TradeDepot
TradeDepot is a Lagos-based B2B e-commerce and embedded finance platform founded in 2016 that connects small retailers in Nigeria and Ghana with over 50 global consumer goods brands, offering marketplace ordering, the TradeDepot Wholesale Wallet, and BNPL/cash advance credit underwritten by mobile transaction data.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersLagos, Nigeria
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What TradeDepot does
TradeDepot is a Lagos-headquartered B2B e-commerce and embedded finance platform founded in 2016 that connects small and micro retailers in Nigeria (and now Ghana) with global suppliers and importers of branded consumer goods. The platform combines a digital marketplace (accessible via web and iOS/Android apps), a proprietary digital wallet (TradeDepot Wholesale Wallet), a cross-border procurement interface (TradeDepot Gateway with punchout catalogs), and embedded credit products (BNPL and Cash Advance) that use mobile transaction data for underwriting and are repaid via daily automatic debit through a PoS terminal. The catalogue spans more than 50 international brands across beverages, personal care, food, confectionery, wines, whisky, and electronics, including Nestlé, Unilever, Hell Energy, PRIME Hydration, and Akai; distribution is executed through a multi-channel model combining self-serve ordering, verified field representatives, telesales, and physical Pay Partner retail touchpoints.
The business model is multi-stream: take-rate on product sales and transaction fees, BNPL and cash advance interest income, marketplace commissions from importers and distribution partners, and PoS transaction charges. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; cash advance terms are individually negotiated, and minimum order requirements apply. Key institutional investors include IFC, Novastar Ventures, Partech, MSA Capital, Endeavor Catalyst, and British International Investment, with cumulative disclosed funding of approximately $127 million across rounds from 2018 through 2023, anchored by a $110 million Series B in December 2021. The company is led by co-founders Onyekachi Izukanne (CEO), Ruke Awaritefe (CFO), and Michael Ukpong (CTO), operates 101-250 employees, and maintains a US corporate presence in San Francisco alongside its Lagos operating entity, TradeDepot Limited.
TradeDepot firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- TradeDepot
- Legal name
- TradeDepot Limited
- Website
- https://tradedepot.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- TradeDepot is a Lagos-based B2B e-commerce and embedded finance platform founded in 2016 that connects small retailers in Nigeria and Ghana with over 50 global consumer goods brands, offering marketplace ordering, the TradeDepot Wholesale Wallet, and BNPL/cash advance credit underwritten by mobile transaction data.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
TradeDepot industry classification
Industry- Product category
- B2B E-commerce and Distribution Platform
- NAICS
- Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers (42512), Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers (4251)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cross-border B2B/Wholesale Trade Marketplaces (CRAFAJAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Wholesale/B2B Generalist Marketplaces (CRAFAAAF), Wholesale Dropship & Bulk Import/Export Sourcing Marketplaces (CRAFAHAO), B2B / Invoice-Based BNPL (Trade Credit at Checkout) (FSAGAIAC)
Keywords
Where TradeDepot is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lagos
- HQ country
- Nigeria
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices2 records
Markets served
TradeDepot business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Product Sales/Transaction Fees: TradeDepot earns revenue through product sales to retailers, with minimum order requirements and delivery charges applied. The platform facilitates purchases of consumer goods from suppliers.
- BNPL Interest Income: Revenue generated from Buy Now Pay Later services, where retailers pay interest on credit facilities extended for inventory purchases. The company also provides cash advances with associated interest charges.
- Marketplace Commission: Commission from importers and distribution partners using the marketplace to connect with retailers worldwide.
- Transaction Charges: Transaction fees charged on Cash Advance PoS Terminal transactions and other payment processing within the platform.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels4 records
TradeDepot product offering
Product offeringCore offering
TradeDepot operates a B2B e-commerce marketplace that connects small retailers in Africa with global consumer goods brands, importers, and distribution partners. The platform provides an integrated suite including a wholesale marketplace, a proprietary digital wallet (TradeDepot Wholesale Wallet), and embedded fintech services such as Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) and cash advances for inventory financing. Its mobile app and verified field representatives enable retailers to source, finance, and procure consumer goods inventory.
Product overview
TradeDepot is a B2B eCommerce and financial services platform operating as a distribution network connecting global brands with retailers in Africa. The core offering consists of the TradeDepot Marketplace for product sourcing, the TradeDepot Wholesale Wallet for digital payments, TradeDepot Gateway for cross-border procurement, and a BNPL/Cash Advance service enabling embedded SME credit. The platform also distributes an extensive portfolio of branded consumer goods including beverages (Prime Hydration, Hell Energy, Milo, Nescafé), personal care (Dove, Axe, Lifebuoy, Sunsilk, Sure), food products (Cerelac, Maggi, Knorr, Mangrove Foods), confectionery (Kamco), wines (Amabile di Rosa), whisky (Kamiki), and electronics (Akai). TradeDepot's mobile app enables retailers to order on the go, while the financial services layer uses mobile transaction data for credit underwriting.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- TradeDepot Wholesale: B2B e-commerce platform connecting retailers with suppliers for wholesale purchasing
- TradeDepot Wallet
- TradeDepot Marketplace
Products and services
- TradeDepot Marketplace B2B eCommerce marketplace where importers, distributors, and brand owners list consumer goods and retailers browse and order products for wholesale purchase. Sourced from global manufacturers and targeted at African small retailers.
