algrano
Algrano is a Swiss B2B marketplace founded in 2015 that connects specialty green coffee producers directly with roasters across 22 producing and 39 destination countries, offering integrated contracting, freight, financing, and quality verification services for direct trade.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersZürich, Switzerland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What algrano does
Algrano AG is a privately held Swiss company founded in 2015 and headquartered in Zurich that operates a two-sided B2B marketplace connecting specialty green coffee producers with roasters for direct trade. The platform enables producers to list and sell coffee lots directly to roasters without traditional importer intermediaries, while providing roasters with a self-serve environment to discover, sample, contract, and finance green coffee. The underlying platform provides modular services including contracting, freight forwarding, customs handling, financing (Grower Capital pre-payments), forward buying with price stability, FX protection in multiple currencies, shared and custom container logistics, Q-grader quality verification, CO2 emissions tracking, and transparent FOB pricing breakdowns.
Algrano earns revenue primarily through transaction-based Service Fees calculated as a percentage of Farm Price and Exporter Fees on successful trades, plus managed-services revenue from Grower Capital financing. The company does not take title to coffee, positioning itself as neutral infrastructure rather than a trading counterparty — its fees are earned only when trades complete, aligning incentives with customer success. Go-to-market combines product-led growth (free account creation, online marketplace, self-serve quotes) with a community-led motion (presence at World of Coffee, SCA Expo, Africa Coffee & Tea Expo) and a sales-led layer (regional sales managers across the US West Coast, US East Coast, UK, and Latin America).
The platform serves approximately 2,000+ producer-roaster relationships, with 1,903 offers created in the current year by 212 producers, spanning 22 producing countries and 39 destination countries. Named customers span both enterprise roasters (Treeline Coffee Roasters, Wakuli) and SMB producers (Honey Coffee Farm, Mountain Harvest, JNP Coffee, Capadocia Coffees). Algrano holds Organic, Fairtrade, Demeter, Bio Suisse, and Rainforest Alliance certifications, and is a recognized partner in the SCA's Specialty Coffee Transaction Guide initiative alongside major specialty importers. To date, Algrano has raised approximately $6.1M in disclosed funding across four rounds (2014-2019), with the most recent being a $4.04M round led by SICTIC in December 2019.
algrano firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- algrano
- Legal name
- Algrano AG
- Website
- https://algrano.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Algrano is a Swiss B2B marketplace founded in 2015 that connects specialty green coffee producers directly with roasters across 22 producing and 39 destination countries, offering integrated contracting, freight, financing, and quality verification services for direct trade.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
algrano industry classification
Industry- Product category
- B2B Coffee Marketplace
- NAICS
- Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)
- SIC
- Beverages (2080)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAD)
Keywords
Where algrano is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Zürich
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
algrano business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
Revenue model
- Service Fees (Commission): Algrano charges Service Fees calculated as a percentage of the Farm Price and Exporter Fees for using the online platform and as commission agent. The company earns fees only when trades successfully complete, aligning incentives with customer success.
- Grower Capital Financing: Pre-financing service for producers with associated costs charged to producer accounts. Uses data-driven performance metrics to assess eligibility and prepayment amounts.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Transaction-based Service Fee |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
algrano product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Algrano operates a multi-sided online marketplace that connects specialty green coffee producers directly with roasters globally. The platform provides infrastructure for direct trade including contracting, freight, financing, logistics, and quality management, with Algrano acting as a commission agent rather than trading coffee itself.
Product overview
Algrano operates as a multi-sided online platform connecting specialty coffee producers with roasters for direct trade. The core product is the Algrano Marketplace, where verified producers list green coffee lots and roasters can explore, cup samples, and purchase directly. The platform offers a modular service architecture: core marketplace functionality is supplemented by supply chain services (contracting, freight, financing, customs), Grower Capital for producer prepayment, forward buying for price stability, shared/custom shipments for logistics, CO2 emissions tracking for sustainability, pricing transparency with FOB breakdowns, and quality management including third-party Q-grader verification. The platform supports both spot purchases and forward contracts, with minimum orders from 5 bags up to full containers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Producers achieve average 50% price increase compared to domestic market, up to 100%
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use algrano
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments2 records
algrano technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature5 records
algrano partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Specialty Coffee Association (SCA)coreAlgrano is listed as a partner supporting the SCA's Specialty Coffee Transaction Guide, which anonymizes and aggregates data from over 50,000 coffee contracts to provide context for price negotiations. This partnership positions Algrano as a trusted player in the specialty coffee industry addressing farmer livelihood concerns.
