Gateway Architects has emerged as a big game-changer with its disruptive and innovative SAP integrations. Its revolutionary and proprietary technology solves the most significant challenges for SAP users — providing real-time access to data and analytics, all while cutting costs in half. The GA SmartTM suite of products includes core technology, connectors, and applications targeting e-commerce, sales & invoicing, reporting, and Salesforce connectivity.
“It is exciting to watch our tiny, Frisco-based and funded company disrupt the massive SAP market and give large, worldwide enterprise customers a competitive edge,” said William Mays, co-founder and chairman of Gateway Architects. “By cutting integration time in half and reducing the ongoing costs to support SAP by 90%, we are a cash-flow positive license, offering our clients a day-2 ROI, with savings in the millions to tens of millions every year.”
SAP customers are a large addressable market with 77% of the world’s revenue transactions touching SAP, according to the company.
Core Technology Development
Andre Rosenthal, Ph.D. — one of 21 SAP master technical architects and one of only two employed outside of SAP — was tasked with implementing some of the toughest SAP implementations while employed at Microsoft, IBM, and Capgemini.
To solve these challenges, he developed a new structure within SAP’s framework. Because Gateway’s proprietary technology, Meister, resides inside of SAP, it is the only solution that delivers true real-time access to data. And it is the only name-space protected technology that directly accesses SAP backend through the gateway.
Meister streamlines data accessibility in and out of the SAP data repositories using advanced caching, compilers, AI, and predictive technologies. It dramatically improves performance, reliability, and system integrity at a fraction of the time and cost.
In 2017, Mays, Rosenthal, and Yaron Meerfeld formed Gateway Architects to build out the technology.
“Shocking” Results
With the blessing of a strong group of core investors who shared the vision for Gateway and had participated with Mays in successful ventures for more than 10 years, the team initially focused on hardening its core platform and developing complementary applications to address key SAP gaps. They also alpha-tested with customers and prospects, returning large proof points.
For Hess Corporation, a leading independent energy company, Gateway tackled an SAP challenge that the company had struggled with for years. Hess was using SAP for purchase to pay, employing over 25 people (at an average cost of $50,000 each) to support the invoicing of 15,000 clients daily. The backlog and mistakes cost them $1.2M in late payment fees annually.
With its Meister technology, Gateway optimized system performance for fast access to budgets and invoices, enhanced business intelligence and reporting so that data was available for all stakeholders, and delivered a clear user interface that allowed reviewers to easily approve, reject, and/or forward documents.
Gateway’s solution:
- Reduced implementation time by two-thirds
- Shortened payment-processing by 90%
- Eliminated consulting costs by nearly $1.2M per year
- Reduced annual back-office cost by $1.25M
- Eliminated training costs for personnel
- Saved $1.2M in late fees per year
“The impact of Gateway’s Meister Core™ technology on Hess, both from a cost and real-time data perspective, was shocking,” said Craig Penk, supply chain manager at Hess Corporation. “It delivered an $18M+ return over the first three-year term with ROI starting on day two.”
Expansion
In early 2021, Gateway expanded its footprint in the Middle East by signing agreements with Sonol Israel Ltd. and Diplomat. Sonol, one of Israel’s largest oil & gas distributors and Gateway’s first Israeli client, purchased a third application, GA SmartTM Reporting, in addition to GA Smart™ B2B e-Commerce and GA Smart™ Logistics. Diplomat, one of the largest consumer products distributors in the Middle East, also signed an agreement following a POC in which Gateway delivered the first live, direct integration between SalesForce B2B and the SAP backend. Gateway also signed a POC with a large food distributor with a kickoff date in March 2021.
“As we continue to grow our worldwide customer base, we remain proud to be based in Frisco, the technology hub of North Texas,” said Mays. “We are founded on Texas-based innovation and capital, and we are grateful for the support of our community.”
Gateway will launch its final capital raise for $1M (with $200,000 minimums) in the first quarter of 2021 and Mays believes they will close it shortly thereafter, as they have the first two rounds. Inquire about investment opportunities at investors@gatewayarchitects.co or learn more at gatewayarchitects.co.
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