For small businesses in America, deciding what to sell and where to make it has traditionally been a slow, labor-intensive process that can take months. This is now being done increasingly by AI tools like Accio, which help connect businesses with manufacturers in countries including China and India. Told by business owners and e-commerce experts MIT Technology Review That these AI tools are making sourcing more accessible and significantly reducing the time from product idea to launch.
McCleary, 51, who runs his business from his Illinois living room, has sold products ranging from leather conditioner to camping lights, including a rechargeable lantern that has brought in half a million dollars. Like many small online entrepreneurs, he built his business by being very scrappy—identifying demand for a product, tweaking existing designs, finding a factory, doing modest marketing, and getting the goods to customers quickly.
This time, though, he started by telling Accio about the flashlight’s original design, production costs, and profit margins. Accio then proposed several changes, making it smaller and slightly less bright and changing its charging method to battery power. He also identified a manufacturer in Ningbo, China, that McCleary said could reduce manufacturing costs from $17 to about $2.50 per unit.
McClary took the process from there, contacting the supplier himself to discuss a revised design. Within a month, the new version of the Guardian flashlight was back up for sale on Amazon and its brand website.
Hunt for the new factory
Although Alibaba is best known for owning Taobao, China’s largest shopping site, it was its first business. Alibaba.comBasic website that lists Chinese factories open for bulk orders. Placing an order with a manufacturer usually requires more than clicking “buy.” Sellers often spend days or weeks browsing listings, comparing supplier reviews and manufacturing capabilities, asking about minimum order quantities, requesting samples, and negotiating timelines and customization options.
But Accio has gained significant momentum by changing how this sourcing is done. Launched in 2024, Accio surpassed 10 million monthly active users in March 2026, according to the company. That means one in five Alibaba customers consults AI about product sourcing.