What Red Fox Coffee Merchants does

Red Fox Coffee Merchants is a privately held specialty green coffee sourcing and trading company headquartered in Berkeley, California, founded in 2014 by Aleco Chigounis. The company purchases green coffee directly from farmers, cooperatives, and producer groups across origins in Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania) and the Americas (Peru, Mexico, Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guatemala), and sells specialty-grade lots to roasters in the United States through dedicated sales representatives and a customer portal. Operational presence at origin is maintained through field offices and QC labs in Lima (Peru) and Oaxaca (Mexico), complemented by in-country QC protocols including cupping, green grading, and moisture/water activity analysis. A related operating subsidiary, Red Fox Sourcing Company (RFSC), was established in 2021 under Ali Newcomb as Managing Director to formalize the sourcing arm.

The company's core offering is green coffee trading on a transaction-fee revenue model, with quote-based unit pricing (minimum order of one standard bag) determined by origin, grade, and volume. Supporting services include end-to-end logistics and freight coordination (container booking, customs, warehouse transfers) and a customer portal for lot browsing, sample requests, and shipment tracking. Distribution is enabled through a US three-coast warehouse network (Continental NJ, Annex Alameda CA, DuPuy Houston). The go-to-market is relationship-driven B2B sales targeting specialty coffee roasters, reinforced by content marketing (a journal, 'The Foxhole' podcast on Spotify, an email newsletter, and Instagram presence) that documents origin visits and producer stories. Long-tenured anchor partnerships — such as Valle Inca (Peru, scaled from 20 quintals in 2015 to 12+ containers annually) and Burundi washing stations (added in 2025) — underpin the supply side, while the roaster customer base is served through dedicated representatives and the portal.

Name

Red Fox Coffee Merchants

Legal name

Red Fox Coffee Merchants

Website

https://redfoxcoffeemerchants.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Red Fox Coffee Merchants is a privately held specialty green coffee sourcing and trading company founded in 2014 in Berkeley, CA. It sources high-quality, traceable lots directly from producers across Africa and the Americas and sells them to specialty coffee roasters in the US via a customer portal, dedicated sales reps, and a three-warehouse distribution network, supported by field offices in Peru and Mexico.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Green Coffee Trading

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialty Coffee & Tea (Single-Origin, Micro-lot, Premium) Processing (AFAFADAJ)

Keywords

• Green coffee trading
• Specialty coffee sourcing
• Coffee import services
• Green coffee logistics
• Coffee quality control

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Green Coffee Trading: Purchasing and selling green coffee beans sourced directly from farmers, cooperatives, and communities in coffee-producing regions. Coffees are sold to roasters worldwide with focus on specialty grade lots.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Red Fox Coffee Merchants is a specialty green coffee sourcing and trading company that purchases green coffee directly from farmers, cooperatives, and producer groups in origin countries and resells it to specialty coffee roasters worldwide. The offering bundles the coffee lot inventory with end-to-end logistics coordination and in-house quality control at both origin and destination labs, delivered through a customer portal and dedicated sales representatives.

Product overview

Red Fox Coffee Merchants operates as a specialty green coffee trading company offering a unified portfolio centered on sourcing, trading, and delivering premium coffee from origin to roasters. Their core offerings include green coffee sourcing and trading (their primary business), supported by a proprietary Customer Portal for order management and communication, comprehensive logistics and freight coordination services, and in-house quality control and lab services. The company maintains physical presence in producing regions through offices and labs in Berkeley, Lima, Peru, and Oaxaca, Mexico.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Green Coffee Sourcing & Trading Sourcing and selling specialty-grade green coffee from origins including Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Guatemala, acquired directly from farmers, cooperatives, and producer groups for resale to specialty coffee roasters worldwide.
• Customer Portal An online platform for specialty roasters to view available green coffee lots, place orders, request samples, manage accounts, and coordinate logistics with Red Fox.
• Logistics & Freight Coordination End-to-end logistics services covering container booking, ocean freight tracking, customs coordination, warehouse transfers, and freight quote management, with complimentary freight arrangement services and consolidations from the warehouse network.
• Quality Control & Lab Services In-house quality assurance services including cupping, green coffee grading, moisture and water activity testing, and sensory analysis, operated from labs in Berkeley, Lima, and Oaxaca.

