Factor
The business, the turning points, and the decisions behind them.
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Sections to complete：02 · 05
01 / WHAT IT BUILT
What the company did
Factor (Factor.io) was a San Francisco-based supply-chain payments and order-management platform founded in 2018 by manufacturing veterans Doug Shultz and Michael Szewczyk. It targeted what the founders called the supply chain's 'first mile' — ordering raw materials, choosing suppliers, and paying them on time — with software plus just-in-time inventory financing for mid-sized manufacturers. In December 2021 it raised a $6 million seed round led by Google's Gradient Ventures and said it served more than 250 companies. In February 2025, Factor was acquired by Cofactr, an AI-driven supply-chain platform, with CEO Doug Shultz joining Cofactr as Head of Strategic Accounts.
02 / FAILURE REASONS
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03 / EVENT HISTORY
Events in the structured record
- Founded
Factor was founded in 2018 in San Francisco by Doug Shultz and Michael Szewczyk to streamline the 'first mile' of manufacturing supply chains — supplier ordering and payments.
- Seed round
The company raised a $6 million seed round led by Google's Gradient Ventures, with Xfund, Afore, and South Park Commons participating, and reported serving 250+ mid-sized manufacturers.
- Acquired by Cofactr
In February 2025, Cofactr acquired Factor's AI solution for managing multi-supplier supply chains; Factor CEO Doug Shultz joined Cofactr as Head of Strategic Accounts.
04 / CONTEMPORARY REBUILD ASSESSMENT
Difficulty of rebuilding this project today
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Overall assessment: Not completed
05 / CAUSAL CHAIN / AFTERMATH
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