Sherbrooke company SE2 raises $915,000 in first round of funding
SE2 is modernizing the retail business with its specialized cloud point-of-sale solution for multi-site stores, such as franchises, purchasing groups and corporate networks.
Montréal, July 10, 2018 — The Sherbrooke company SE2 has concluded a $915,000 first round of funding, thanks to the participation of 8 members of Anges Québec, Anges Québec Capital, Desjardins Capital and Sherbrooke Innopole via its pre-commercialization fund. The funding raised will serve to accelerate marketing of its Alice POS point-of-sale software.
Offered in the form of a monthly subscription, Alice POS® is a powerful all-in-one solution that allows substantial operational and financial gains for merchants by centralizing information at a single point. In particular, it allows interbranch inventory management and harmonization of in-store and online sales, facilitating increased revenues by optimized management of resources.
"An additional revenue generator, Alice POS is modernizing the retail business. Integrating easily with the leading payment systems and management software, our solution has already been adopted by several major retail clients. After devoting the past two years to optimize our product, we are now ready to accelerate marketing of our solution, which is already obtaining a positive response on the market" says Charles Beaupré, the company's co-founder and CEO.
"As investors, we obviously did our research before getting involved. Our research showed us that Alice POS® had already been adopted by major clients, who had nothing but praise for the solution and the SE2 team. After reviewing several competing solutions, these clients said they were convinced by the ease of installation of Alice POS®, its range of advantageous features and the excellent cost/benefit ratio," according to Serge Laporte and Jacques Lemieux, both lead investors in the round of funding.
Desjardins Capital is proud to invest in SE2. “The company has developed a particularly well-adapted technology for multi-layered networks with several points of sale” says Éric Bolduc, Investment Director at Desjardins Capital. The investment will help to develop new modules, sign new partnerships and target important clients.
The company was referred to Anges Québec by Sherbrooke Innopole, the paramunicipal corporation dedicated to the economic development of the City of Sherbrooke, which saw the potential of the solution and accompanied the entrepreneur from the very beginning.
"Sherbrooke Innopole is proud of its participation in the financial setup and continuing support for SE2's growth. SE2 offers a versatile, powerful solution while maximizing retailers' sales revenues. This young IT company is now entering a stage that is both conclusive and promising," affirms Marc-Henri Faure, Director, Business Services at Sherbooke Innopole for the key information technology sector.
SE2 also received strategic support from Espace inc., an incubator-accelerator in the Eastern Townships region which offers accompaniment and business coaching to entrepreneurs from the region.
2018 looks to be a very full year for SE2, which already has more than ten employees. "We are confident that with the funding raised and the expertise made available to us by our financial partners, Alice POS® will become the point of sale reference par excellence for ambitious retail merchants," Charles Beaupré, the company's co-founder and CEO, points out.
About SE2
SE2 is developing and marketing the Alice POS® solution, a cloud-based new-generation point-of-sale software, which propels merchants in the modern technological era. It becomes a pleasure to manage inventory, customers and employees. Alice POS® has a revolutionary customer order module, as well as leasing, cross-selling, repair and consignment modules, and much more. Everything tomorrow's retailers need to transform themselves today.
About Anges Québec
Founded in 2008, Anges Québec is a network of more than 200 angel investors with the mission of helping its members realize profitable investments. The members of the Anges Québec network have invested over $75 million to date in the Québec economy, totalling over 177 investments in more than 102 innovative businesses. Thanks to its professional development centre, Anges Québec supports its members in the constant acquisition of new knowledge and competencies inherent to investment.
À propos de Desjardins Capital
Desjardins Capital is a fund manager that offers strategic and financial support to growing businesses and innovative start-ups in Quebec. It specializes in investment capital and venture capital. Regardless of the growth stage or your company or cooperative, Desjardins Capital offers tailored financing in the form of a loan or equity. With its team of experts, Desjardins Capital supports the growth of Quebec-based SMEs operating in various industries across the province. To learn more about Desjardins Capital, go to our website.
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Information and interviews
Stéphanie Schwanen, Director, Communications and Community | Anges Québec
Tel.: 514-895-7622 | stephanie.schwanen@angesquebec.com