Optoro, a US-based inventory returns software producer backed by logistics group UPS, completed a $75m funding round on Monday that was led by investment holding company Franklin Templeton.
The round included new and existing investors, with Optoro identifying growth equity firm Revolution Growth, investment manager Generation Investment Management and venture capital firm Tenfore Holdings as participants.
Founded in 2010, Optoro has created a software platform that helps manufacturers and retailers track and sell returned or excess inventory, utilising data analytics to select the optimal way to get the best cash result for each item.
Tobin Moore, co-founder and chief executive of Optoro, said: “The retail industry has a major problem – returns create tremendous financial, operational and environmental waste.
“With this new round of funding, we plan to accelerate the adoption of our solution with the world’s leading retailers and brands, and invest in R&D to take our solution to the next level. This positions us to help more retailers increase their profits, while also minimising their environmental footprints.”
Optoro has now raised a total of $190m in equity funding, in addition to the $40m of debt financing it secured from Square 1 Bank and TriplePoint Venture Growth BDC Corporation in 2015.
The company’s last funding was a $30m series D round backed by UPS’s Strategic Enterprise Fund, Revolution Growth, Generation Investment Management, Tenfore, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Swan and Legend Venture Partners and Maryland Venture Fund in 2016.
JP Morgan Securities was placement agent for the round while Cooley was legal adviser for Optoro.