Quantifiable outcome

• Land East African coffees as early or earlier than competitors
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Jake SmithcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 August 2025Burundi sourcing veteran and former co-founder of Homage Coffee, bringing over a decade of experience building relationships in Burundi's coffee sector. Partnered with Red Fox to help establish sourcing operations in Burundi through his established connections with local washing stations and producers.
• Valle IncacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProducer group in Cusco, Peru led by Prudencio Saenz Vargas. One of Red Fox's largest sourcing partners by volume, grown from 20 quintals in 2015 to over 12 containers annually. Represents 260 smallholder producers averaging 2-3 hectares each.
• APG Coffee (Ernesto Perez)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVeracruz, Mexico-based producer and wet mill operation led by Ernesto Perez. Works with 7 producers including Cup of Excellence winners, focusing on full traceability and quality processing from cherry to green bean.
• Burundi Specialty Seeds (BSS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWashing station and producer partnership in Western Kayanza, Burundi run by Picasso Nduwayo, Zephyrin Banzubeze, and Jeremie Nakimuhana. Innovative land-lease model using World Bank funds with 38,000+ coffee trees. Produces both washed and natural processed coffees from 1800-2200m altitude.
• Ephrem Sebatigita / Munkaze Washing StationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThird-generation coffee farmer and electrical engineer running Munkaze Washing Station in Kayanza Centre, Burundi. Won CQI Instructor of the Year 2023 and 2nd place Cup of Excellence 2018.
• PROCASTA Nkanda Washing StationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWashing station in Ngozi province, Burundi run by Pierre Nzeyimana and his three sons. Focus on high-density coffees from laterite soil producing Kenyan-style profiles with bigger body and cocoa sweetness.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Nordic Approach: Norway-based specialty green coffee importer with similar multi-origin sourcing philosophy. Comparable quality-control focus and direct producer relationships, but primarily serves European roasters.

Direct peers

• Royal Coffee: One of the largest US-based specialty green coffee importers, with deep origin relationships, a customer portal (Royal's The Crown), and warehouses comparable to Red Fox's footprint. Direct competitor for US specialty roaster accounts.
• Cafe Imports: Major US specialty green coffee importer focused on quality, traceability, and education. Operates multi-continent sourcing and warehouses in Minneapolis; competes head-to-head with Red Fox for premium roaster relationships.
• Ally Coffee: Specialty green coffee importer with US warehouses and direct relationships in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Targets the same B2B specialty roaster segment with a comparable origin-led sourcing model.
• InterAmerican Coffee: Specialty and premium green coffee importer serving US roasters with warehousing in Houston and Oakland. Overlapping origin portfolio and customer base make it a direct competitive peer.
• Caravela Coffee: Specialty green coffee importer with deep Latin American (especially Colombian and Ecuadorian) sourcing operations and US presence. Comparable PECA quality program and direct-trade model.
• Falcon Coffees: UK-based specialty green coffee importer with a producer-facing sourcing model very similar to Red Fox's. Comparable focus on traceable lots from East Africa and Latin America.
• List + Beisler: European specialty green coffee importer (Hamburg) serving roasters across multiple countries. Strong overlap in producer relationships and origin portfolio, especially in East Africa.

Broad incumbents

• Sucafina: Global coffee trader and merchant with a specialty division (Sucafina Specialty). Operates at much larger scale across origins and geographies, competing for the same roaster accounts with broader inventory.
• Volcafe (ED&F Man): One of the world's largest coffee traders with a specialty business unit serving premium roasters. Represents the incumbent competitive threat that could compress Red Fox's niche if it expands specialty focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/redfoxcoffee
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCLxZ27bGfHfx1RGGhxjA47w
• Instagraminstagram.com/redfoxcoffeemerchants

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Red Fox Coffee Merchants