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While online shopping has become second nature for consumers, B2B trade has been slower to adapt and embrace digital tools for their own transactions. This gap is particularly noticeable in traditional industries like agriculture. But the #Oneof11 Almacena is changing that – transforming how coffee producers and buyers do business, and showing that even centuries-old trades can be improved through technology. By moving coffee transactions online, Almacena is not just updating an old process, it’s creating new opportunities for farmers and buyers alike.
As of today, Almacena collaborates with over 200 coffee cooperatives, representing more than 300,000 farmers across several East African and Latin American countries. The platform is committed to impacting the livelihoods of the rural communities it serves by facilitating access to international markets and providing financial inclusion through financing. But what exactly sets Almacena apart in the world of coffee trading valued at over $40 billion annually?
Digitizing the bean-to-cup journey
Founded by visionaries Dimo Yanchev (with years of experience in commodity trading in investment banking) and Karl Robijns (former global partner for Goldman Sachs for commodities), Almacena is more than just an online platform for coffee producers in Africa and Latin America. By directly connecting farmers with buyers, Almacena reduces the number of intermediaries, promising transparency, efficiency, and fairness in the coffee supply chain.
For a marketplace, matching buyers and sellers is one of the main features, and balancing supply and demand is key. Yet, the bulk of B2B trade happens between parties that already have an established relationship, so the question is how to attract these businesses on the platform?
The missing ingredient: trade finance
Even the finest coffee needs the right conditions to thrive. We have seen many examples of good teams launching a B2B marketplace, only to fail in engaging customers long-term. For businesses to continue transacting via an online channel, they should be getting something major that they are missing otherwise. In the case of Almacena, that crucial element was trade finance.
"When we invested in Almacena, we saw the potential for software and digitization to add tremendous value to international coffee trade," says our Partner Ivaylo Simov. "But the real game-changer was the introduction of trade finance."
Ivaylo Simov
Partner at Eleven Ventures
When a producer or exporter loads their containers at the warehouse, often they won’t see revenues before the goods reach the port of the client. The wait is like a slow-drip coffee maker – sometimes it can be more than a month before the money arrives in their bank account. Arranging credit for these international transactions is not easy, so adding it as a feature of a digital platform is a great fit.
Almacena’s embedded finance facility is a shot of espresso for the business, providing quick access to credit and allowing sellers to execute more deals with confidence. It is leading to growth in both Africa and LATAM – the volume traded through the platform increased 11x YoY and 5x between Q1 and Q3 2024 (with September left to go).
A blend of services unlocking additional revenue streams
With exporters now conducting their daily operations on the platform, Almacena has unlocked a world of possibilities. It enables producers to digitize their operations and maintain traceability from the farm to the consumer. By collecting and providing critical data, the platform offers buyers insights into their coffee’s origins. This traceability not only enhances transparency but also ensures compliance with increasingly stringent regulations such as EUDR. Additionally, the company currently offers a portfolio of services for international transactions, such as:
✔️ Insurance coverage for goods in transit
✔️ Transportation services
✔️ Warehousing solutions
✔️ Loading inspections
These additional offerings not only enhance the client experience but also de-risk the transactions for the deal participants and increase Almacena’s value-add, creating a win-win situation for all parties involved.
“The existing finance solutions do not provide adequate access to funding for the producers and local exporters of agricultural products.
Our in-house technology and our network of strong partnerships give us access to real-time data and important control points along the supply chain, so we can provide sellers, buyers and financiers with more business opportunities at lower cost and risk.
We continue to deliver on our mission to create a positive impact in the rural communities we serve and are dedicated to bridge the funding gap in agriculture supply chains and make international business accessible for every producer”
Dimo Yanchev
Co-founder and CEO at Almacena
Almacena’s journey from a conventional digital marketplace to a comprehensive trading platform with embedded financial services demonstrates the power of fintech in transforming industries and creating real value. Almacena is not just facilitating transactions, it is cultivating a fairer, more efficient future for coffee producers and buyers alike.
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