Velocity helps DataISource advance AI procurement platform

Macomb County startup DataISource has secured $2 million in private investment and is advancing its DataProcur platform with help from Velocity’s accelerator in Sterling Heights. The software aims to automate procurement, preserve institutional knowledge and flag supply-chain risk for manufacturers and other businesses.

Why it matters: - DataISource is targeting a costly and familiar problem for manufacturers and procurement teams: fragmented data, manual workflows and supply-chain uncertainty. - The company’s platform is designed to help businesses make faster purchasing decisions while keeping sensitive pricing and supplier data under their own control. - Velocity’s support can help a local startup move from product development to broader market adoption.

What happened: - DataISource, a Macomb County technology startup, is moving forward with support from Velocity’s business accelerator program in Sterling Heights. - The company has secured $2 million in private investment. - Co-founder and CEO Cornel Ureche and co-founder and CTO Bogdan Adrian Horobet are building DataProcur, a software-as-a-service platform for procurement. - DataISource has worked with Velocity for about 18 months.

The details: - DataProcur is intended to cover procurement from supplier identification and requests for quotes through negotiations, contract management, analytics and supply-chain risk monitoring. - The platform is built around three priorities: automating procurement processes, improving supply-chain resilience and preserving organizational knowledge. - DataProcur is designed to retain information from prior procurement activity so companies can keep building on supplier relationships and decisions even when employees change. - The system is also being developed to identify possible supply-chain disruptions earlier and evaluate responses such as alternative suppliers or sourcing strategies. - Ureche built the business from nearly three decades in the automotive supply chain, where procurement teams often relied on spreadsheets, emails, disconnected software and employee know-how. - Horobet said DataProcur uses a private AI model that each company runs on its own, so data stays under company control and does not train other systems. - Velocity has provided grant funding, coaching, business strategy development and access to its network of resources and relationships. - Velocity, based in Sterling Heights, supports entrepreneurs and growing businesses in Macomb County with coaching, mentorship, strategic planning, education, funding opportunities and business connections. - DataISource also has support from NVIDIA Inception, AWS Active and J.P. Morgan’s Innovation Economy. - Those programs provide access to technology infrastructure, development resources, business support and startup and investment networks. - Velocity Executive Director Paula Macpherson said the accelerator works with entrepreneurs to strengthen strategy, challenge assumptions, make connections and support sustainable growth.

Between the lines: - DataISource is positioning DataProcur as both a workflow tool and a knowledge-retention system, not just another procurement app. - The focus on private AI and data control suggests the company is aiming at industrial customers that want automation without giving up sensitive information. - The mix of local accelerator support and national corporate programs gives the startup a broader path to funding, product development and market credibility.

What’s next: - DataISource is continuing to build and refine DataProcur as it grows beyond the early-stage startup phase. - The company’s next test is turning its technical concept into a product that procurement teams will adopt in real operations. - Velocity is expected to keep supporting the company through coaching, strategy and network access as it scales.

The bottom line: - DataISource is using Velocity’s accelerator and outside investment to turn an AI procurement concept into a commercial platform for manufacturers and other businesses.