Sruti Arulmani is the Co-Founder and CEO of Valdera. During this conversation, she discusses streamlining the sourcing of chemicals and raw materials for sustainable products, the importance of having a tech-forward mindset, and her love for charcuterie! 

Valdera is a modern sourcing platform that makes it easy to buy and sell high-quality chemicals and raw materials. The automated platform brings buyers and suppliers of chemicals and raw materials from around the world, to ensure products are made quickly, sustainably, and to the highest level of quality. 

1.    What is Valdera’s mission? 

Valdera’s mission is to empower makers at scale. We help manufacturers create the next generation of products more efficiently, safely, and sustainably. At the same time, we provide suppliers with an easy way to reach new buyers digitally and refine their offerings based on real-time demand signals. Our ultimate goal is to enable any company building products at scale to thrive in today’s fast-paced, evolving market. 

We’re one of the few companies solely focused on chemicals and raw materials. 

We built our product from the ground up specifically for teams managing the complexities of purchasing at scale.

Unlike buying items like desks or laptops, chemicals and raw materials come with countless specifications, chemical properties, certifications, and other criteria that must be managed. Our entire product is designed to handle this continuous complexity, setting us apart. 

Another surprising fact people often overlook is that nearly everything we use is made from raw materials and chemicals - clothing, cosmetics, food packaging, wall insulation, and even paint. If you can touch it physically, it has likely touched this industry somehow. With a global market worth around $5 trillion, our focus area is both specialised and incredibly expansive. 

2.    What have been the most significant milestones in Valdera’s journey so far? 

The team milestone I’m most proud of is reaching a point where we’re working with industry-leading companies across every category we touch. We’re partnering with top brands, market leaders, and the fastest-growing businesses in nearly every sector. This is a really important milestone for us because it proves we’re not just solving easier, low-hanging-fruit problems faced by smaller companies. Instead, we’ve built something robust and mature enough to address the complex use cases of the best and brightest companies in the industry. 

3.    What do you look for in the perfect customer? 

There are a few key qualities we look for when choosing the right companies to work with. 

They need to have a tech-forward mindset. We work best with companies ready to challenge the way purchasing has been done for the past 10 to 20 years - those who understand that procurement is fundamentally a data problem that technology can solve, not just a people-and-process issue.

Second, we look for companies that clearly understand their biggest challenges and are ready to address them. This means being willing to examine their supply chain, identify what’s holding them back - whether it’s keeping products on shelves or launching new ones - and prioritise fixing those areas. When companies are self-aware, ready to invest in their problems, and ready to adopt technology, we’re typically a great fit. 

On the other hand, if a company isn’t fully aware of its problems or lacks a tech-forward approach, change management can be more challenging, making it harder to deliver the outcomes they want. That’s why these two criteria are so critical when identifying ideal customers - though ultimately, we work with anyone purchasing raw materials and chemicals. 

4.    What are the foundations of growing a great team? 

I’d highlight two core values that I’m particularly passionate about. While we have a long list of company values, these two really stand out. 

The first is “raising the bar.” Everyone we hire is deeply committed to continuous improvement. They’re driven to challenge the status quo, work hard, and take bold steps to make meaningful changes. In a startup environment, being comfortable with how things are isn’t enough - you must be ready to push boundaries and raise the bar every day. 

The second is “being value focused.” Everything we do ties back to creating value for our customers. We focus on solving the biggest challenges they face and ensuring our work leads to measurable impact. We’re obsessed with predicting value, delivering it, and measuring its effect afterward. 

If you’re committed to raising the bar and delivering value, you’re likely doing a great job at Valdera. These values are foundational to building a high-performance team. 

We have a few other values that are inspired by great tech companies out there. One of them is "customer first." We’re always focused on understanding the problems our customers are solving and prioritising their needs. Another key value is "seeking simplicity.” 

This industry is full of complexity, but if you can break down a complex problem into a simple, elegant solution, you can make a real difference in someone’s life.

One value that Dheev is particularly passionate about is "inviting debate." We encourage open discussion and the exchange of ideas at Valdera. If someone disagrees with something, we want to hear it - it's a critical part of getting to the best solution. Our team excels at bringing unique ideas to the table, which helps us avoid group thinking and ensures that we arrive at the best possible outcome. 

5.    How do you incorporate GenAI/advanced technologies, and what will be your next major digital innovation? 

We leverage LLMs, ML models, and our own proprietary real-time data validation mechanisms to enhance how companies handle supplier discovery, qualification, and relationship management. We're already using these technologies in our data pipelines and buyer-supplier matching models. 

What’s next for us is applying the data generated on the platform to deliver unique insights back to customers. We want to provide buyers with actionable insights, by identifying areas where they're excelling and pinpointing opportunities for improvement. Using their own data to guide their next steps is something we’re excited to invest in, and we’re focused on building this out in 2025. 

