TradeDepot

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.

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

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

• B2B e-commerce platform
• Wholesale distribution
• Embedded SME financing
• Retail supply chain
• Consumer goods distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Lagos

HQ country

Nigeria

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Marketplace Commission: Commission from importers and distribution partners using the marketplace to connect with retailers worldwide.
4. 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

Core 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

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Green LioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2022TradeDepot 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 HydrationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPRIME 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

Direct 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

• Xx.com/tradedepotHQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tradedepot

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors13 records

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about TradeDepot