New Investment Boosts Arkestro's AI for Supply Chains

Predictive procurement software company Arkestro has announced a US$36m strategic investment led by Altira Group and Aramco Ventures. 

The latest funding round also includes backing from existing investors NEA, KDT and Activant. 

The company positions its technology as a tool to help procurement teams uncover savings, mitigate risk and increase efficiency — core priorities in today's supply chain landscape.

Chief Executive and Co-Founder, Rob DeSantis, has linked the investment directly to modern and pressing enterprise needs, saying: "This strategic investment from Altira Group and Aramco Ventures is a testament to the growing demand for predictive procurement technology that leverages AI and behavioural science to transform supply chain processes."

Arkestro aims to use the funding to scale development of its predictive procurement platform. 

The company says the technology enables enterprises to shift procurement from a tactical function to a strategic one, creating value beyond just cost containment. 

Rob adds: "Procurement teams today are navigating increasingly complex, global challenges, yet legacy processes continue to slow decision-making and leave cost savings untapped."

Predictive tools reshape supplier decisions

Arkestro's platform draws on AI, behavioural science and game theory to influence procurement outcomes. 

This approach is designed to shorten procurement cycles, tighten supplier alignment and secure better financial terms – the firm claims its users have realised an average saving of 18.8% on every US$1m spent.

The company links these results to its proprietary application of three sciences:

• Negotiation Science
  
• Supplier Science
  
• Process Science

Together, these help procurement teams shape contract outcomes before suppliers submit quotes. This approach stands in contrast to the reactive processes that still dominate many traditional enterprise buying models.

Rob says the backing from Altira Group and Aramco Ventures will also enable the company to deliver predictive procurement to more enterprises that want to build supply chain resilience and boost profitability. 

"With Altira Group and Aramco Ventures' support, we will expand our capabilities and bring predictive procurement transformation to even more enterprises looking to drive profitability and resilience in their supply chains," he adds.

Backing from energy sector investors

J.P. Bauman, Partner at Altira Group, who joins Arkestro’s board, highlights the practical value of the platform: "Arkestro cuts through the noise with a pragmatic application of AI technology that gives procurement experts superhuman-like capabilities and reinforces their role as a strategic lever for the enterprise."

Altira's investment comes alongside interest from its seven oil and gas partners, who collectively control hundreds of billions in annual procurement spend. 

J.P adds that this ecosystem, alongside co-investors Aramco Ventures, will help Arkestro scale its impact across the energy and industrial sectors.

Bruce Niven, Executive MD and Head of Strategic Venturing at Aramco Ventures, draws a straight line between Arkestro’s product and industry transformation: "Aramco Ventures invests in disruptive technologies that redefine industries, and Arkestro's Predictive Procurement Platform is doing just that.

"Arkestro's approach is transforming procurement into a proactive, strategic function that delivers measurable financial impact. We're excited to support their growth and help drive the next generation of supply chain innovation."

Growing traction across industry verticals

Arkestro reports growing adoption among Fortune 500 manufacturers and supply chain-focused enterprises over the last year. 

These companies are deploying predictive procurement to speed up supplier decisions, tighten commercial outcomes and cut waste in indirect and direct spend. 

In particular, the firm’s AI layer offers decision support that enables procurement professionals to act faster and more effectively without bypassing governance or compliance.

The latest funding reinforces the idea that procurement technology is not only about spend visibility, but about decision quality. For Arkestro, this shift moves procurement closer to being a revenue enabler. 

Rob concludes: "Arkestro enables procurement teams to serve as a revenue-driving function of the business rather than a cost centre, and we're excited to extend our impact even further with this investment."

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