- Sustainable HarvestminorGreen coffee importer mentioned alongside Algrano as innovative platforms transforming coffee financing and addressing liquidity challenges faced by small-scale producers.
- Atlas Coffee ImportersminorGreen coffee importer mentioned as part of the specialty coffee ecosystem working to address farmer livelihoods and price transparency.
- InterAmericanminorGreen coffee importer mentioned as part of the specialty coffee ecosystem addressing farmer livelihoods and price transparency.
- Sucafina SpecialtyminorGreen coffee importer mentioned as part of the specialty coffee ecosystem addressing farmer livelihoods and price transparency.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
algrano competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Cropster: Cropster provides SaaS for the specialty coffee supply chain (roast profiling, green inventory, origin management). Like Algrano, it sits between coffee producers and roasters as digital infrastructure, but with a software-first rather than marketplace-first model.
Broad incumbents
- Sucafina Specialty: Sucafina is a large global green coffee trader and importer with a specialty division. Explicitly named alongside Algrano as part of the SCA Specialty Coffee Transaction Guide ecosystem; competes in the same specialty green coffee flow but with traditional trading scale rather than a marketplace model.
- InterAmerican Coffee: InterAmerican is a long-established green coffee importer serving roasters in North America and Europe. Named in Algrano's ecosystem materials as part of the broader specialty coffee trade working on price transparency, providing the incumbent alternative to Algrano's direct trade marketplace.
- Atlas Coffee Importers: Atlas is a specialty green coffee importer focused on traceable, high-quality origins. Mentioned alongside Algrano in SCA ecosystem materials as a traditional importer addressing farmer livelihoods — a comparable source of specialty green coffee for roasters weighing platform vs. importer relationships.
- Sustainable Harvest: Sustainable Harvest is a specialty green coffee importer known for relationship-based sourcing and its TRELLO/Relationship Coffee model. Co-mentioned with Algrano as an innovative platform addressing small-producer financing, making it both a comparable sourcing channel and a potential financing partner/competitor.
- Mercanta: Mercanta is a UK-based specialty green coffee importer sourcing single-origin coffees for roasters globally. Comparable to Algrano in targeting specialty roasters seeking direct-from-origin relationships, but operates a traditional importer model with curated offerings rather than an open marketplace.
- Royal Coffee: Royal Coffee is a long-established Bay Area green coffee importer and one of the largest specialty wholesalers in the US. Comparable to Algrano in serving specialty roasters seeking traceable origins, but with decades of producer relationships and a physical warehouse/distribution model.
- Caffe Imports: Caffe Imports is a specialty green coffee importer serving US roasters with a curated portfolio of origins. Comparable to Algrano in serving the small-to-mid roaster segment seeking high-quality direct-trade coffees, but operates through traditional importer relationships.
Emerging players
- Caravela Coffee: Caravela is a specialty coffee importer/producer with the PECA program that trains and pays premiums directly to small producers. Comparable to Algrano in its producer-first, premium-pricing model and Latin American sourcing footprint, but operates its own sourcing teams rather than a marketplace.
- Crop to Cup Coffee Importers: Crop to Cup is a specialty green coffee importer focused on transparent, relationship-based sourcing from select origins. Comparable to Algrano in serving mission-driven roasters and producers seeking direct relationships, but at a much smaller scale with a curated rather than open marketplace approach.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
algrano social profiles
Digital presencealgrano compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
algrano financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
algrano leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
algrano funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors7 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
algrano M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about algrano
What does algrano do?
Algrano operates a multi-sided online marketplace that connects specialty green coffee producers directly with roasters globally. The platform provides infrastructure for direct trade including contracting, freight, financing, logistics, and quality management, with Algrano acting as a commission agent rather than trading coffee itself.
Is algrano a public or private company?
algrano is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was algrano founded?
algrano was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is algrano based?
algrano is headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does algrano make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Service Fees (Commission) is the primary driver. The others are grower Capital Financing.
Who are algrano's main competitors?
Cropster is listed as a direct peer. Broad incumbents are Sucafina Specialty, InterAmerican Coffee, Atlas Coffee Importers, Sustainable Harvest, Mercanta, Royal Coffee and Caffe Imports. Emerging players are Caravela Coffee and Crop to Cup Coffee Importers.
Does algrano have an API?
No public API is recorded for algrano.
What industry is algrano in?
algrano's product category is B2B Coffee Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAHAGAI, Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories), with a secondary code of AFAIAKAD, Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Trading/Wholesale. Its NAICS code is 311920 and its SIC code is 2080.