Dave Clark, the former CEO of Amazon’s global consumer division and briefly at logistics company Flexport, announced today the launch of his new startup, Auger. With this startup, he plans to tackle the problems presented by so-called Franken-software, by which most companies and governments run their supply chains-income case, shoehorning together disparate tools under one umbrella.
In conversation, Clark spoke about takeaways gained during his tenure at Flexport-including major brands like Nike and Lululemon being unable to manage their supply chains. “A shocking amount of supply chain still runs on Excel,” he said he was surprised to find, based on disparate data synthesis by means of such basic tools as Excel, Smartsheet, and Tableau.
Clark resigned from Auger after a brief and chaotic stint at Flexport last September 2022. Clark’s resignation assisted the retooling of founder Ryan Petersen into reclaiming control of the company amidst allegations of overspending and overhiring during Clark’s tenure. Internal documents by himself seem to disprove accusations against Clark, who instead was backed by Petersen and other board members. Peterson had spearheaded several restructurings moves since Clark’s exit in stabilizing the company.
Clark spent 23 years at Amazon before joining Flexport, leading on the company’s vast logistics network. He joined the company in 1999 and was central to its growth; after Jeff Wilke’s departure in 2020, he took the core retail business. He left the company in 2022, citing a motivation to further extend advanced supply chain solutions to smaller businesses around the world.
Auger came as an idea from Clark’s realization that enormous gaps existed in the market for supply chain tools. The name of the startup symbolizes its mission to penetrate into complex challenges and enables deeper insights. Clark aims to create a platform which offers the simplicity and intuitiveness of consumer applications, streamlining procurement, forecasting, and resource planning for companies.
Clark is based in Bellevue, Washington; he will utilize the local talent in tech as he expands Auger. Seen $100 million from venture firm Oak HC/FT; it will look to grow its headcount to around 20 workers. He continues shipping a V1 of the product in the next nine months.
Investment in supply chain technology has actually been on the rise in the last couple of years. The overall decline in venture capital, which now increasingly is picking on areas outside of the artificial intelligence arena, will reach $2.4 billion globally. Clark’s Auger is another up-and-comer in this dynamic arena, redefining a company’s management of its supply chain.