- TradeDepot Wholesale Wallet Proprietary digital wallet exclusive to retailers on the platform, used to fund purchases via electronic transfer, USSD codes, and mobile money agents, and to manage cash advances and BNPL repayments.
- TradeDepot BNPL and Cash Advance Buy Now Pay Later and cash advance credit products for small retailers, underwritten using mobile transaction data, with daily automatic debit repayments through the PoS terminal.
- TradeDepot Gateway and Punchout Catalogs B2B eCommerce interface enabling importers and distribution partners to manage cross-border procurement, with punchout catalogs for direct integration with their procurement systems.
- TradeDepot Wholesale Mobile App Mobile-first ordering application for retailers to browse products, place wholesale orders, manage wallet funds, and access financing on iOS and Android devices.
- TradeDepot Distribution Network Program for qualified distribution partners to access exclusive global consumer brands and distribute them across TradeDepot's retailer network in their regions.
Quantifiable outcome
- Facilitates over $100 million in annual retailer sales
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use TradeDepot
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
TradeDepot technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability1 record
Feature4 records
TradeDepot partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Green LioncoreTradeDepot acquired Ghanaian platform Green Lion in February 2022 to expand its services into Ghana. This acquisition marked TradeDepot's entry into the Ghanaian market, extending its B2B e-commerce and finance services beyond Nigeria.
- PRIME HydrationcorePRIME Hydration (founded by Logan Paul and KSI) partnered with TradeDepot to introduce PRIME Hydration products into West Africa. TradeDepot serves as the distribution leader, leveraging its established network of importers and distribution partners.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
TradeDepot competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Wasoko: Wasoko is a B2B e-commerce and distribution platform serving small retailers across East and West Africa with embedded credit; very comparable in business model, target customer and credit-led monetisation.
- Sabi: Sabi is a Nigerian B2B distribution and embedded finance platform serving informal retailers with inventory financing and a merchant app, making it a direct competitor to TradeDepot's core SME retailer wedge in Nigeria.
- MarketForce: MarketForce is a B2B retail-tech platform in Africa enabling informal retailers to source inventory and access working capital; overlaps with TradeDepot on the B2B commerce plus merchant credit model.
- Copia Global: Copia operates a B2B last-mile distribution and embedded finance platform serving small merchants in Kenya and Uganda with consumer goods and credit, directly comparable to TradeDepot's model in East Africa.
- Moniepoint: Moniepoint provides banking, payments and merchant credit to Nigerian small businesses and is explicitly grouped with TradeDepot in serving 100,000+ SMEs; it competes most directly on the embedded SME credit layer.
- Twiga Foods: Twiga Foods runs an African B2B distribution platform combining a marketplace with embedded credit for retailers; directly comparable on category and geography, though more skewed to East Africa.
Emerging players
- KoboGo: KoboGo is an emerging African B2B commerce platform for small retailers, with similar shape (SME inventory sourcing + credit) but smaller scale than TradeDepot.
Broad incumbents
- Tundra: Tundra is a zero-fee B2B wholesale marketplace for buyers and sellers; it competes with TradeDepot at the cross-border wholesale sourcing layer for buyers, though without the BNPL layer and without African distribution.
- Faire: Faire is a global B2B wholesale marketplace connecting brands with independent retailers; TradeDepot resembles Faire in two-sided marketplace mechanics and embedded credit, but Faire targets developed markets and does not compete in Africa.
- Alibaba.com: Alibaba.com is the incumbent global generalist B2B wholesale marketplace; TradeDepot's TradeDepot Gateway / cross-border procurement value proposition overlaps with how African importers source on Alibaba, though Alibaba does not offer BNPL to end retailers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
TradeDepot social profiles
Digital presenceTradeDepot financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
TradeDepot leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
TradeDepot subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
TradeDepot funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors13 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
TradeDepot M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about TradeDepot
What does TradeDepot do?
TradeDepot operates a B2B e-commerce marketplace that connects small retailers in Africa with global consumer goods brands, importers, and distribution partners. The platform provides an integrated suite including a wholesale marketplace, a proprietary digital wallet (TradeDepot Wholesale Wallet), and embedded fintech services such as Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) and cash advances for inventory financing. Its mobile app and verified field representatives enable retailers to source, finance, and procure consumer goods inventory.
Is TradeDepot a public or private company?
TradeDepot is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was TradeDepot founded?
TradeDepot was founded in 2016. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is TradeDepot based?
TradeDepot is headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria, in the Africa region.
How does TradeDepot make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Product Sales/Transaction Fees are the primary driver. The others are BNPL Interest Income, marketplace Commission and transaction Charges.
Who are TradeDepot's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Wasoko, Sabi, MarketForce, Copia Global, Moniepoint and Twiga Foods. KoboGo is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Tundra, Faire and Alibaba.com.
Does TradeDepot have an API?
No public API is recorded for TradeDepot.
What industry is TradeDepot in?
TradeDepot's product category is B2B E-commerce and Distribution Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAFAJAC, Cross-border B2B/Wholesale Trade Marketplaces, with a secondary code of CRAFAAAF, Wholesale/B2B Generalist Marketplaces. Its NAICS code is 42512 and its SIC code is 5140.