Manuel Ramirez

In mid-2019, after a time spent researching the needs of dispensary owners, Manuel Ramirez launched STRAIN, a white-label mobile app that dispensary owners can use to keep connected with their patients by centralizing tools for sales, marketing, customer service and retention in a single place that is connected in real-time to the dispensary’s inventory, menus and POS systems.

“The vision for STRAIN, and this has always been the vision, is bringing the most value to the retailer, covering most of their needs, without making a hole in their pocket,” Ramirez says. “That’s our main goal.”

Launched initially in Ramirez’s native Puerto Rico, STRAIN is now used by more than 300 retailers not only on the island, but across the United States and Canada, all done without outside capital investment. The company expects to do its first round of fundraising this year.

“Imagine what we can do with $1 million,” Ramirez says.

One of Ramirez’s primary goals for STRAIN is to enter the markets in Central and South America, as well as gaining deeper penetration into the U.S. market. Because of its Puerto Rican roots, STRAIN has a dual language feature and Ramirez says he has an agreement in place for one of Florida’s providers to help them reach Spanish-speakers.

“Being from Puerto Rico, I think that we have that in our hearts so we will be launching a lot of not only opportunities but technologies that will support the Latin market,” he says.