First Software

What First Software does

First Software Ltd is a New Zealand-based software company headquartered in Auckland that develops and sells n2 ERP, a cloud-based enterprise resource planning platform purpose-built for retail, import, and distribution businesses operating in New Zealand and Australia. The platform unifies procurement, inventory, sales order management, point-of-sale, customer relationship management, light manufacturing, repairs, business intelligence, financial management, and ecommerce in a single integrated system, with optional integrations to the dominant NZ technology stack — Xero, TradeMe, Shopify (as of July 2025), NZ Post, Post Haste, GoSweetSpot, Windcave, Afterpay, and Netstock — and supports multi-branch, multi-currency operations with mobile warehouse functionality.

The company serves three primary customer cohorts: small businesses ($2M–$10M revenue) using a lower-priced Inventory Management + Xero tier from $595 + GST/month, mid-market multi-channel retailers and importers, and enterprise retailers/distributors (such as Chesters Plumbing & Bathroom across 19 branches and Forman Building Systems). It generates revenue through monthly subscription licensing, bespoke implementation fees, ecommerce website builds (via n2 CMS or Shopify), and payment-processing rebates from a Windcave buyer group. Go-to-market is consultative direct sales, supplemented by partner referrals and a referral pattern explicitly documented across case studies.

The company is founder-owned and family-managed (Alex Petraska as Managing Director, Leon Petraska in finance), operates from a small management team (~11–50 employees), and has been actively investing in product through 2025 — including an AI-powered support ticket triage system and a pop-out ecommerce cart with Apple Pay — while pursuing trans-Tasman geographic expansion anchored by Australian customers such as Agnew Building Supplies, RubberTree, and Austlift.

Name

First Software

Legal name

First Software Ltd

Website

https://firstsoftware.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

First Software is an Auckland-based developer of n2 ERP, a cloud ERP and ecommerce platform purpose-built for retail, import, and distribution businesses in New Zealand and Australia. It sells via monthly subscription, implementation services, and partnerships with Xero, Shopify, and TradeMe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cloud ERP software for retail and distribution

NAICS

Software Publishers (513210)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Retail ERP (Merchandising, POS Back Office) (HDAEAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Distribution & Wholesale ERP (Inventory, Order, Warehouse) (HDAEAEAC), Manufacturing ERP (Discrete, Process, Batch) (HDAEAEAB)

Keywords

• Cloud ERP software
• Retail distribution software
• Inventory management system
• ECommerce platform integration
• Point of sale software

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. n2 ERP Monthly License (Full ERP): Monthly subscription licensing for the full n2 ERP platform. The company also charges separate implementation fees covering configuration, data loading, training, and go-live support, which vary by customer requirements.
2. Inventory Management + Xero Tier: Monthly license starting at $595 + GST for three named users, plus $200/month per integration required (no charge for Xero integration). Suitable for smaller businesses with $2M-$10M revenue.
3. eCommerce Website Development: First Software builds eCommerce websites using n2 CMS, Shopify, or WooCommerce integration, as part of implementations.
4. Windcave Payment Processing Rebates: When customers join the First Software Windcave buyer group, First Software receives a small rebate from transaction processing, reinvested into n2 eCommerce platform development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

First Software develops and sells n2 ERP, a cloud-based, fully integrated Enterprise Resource Planning platform purpose-built for retail, import, distribution and multi-channel businesses. The platform unifies procurement, inventory, sales, point-of-sale, light manufacturing, repairs, warehousing, eCommerce (via built-in n2 CMS or Shopify) and accounting (native module or Xero integration) into a single system, with additional marketplace (Trade Me, Amazon, eBay) and courier integrations (NZ Post, Post Haste, GoSweetSpot). The company also delivers bespoke implementation, training, and eCommerce website development services alongside the monthly SaaS license.

Product overview

First Software offers n2 ERP, a unified cloud-based ERP platform with modular architecture. The core n2 ERP handles procurement, inventory, sales, purchasing, light manufacturing, ecommerce, and accounting in one integrated system. For smaller businesses, n2 ERP + Xero provides inventory and ecommerce management connected to Xero accounting. The product suite includes specialized modules for Point of Sale, Financial Management, CRM, Repairs, Manufacturing, Mobile access, Job Costing (coming), and Trade Portals. Ecommerce capabilities are delivered through n2 CMS (built-in) or via Shopify/WooCommerce integrations. Marketplace integrations cover Trade Me, Amazon, and eBay, while courier integrations include NZ Post, Post Haste, and GoSweetSpot.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• n2 ERP A fully integrated, cloud-based Enterprise Resource Planning platform for retail and distribution businesses, handling procurement, inventory, sales orders, purchasing, light manufacturing, eCommerce and accounting from a single unified application. Targets medium to large importers, distributors and retailers ($10M–$100M turnover) in NZ and Australia.
• n2 ERP + Xero (Inventory Management + Xero)

