Ecommerce software firm Scurri makes tracks into North America

Rory O’Connor, chief executive of Scurri

Gavin McLoughlin

Wexford-based ecommerce software company Scurri is expanding into the US and Canada after inking a number of new contracts.

The company's product is designed to make shipping simpler through functions like tracking and automation.

Users of its platform include Zara and Asos.

"We haven't been out in the US but we've had some customer wins in the US and Canada - the Americas is where we're heading next," chief executive Rory O'Connor told the Sunday Independent.

The company's backers include Enterprise Ireland, ACT Venture Capital and UK venture capitalist Episode 1, of which one of the founders is the former vice president for Europe of ecommerce giant Amazon.

"Our vision is to make delivery simple for ecommerce so anywhere that you have ecommerce merchants who are selling physical goods, that's our target market.

"The longer-term vision is to be adding in the new and kind of cool services. There's a lot of things - like Parcel Connect in Ireland - we'd power that, where you can go into your local shop and collect your goods rather than getting them delivered home. Or you can get them diverted on the fly to your local shop.

"In the old days, I remember purchasing a few books on Amazon, the first things I bought online - and you kind of knew that they were going to come sometime, but as to when they were going to come, you didn't really know.

"That's all changed now, you expect if you buy something, it arrives the next day. You can track it, you know where it is, and maybe that there's other options there that you can have it delivered at a specific time.

Asked why he chose to base the company in Wexford rather than Dublin, O'Connor said: "Originally I worked in Waterford Crystal and AOL so I've been based in Wexford for some time.

"Because we were going after the ecommerce market we went to the UK first. I suppose it's like anything in Ireland, you have to export, we were going to the UK anyway. Go to Waterford Airport, you're on a plane and you're over in London nearly as quick as you can get to Dublin.

"I think Irish people don't see foreign travel as being difficult, it's kind of necessary if you're going to grow."