He'd been thinking about a solution since 1993. J.H. Whitney, a venture capital firm, HighPoint has a product, a customer, more in the wings, and big plans. Integrated bar code technology helps the customer build the first order quickly and accurately, and the UI manages lists conveniently and quickly without burdening the server. The relationship builds on several common customer accounts and several more common prospects. The move positions the two vendors to give grocers a broader pre-integrated solution, something they want and need.
Questions remain about how well the product scales, service relationships, and content management.
In addition, while the future of consumer-direct grocery looks promising today, the segment might consolidate or morph quickly, adding market risk to HighPoint's concerns. Nonetheless, this startup is worth watching, especially if consumer-direct retailing is anywhere in your business plans any time soon.