gener8tor Founder Series Spotlight: Eric Martell, Pear Commerce
In this episode, we’re featuring Eric Martell, Founder and CEO of Pear Commerce, a Minneapolis based retail tech company helping consumer packaged goods brands connect digital advertising to real world retail outcomes. Pear gives CPG brands a bird’s eye view of product availability across retailers, making it easier to turn online engagement into in store action.
Eric went through The Brandery powered by gener8tor in Cincinnati in 2019, incorporating Pear on day one of the accelerator. Through the program, he gained direct access to executives at companies like Procter & Gamble and Kroger, refined his pitch during the investor roadshow, and raised a pre seed round shortly after Premiere Night. The experience accelerated both his network and his fundraising trajectory at a critical early stage.
Today, Pear works with 7 of the top 20 CPG companies, has raised approximately $17 million to date, and is nearing profitability while continuing to grow rapidly. The company operates as a fully remote team of about 30 people across more than 20 states, proving that disciplined execution and speed can drive meaningful scale.
Eric’s advice for founders:
“Make decisions quickly. Do something dumb, learn from it, then do something smart. Moving fast and learning faster is how startups win.”
Eric’s ask:
”If you know a consumer packaged goods brand selling in hundreds of stores across major retailers like Kroger, Target, or Walmart, he would welcome an introduction.”
Eric’s journey reflects the power of starting with momentum, leveraging the right network at the right time, and building with urgency. For founders navigating early stage growth, his story is a reminder that speed, access, and focus can compound into long term traction.
Learn more about Pear Commerce and watch the full conversation here:
