Knowde
Founded 2017 · 200 employees on LinkedIn · 10 known investors
Knowde provides a data management platform for industrial businesses, specifically chemicals and ingredients, that uses AI to extract, structure, and harmonize fragmented master data from legacy systems. The platform includes a MDM system, customer experience portal, and marketplace to enable digital transformation, supply chain optimization, and sales enablement.
Also known as Knowde Inc.
Founders & leadership
Knowde was founded in 2017 by Ali Amin-Javaheri and Wojciech Krupa.
Investors · 10
Also in the syndicate · 2
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Knowde builds software for the chemical and ingredient industry, centered on turning fragmented, partially digitized product and operational data into a structured data layer that other enterprise systems can consume. Its product set comprises Knowde AI, which ingests, extracts, structures, harmonizes and enriches data from sources such as PDFs and spreadsheets; a Master Data Management (MDM) Platform where the resulting data is stored and connected in a graph; a Customer Experience Platform (CXP) that lets suppliers launch a customer-facing digital experience on their own website; and the Knowde Marketplace, where chemical suppliers operate storefronts. An application layer sits on top, with AI agents and apps addressing workflows in pricing, procurement, R&D, sales productivity and technical service and development.
The company positions clean master data as a prerequisite for digital transformation in the sector, processing vendor, raw material, product and customer master data across basic, technical, application-specific, sales, regulatory and manufacturing attributes. It markets more than 40 AI use cases spanning commercial functions (cross-selling, digital selling, field sales enablement, price optimization, customer self-service), digital and IT functions (ERP consolidation, PIM, CRM, business intelligence, M&A integration, AI readiness) and supply chain and procurement functions (tail spend management, global spend optimization, regulatory questionnaires).
Founding story
Knowde was co-founded in 2017 by CEO Ali Amin-Javaheri, who grew up in a family connected to the chemical industry and previously worked at ChemPoint, an earlier attempt to bring technology to chemical distribution that later moved toward a traditional distribution model.
Business model
Knowde sells enterprise software to chemical and ingredient producers and distributors, comprising AI-based data processing, an MDM platform, a customer experience platform deployed on the supplier's own website, and marketplace storefronts, with engagement typically beginning through a requested demo.
Press coverage of the Series C referenced Knowde's annual recurring revenue, indicating a recurring software subscription model; specific pricing is not disclosed.
Traction
Reported traction includes 8,000+ chemical companies with marketplace storefronts, about 230,000 listed chemicals and raw ingredients, and claimed customer outcomes of 3-7% margin improvement and 70% faster decisions. Coverage of the 2024 Series C reported a valuation above 20x annual recurring revenue.
Latest developments
Knowde has continued publishing product feature releases and an executive interview series, with posts running through 2025 and into 2026, including a keynote at the Knowde Executive Summit 2025 and interviews with former executives of allnex and 3M. Its site highlights a partnership with Brenntag SE applying Knowde's AI to product data management in chemical distribution.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history, risks & controversies
Market position
Knowde describes itself as the only venture-backed chemical software company and its marketplace as the leading online marketplace in the sector, with 8,000+ supplier storefronts and roughly 230,000 chemicals and raw ingredients listed. Its advisory board includes former senior executives from General Electric, McKinsey, Union Carbide, Deloitte, 3M, Dow, AdvanSix, Covestro LLC and Braskem Americas.
Knowde focuses specifically on the complexity of chemical and ingredient data — chemical identifiers, GHS classification, regulatory compliance, technical properties and application attributes — combining automated data harmonization with an MDM system, a supplier-branded customer experience layer and a marketplace that are natively integrated.
Technology
Knowde AI ingests data from any source, extracts and structures it, harmonizes naming and classification inconsistencies across legacy systems, and connects records in a graph stored in a dedicated MDM Platform for syndication to other systems. The company states processing of up to 50,000 files per day, 99% attribute accuracy, delivery in under a month, and multi-layered security and data privacy controls.
Go-to-market
The company markets directly to suppliers through demo requests and a supplier-facing marketplace sign-up, supported by content marketing including an executive interview series hosted by the CEO, a blog, white papers and reports, a partner program, and an annual Knowde Executive Summit.
Chemical and ingredient producers, distributors and raw material suppliers, along with the R&D and procurement buyers who source materials; named or quoted customers and partners include Brenntag, H.B. Fuller, Treatt, Quadra, Harcros, Tilley Distribution and Palmer Holland, and the marketplace is reported to work with brands such as Unilever, Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble.
Geography
The company is described in press coverage as San Jose-based, and its marketplace connects customers with suppliers globally.
History
Knowde launched in 2017 to move the chemical and polymer industry online. It raised a $72 million Series B led by Coatue in August 2021 and announced a $60 million Series C in August 2024 led by Blue Cloud Ventures, Point72 Private Investments and Socium Ventures with participation from Sequoia Capital, bringing total funding to $175 million as stated by the company.
Risks & controversies
Press coverage reported that the 2024 Series C was raised at a valuation below the roughly $500 million valuation of the company's prior round.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 2
launches, deals, and filingsBrenntag SE CEO Christian Kohlpaintner is quoted on Knowde's site describing a partnership to apply Knowde's AI approach to Brenntag's Product Data Management in chemical distribution.
Knowde announced a $60 million Series C led by Blue Cloud Ventures, Point72 Private Investments and Socium Ventures, with participation from existing investors including Sequoia Capital. The company said funds would go toward new MDM Platform features and new vertical applications.
$60M source ↗
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- Knowdeknowde.com · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Knowde do?
- Knowde is a software company applying AI to master data management, digital commerce and a marketplace for the chemical and ingredient industry.
- Who founded Knowde?
- Knowde was founded by Ali Amin-Javaheri, Wojciech Krupa in 2017.
- Who are Knowde's investors?
- Knowde's investors include Bee Partners, Coatue Management, Mantis Capital, Point72 Ventures, Sequoia Capital, Tq Ventures Llc, Blue Cloud Ventures, Refactor Capital.