data and personalities into smartphone social media. This is next-generation, smartphone-based retailing. Because retailer website-based, point-and-click purchasing is so 1999.

Now all Curalate has to prove is it actually helps clients sell more stuff.

Gupta says the latest cash infusion will pay to double Curalate's tech, sales, marketing, and management staff - now 115 at its Center City headquarters, New York, and Seattle offices - to 230 by year's end.

"We're trying to disrupt a $1.6 trillion [e-commerce] market. It's going to take some money," Gupta told me. "There's a lot of hiring to be done."

New York and Seattle have larger tech workforces, so Curalate has opened offices there, too. Center City remains his base: "It is incredibly important for the future of this company that the Philadelphia office continue to grow" even though fewer applicants are here.

"Can you build a world-class tech company in Philadelphia? There's a lot of discussion about lack of capital and lack of talent. We really want to serve as an exemplar of the fact that we can do it."

It will be easier as Comcast, SAP, and other firms boost their software hiring. "Oaks spawn acorns. It takes a long while to attract really top-tier talent," Gupta adds.

"We've had a wave of start-ups that are now succeeding. With Curalate there is also RJMetrics. . . . Cloudmine is in a good spot now that Facebook has shut down their competitor Parse, Rick Nucci's new company, Guru, I have high hopes for, Gabe Weinberg's DuckDuckGo has high ambitions, Monetate is back on track."

Plus, Philadelphia has Kopelman (he's on the board that controls The Inquirer and Philly.com): "He's a board observer for Curalate," Gupta brags. "He can do more for you in an hour than you can figure out in a month."

Start-up veteran Bob Moul, past boss at Boomi, Philly Startup Leaders, and Artisan Mobile, is the new CEO at Cloudamize, freeing founder Khushboo Shah to become "chief evangelist" at the four-year-old firm.

Cloudamize helps clients select and manage Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Google's cloud, and other cloud computing services.

Cofounder Stephan Bohacek is chief technology officer. "If you're not in the cloud, we help you plan, assess, and manage" the migration, Moul told me. Moul was Shah's adviser when her group started Curalate. The firm counts ESPN, Zynga, OfficeMax, and Livingston as clients. Lead investors include MissionOG (George Krautzel and friends) and Gabriel Partners (Richard Vague and company).

JoeD@phillynews.com

215-854-5194@PhillyJoeD

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