Quantifiable outcome

• Hyper Drive processes thousands of orders per month with no change in staff headcount required since implementing n2 ERP, growing from startup to major eCommerce operation.
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration29 records

AI capability2 records

Feature13 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ShopifycoreTechnology or Integration · 28 July 2025First Software became an official Shopify Partner in July 2025, enabling them to deliver custom Shopify and Shopify Plus ecommerce websites integrated with n2 ERP backend. This expands their offering beyond n2's built-in CMS to include Shopify's front-end ecosystem.
• XerocoreTechnology or Integration · 25 January 2015Xero is a key integration partner. First Software developed a two-way automated integration between n2 ERP and Xero's accounting platform in 2015, allowing businesses to use n2 for inventory/eCommerce management and Xero for financials. The integration is offered at no additional charge.
• Trade MecoreTechnology or Integrationn2 ERP features an advanced two-way integration with Trade Me, New Zealand's largest online marketplace. The platform powers over 50,000 Trade Me listings from leading NZ retailers, enabling bulk listing, inventory sync, and order management.
• VTH (Sydney)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerVTH is a Sydney-based ecommerce and digital agency that collaborated with First Software on the Agnew Building Supplies implementation. VTH handled front-end ecommerce while First Software provided n2 ERP for backend distribution and supply chain.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Brightpearl: Retail and wholesale-focused cloud ERP owned by Sage that targets multi-channel retailers and DTC brands with inventory, order, warehouse, and marketplace integrations. Directly comparable to n2 ERP in target customer (multi-channel retailers/distributors), feature scope (inventory + orders + POS + integrations), and SaaS delivery model.
• Unleashed Software: Cloud inventory management software designed for retailers, distributors, and manufacturers with Xero and other accounting integrations. Closely comparable to n2 ERP's inventory management module and the lower-end 'Inventory Management + Xero' tier that targets $2M-$10M revenue businesses.
• Dear Inventory: Cloud inventory and order management platform for SMB retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers with accounting, ecommerce, and marketplace integrations. Closely comparable to n2 ERP for the smaller end of the SMB retail/distribution market, particularly businesses that only need inventory and order management without full ERP.
• Lightspeed Retail: Cloud point-of-sale and retail management platform with strong NZ/AU presence (acquired Vend and Kounta), serving multi-store and multi-channel retailers with integrated POS, inventory, and ecommerce. Directly comparable to n2 ERP's POS and retail management modules at the small to mid-market retailer end.
• Cin7: New Zealand-origin inventory and ERP platform serving multi-channel retailers and distributors with deep marketplace, POS, and accounting integrations. Directly competes with n2 ERP for the same mid-market retail and distribution customers in NZ, Australia, and globally, with overlapping feature sets around inventory, orders, warehousing, and marketplace integrations.
• MYOB Advanced: Australia/New Zealand-focused SME ERP and accounting platform widely used by growing retailers, distributors, and service businesses. Directly competes with n2 ERP at the small to mid-market end and is closely comparable on integration with the NZ/AU tax and accounting ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Acumatica: Cloud-native ERP platform with editions for distribution, retail, and manufacturing that mid-market businesses can license through partners. Competes with n2 ERP for distribution and retail customers and is a general-purpose alternative with growing retail/distribution-specific functionality.
• Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central: Microsoft's SMB and mid-market cloud ERP, widely sold to growing retailers and distributors globally with broad financial, supply chain, and integrations functionality. Competes with n2 ERP at the upper-end of mid-market customers and benefits from Microsoft ecosystem and brand, but is general-purpose rather than retail/distribution-specialized.
• SAP Business One: SAP's mid-market ERP, sold via partner channel to growing distribution, retail, and manufacturing businesses globally. Competes with n2 ERP for the same upper-end mid-market customers that First Software references (e.g., Forman Building Systems), with vastly greater scale and partner ecosystem.
• Oracle NetSuite: Oracle-owned cloud ERP for mid-market companies, with a dedicated wholesale/distribution edition and broader financial, CRM, and commerce capabilities. Competes with the full n2 ERP at the upper end of the company's target market ($10M-$100M turnover businesses) and is a much larger general-purpose alternative.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/n2erp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/first-software

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about First Software