Stephens Group Supports Dahlia Equity Partners in its Series A Investment in Prokeep
November 13, 2024
LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS – November 13, 2024 – Private investment firm The Stephens Group, LLC (“Stephens Group”) announced that it has supported Dahlia Equity Partners, a private equity firm that invests in software companies that power core customer workflows, in leading a $25 million Series A investment in Prokeep, the leading customer communication and engagement platform for distributors. This strategic funding will enable Prokeep to accelerate its growth and expand its demand generation capabilities designed for distributors.
Launched in 2016, Prokeep has quickly transformed the way distributors communicate and help customers get what they need fast. By centralizing inbound and outbound communication and workflow, Prokeep helps distributors build stronger relationships, increase efficiency, and grow sales. Now supporting more than 8,500 distributor locations, the platform has facilitated more than $11 billion in orders across North America by connecting distributors with more than 3.5 million tradespeople, mechanics, service people, and other professionals that businesses and consumers rely on daily.
“Our Series A funding marks a significant milestone for Prokeep.” said Jack Carrere, CEO and Co-Founder of Prokeep. “We are grateful for the confidence our customers and investors have shown in our vision. We have heard loud and clear from our customers that driving demand in a way that builds up on the relationships (in many cases generational relationships) they’ve already built is vital to their future, and we’re energized to use this new capital to accelerate this reality for them with a clear mission — empower proactive communication to build stronger relationships and drive sales. With the support of Dahlia Equity Partners and our existing investors, we are ready to continue delivering the innovation that unlocks more wins for distributors.”
John Giannuzzi, Managing Partner at Dahlia Equity Partners, stated, “We are thrilled to lead Prokeep’s Series A funding round. Prokeep has proven itself as a crucial player in the distributor communication space, with a strong track record of delivering value to its customers. Prokeep is purpose-built for how distributors work and communicate with their customers, and we are excited about the opportunity to help distributors drive proactive demand, unlock new sales opportunities, and further enhance customer engagement.”
Ryan Morrow, Managing Director at Stephens Group added, “In addition to our vertical software focus, Stephens Group has a long history of successful investments in industrial distribution businesses. Prokeep’s value proposition to that customer base was immediately obvious to us, and Jack and the team at Prokeep are well positioned to continue delivering outsized value to this customer base. When combined with the opportunity to work with Dahlia, who we view as the ideal investors to partner with to scale this business, we could not be more excited about Prokeep’s future.”
Trusted by industry leaders including ABC Supply, WinSupply, Johnstone Supply, City Electric Supply, NAPA, and Ferguson, Prokeep is more than a tool — it’s a partner in their journey to serve their communities more efficiently and proactively. With Prokeep, these teams have improved response times by 30%, gained back 9 hours weekly, and equipped themselves to seize every sales opportunity with accuracy and speed. With all of these operational advancements, distributors using Prokeep are able to improve the relationships that are at the core of their business — because relationships should be easy, not on hold. This new round of investment will allow Prokeep to deepen these relationships with new purpose-built solutions that modernize distribution without losing the humanity that sets them apart.
ABOUT PROKEEP
Founded in 2016, Prokeep is distribution’s leading customer engagement software that centralizes digital inbound communication and unlocks an outbound sales engine — providing distributors with a better customer experience, more sales opportunities, and increased efficiency. Prokeep believes that relationships should be easy, not on hold, because relationships are at the heart of what distributors do: supply communities with what they need to keep going. That’s why Prokeep is dedicated to supplying distributors with what they need — an easier way to engage the fixers, the builders, and the DIYers in their communities so that progress can happen fast.
Prokeep centralizes customer inbound messages across multiple channels into one shared inbox accessible by the whole team while also enabling the ability to proactively text customers with order status updates and marketing promotions. Additionally, Prokeep connects to the tools distributors already use to get work done, unlocking text message automations and data syncing to make it even easier to manage business. Today, Prokeep is used by more than 8,500 distributor locations across North America, enabling more than 20 million conversations and more than $11 billion in revenue. To learn more, please visit: www.prokeep.com.
ABOUT DAHLIA EQUITY PARTNERS
Dahlia Equity Partners (“Dahlia”) is a private equity firm that invests in software companies that power core customer workflows. Dahlia partners with existing management teams to drive both growth and profitability through operating best practices, targeted growth initiatives, and accretive acquisitions. Dahlia is based in San Francisco, California.
ABOUT THE STEPHENS GROUP, LLC
The Stephens Group, LLC is a private investment firm that partners with talented management teams to help build valuable businesses. Backed by the resources of the Witt Stephens, Jr. and Elizabeth Campbell families, the firm combines the operational expertise of a private equity firm with the flexibility provided by long-term capital. With over $2 billion of private equity assets under management, the firm has a long history of providing informed, sophisticated expertise and working with owners and managers to help them successfully achieve their strategic visions and build long-term value. Since 2006, Stephens Group has invested in over 50 companies, targeting investments in industries across the U.S., including industrial and commercial products and services, specialty distribution, technology infrastructure, and vertical software. For more information, visit stephensgroup.com.