Keychain raises $30M and launches AI operating system for CPG manufacturers

It makes sense, then, that Keychain would try to take some of this market share, especially since they’re already assisting CPG manufacturers with their current product search and cataloging software.

In contrast to the current ERP market, KeychainOS is being touted as a faster, CPG-specific alternative to systems like Oracle, QAD, and Plex, which often require months of setup and multiple add-ons before becoming fully usable.

The funding round was led by Wellington Management with participation from BoxGroup and other existing investors, bringing Keychain’s total capital raised to $68 million just 18 months after launch.

Building on a successful initial rollout

Keychain’s story began with a narrower entry point into the CPG supply chain.

“We started with a big vision: build the operating system for CPG. Our first product was a search-and-discovery tool so brands and retailers could find manufacturers,” said Hanrahan in a video call interview with VentureBeat recently.

That initial product has grown quickly with more than 20,000 brands and retailers as customers, thousands of manufacturers — and more than a billion dollars of search-and-discovery volume a month.

In fact, Keychain states it’s currently being used by 8 of the top 10 U.S. retailers and 7 of the top 10 CPG brands, including 7-Eleven, Whole Foods, and General Mills.

Expanding into ERP

KeychainOS extends beyond sourcing into the core functions of manufacturing operations.

Hanrahan emphasized that the expansion builds on Keychain’s existing customer base.

Unlike traditional ERP systems, KeychainOS is designed to be implemented in days and integrates seamlessly with Keychain’s sourcing platform.

The system responds to a need Hanrahan says he hears directly from the market.

“Every four to eight weeks we host industry dinners with 80 to 200 people,” he told VentureBeat. “A constant theme is how hard it is to customize non-CPG software to run a plant, and the lack of connectivity between food safety, procurement, planning, and cost accounting.”

KeychainOS was born to solve these difficulties far more quickly, efficiently, and smoothly.

“We’re starting with customers who already use us for search and discovery—people paying us millions in aggregate. It’s a natural expansion,” Hanrahan offered. “Ultimately, it’ll be everywhere—like water. We’ve already had teams rip out existing food-safety software and replace it with Keychain OS.”

Using AI to augment food safety and manufacturing process checking

One of the ways KeychainOS differentiates itself from legacy ERP platforms is how it handles data entry. Traditional systems often require extensive manual input, which can slow operations and introduce errors.

“Tools are fragmented and hard to use,” Hanrahan stated. “Today the expectation is natural-language interfaces and automated data ingestion—not smashing a keyboard to enter data.”

This reflects a design choice to minimize repetitive entry by enabling the system to capture and organize information in the background.

The company is also expanding how workers interact with the software on the factory floor. At present, the primary interface is tapping on a screen through tablets placed in production environments. However, Keychain is building toward multimodal input.

“On the floor, the primary interface is tapping on a screen—today it’s screen, tap, and type—while we add computer vision, connected scales, and voice,” Hanrahan explained. This means over time, facilities may be able to automatically record temperatures, weights, or other production data without manual input.

Another feature of KeychainOS is the use of adaptive checklists powered by AI.

Instead of static, paper-based forms where workers tick boxes regardless of context, the system can adjust based on responses.

For example, if an operator records that two batches of a product or component were mixed together, the software automatically prompts additional required steps, rather than leaving that compliance process to chance.

This allows food-safety audits and quality checks to be both standardized and responsive, ensuring that no steps are missed in daily operations.

Competitive positioning

The shift puts Keychain in competition with large, established, legacy ERP vendors. But Hanrahan believes the new KeychainOS arrives at a moment when manufacturers are crying out for alternatives.

“We think the moment is here to build a better AI-native ERP without the 14 dropdowns and 17 checkboxes people hate in traditional SaaS,” he said.

The company is betting that its vertical focus and AI capabilities will appeal to manufacturers weary of fragmented software.

Instead of stitching together different tools, KeychainOS offers integrated modules for compliance, planning, and traceability, with the ability to share data across the supply chain.

Customer and investor perspective

Whole Foods Market is among the retailers already using Keychain. Tom Hermes, Vice President of Sourcing and Product Development, said the tool helps his teams identify prospective manufacturers who can meet new product development requirements.

Wellington Management’s Molly Breiner praised Keychain for combining speed and substance in its growth, noting the company is reshaping the CPG supply chain into something more efficient and connected.

With its new funding, Keychain plans to expand into additional consumer goods categories and broaden its AI capabilities. It recently entered the beauty and personal care sector, reflecting its wider applicability beyond food and beverage.

Interested manufacturers, brands, and retailers can apply to join at keychain.com.

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