6. What’s the vision for Valdera? What does great look like in three to five years’ time?

Valdera becomes the go-to platform for procurement leaders managing chemical and raw material sourcing projects at any manufacturing company. With our technology, they’ll be able to fully map the market and get accurately matched with suppliers who can support their needs. If you work at a manufacturing company sourcing a wide range of raw materials and chemicals, you should be using Valdera within five years, if not much sooner. 

I believe a key enabler to making this happen is establishing high-trust partnerships with our customers. Having close relationships where customers provide feedback and help us build the next capabilities that deliver value to them is really important. This tight feedback loop and the ability to iterate is core to providing long-term business value. 

The second key enabler is agility within our own organisation and looking for it in our customer base. It’s not just about asking our customers to be highly responsive; it’s about identifying and working with those in the industry who are leading the way in agility. As companies invest in supply chain resiliency, those that operate more efficiently and nimbly enable us to drive value much faster. 

Success is a two-way street - we need to collaborate closely with our customers to thrive.

Both of these factors come together to help us succeed, and you'll notice that both are focused on our customers. These are the two key enablers that will really unlock our growth. 

7.    What are you doing that is good for the planet? 

Before founding Valdera, I had a deep personal interest in how the products we use impact our daily lives. This commitment to quality extends beyond choosing eco-friendly products - it's why I was excited to build a platform that helps manufacturers find better inputs for their products. 

At Valdera, we connect manufacturers with suppliers who can meet their sustainability goals, whether that's adhering to ISO standards for social responsibility, producing cruelty-free cosmetics, or improving product purity. We also help companies work toward net-zero emissions by supporting supply chain localisation to reduce carbon footprints and seeking suppliers with stronger environmental practices. Supplier diversity is another key focus. 

In addition, many multinational customers are concerned about geopolitical risk. Valdera helps them identify diversified  suppliers, ensuring they are agile and responsive to market changes. We emphasise proactive risk management by helping companies find secondary and tertiary suppliers to mitigate potential disruptions. 

Valdera isn’t just about identifying risks; it’s about providing the tools to execute a risk strategy, ensuring the right suppliers are matched, and integrating them efficiently into the supply chain.

This helps companies navigate complex challenges and build better, more sustainable products. 

INSTANT INSPIRATION 

1.    What is your favourite book/blog? 

I like Brain Pickings – they explore fascinating topics in art, philosophy and science. 

2.    Who is your favourite inspirational leader? 

I really admire Susan Wojcicki, one of Google’s earliest employees and the former CEO of YouTube. She took a huge risk leading Google’s $1.65 billion acquisition of YouTube in 2006, a decision that reshaped Google’s trajectory and the future of the internet. What inspires me most is her conviction to see through such a bold strategy, proving the power of sticking to a big vision. 

3.    What is your favourite piece of technology? 

Lately, I’ve been using Perplexity instead of Google, and I think it’s a great alternative. I like how it sums up a bunch of information so concisely. 

4.    What is your favourite cocktail or guilty pleasure?

Charcuterie, for sure.  

5. What is your favourite way to celebrate success?

I think it's a simple one - we just like to get together for a good meal with the team, spending time with each other and laughing. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

1. Empowering Manufacturers for Sustainability and Efficiency: The manufacturing industry is increasingly focused on building the next generation of products more efficiently, safely, and sustainably. This involves connecting manufacturers with the right suppliers to streamline production processes and foster long-term sustainability.

2. Complexities of Chemicals and Raw Materials Procurement: Procuring chemicals and raw materials presents unique challenges due to their complex specifications and chemical properties. Managing full-scale purchasing in these sectors requires specialised systems designed to handle these complexities and ensure accurate, safe sourcing.

3. The Global Impact of Chemicals and Raw Materials: Chemicals and raw materials are essential to numerous industries, from cosmetics to food packaging to construction. This global sector is worth trillions of dollars and plays a pivotal role in the production of most everyday products, highlighting its significant impact on the global economy.

4. Tech-forward Mindset in Procurement: Modern procurement is increasingly seen as a data-driven challenge. Companies that adopt a tech-forward approach to procurement are better equipped to tackle the complexities of sourcing, leveraging technology to improve efficiency, accuracy, and overall decision-making.

5. Customer-Centric Collaboration and Feedback Loops: Successful businesses recognise the importance of building strong, trust-based relationships with customers. Continuous feedback loops and collaboration ensure that products and services evolve in line with customer needs, driving long-term value and satisfaction.

6. Agility and Supply Chain Resiliency: As supply chains face constant disruption, agility and resiliency have become critical. Companies that invest in agile processes and technologies are better equipped to respond to market changes, mitigate risks, and optimise their supply chains for greater efficiency and speed.

7. Supporting Sustainability and Risk Management: There is a growing emphasis on sustainability in sourcing and production, with companies seeking to reduce their environmental impact through greener practices, such as lowering carbon footprints, fostering supplier diversity, and localising supply chains to mitigate geopolitical and other risks.

About Valdera 

Valdera is a sourcing platform for chemicals and raw materials. Their technology empowers companies to find the specialised inputs and formulations they need to build the future of sustainable & branded products. 

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