Belco

What Belco does

Belco is a French specialty green coffee sourcing and import company serving B2B customers across Europe. Founded in 2008 by Alexandre Bellangé and headquartered in Mérignac, the company sources 150–300 specialty coffees year-round from origins including Ethiopia, Colombia, Guatemala, El Salvador, Uganda, Kenya, Brazil, Rwanda, Ecuador, and Peru through wholly-owned subsidiaries at origin. With 71 employees across six countries and dedicated account managers supporting 500+ European roasters, Belco operates a platform-plus-services model that combines green coffee distribution, specialty equipment wholesale, and a long-running training academy.

The company's three revenue streams are (1) green coffee sold through forward contracts and spot sales priced against NY/London futures plus differentials, with full traceability and price transparency; (2) equipment distribution of 1,200+ products from 50+ brands including Hario, MiiR, Grosche, Timemore, and Haers/Airscape, with a €300 first-order minimum; and (3) training delivered through the Belco Coffee School in Mérignac (16 years, 1,335+ trainees) via SCA-aligned programs paid in education points or bank transfer. Differentiated assets include a proprietary Belco Impact Score covering 24 sustainability criteria, an 8-step Physical and Sensory Quality Protocol performing up to 5 sample analyses per coffee versus an industry average of 2, the Le Lab App coordinating 11 calibrated Q-Graders globally, three origin labs, a quality hub in France, and the Forest Coffee (Café de Forêt), Women Coffee, Soil of Excellence, and Fresh Coffee Clean Ocean (FCCO) sub-brands. The FCCO sailing-cargo program, run with TOWT, has reached 500+ roasters and targets 80% sail share by 2030.

Name

Belco

Legal name

BELCO SAS

Website

https://belco.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Belco is a French specialty green coffee sourcing and import company serving B2B customers, sourcing 150-300 coffees yearly from wholly-owned origin subsidiaries and selling equipment, training, and sustainability-branded coffee programs to 500+ European roasters and HORECA businesses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Green Coffee Sourcing and Import

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee Blending & Flavoring (AFAFADAC)

Keywords

• Specialty green coffee
• Coffee roasting equipment
• Coffee professional training
• Specialty coffee wholesale
• Green coffee import

Headquarters

HQ city

Mérignac

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Green Coffee Sales: Core business revenue from sourcing, importing and selling specialty green coffee. Offers 150-300 coffees available year-round from volume lots to microlots. Uses forward sales contracts and spot sales models. Prices based on futures market quotations plus differential premium.
2. Equipment Sales: Sale of roasting and brewing equipment including over 1,200 products from 50+ brands. Includes grinders, scales, kettles, brewing methods, espresso equipment, storage, cupping supplies, and roasting equipment.
3. Training Services: SCA programs and Belco Coffee School courses offered in Bordeaux and online. Training covers coffee growing, roasting, quality control, tasting, and extraction. Customers earn education points based on green coffee orders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Belco is a French specialty green coffee sourcing and import company that offers 150-300 specialty green coffees year-round from origins including Colombia, Brazil, Ethiopia, Guatemala, El Salvador, Rwanda, Ecuador, Peru, Uganda, and Kenya. The company also distributes 1,200+ professional coffee roasting and brewing equipment products from 50+ brands (Hario, Fellow, Chemex, Comandante, Airscape, Timemore, Moccamaster, Moree) and provides SCA-certified training through Belco Coffee School. Customers are exclusively B2B professionals (coffee roasters, coffee shops, HORECA) who must register on the belco.fr platform to access forward sales contracts, spot sales, and the equipment catalog.

Product overview

Belco is a specialty green coffee sourcing and import company that also provides equipment and training services for coffee shops and roasters. The company operates a platform-plus-services model with three core offerings: Green Coffee (150-300 specialty coffees available year-round with full traceability), Equipment (over 1,200 products from 50+ brands including Hario, Fellow, Chemex, Moccamaster, Timemore, and Moree), and Training (Belco Coffee School offering in-person and online courses). Belco's portfolio includes branded sustainability initiatives like Impact Score, Fresh Coffee Clean Ocean (sailing transport), Café de Forêt (agroforestry coffees), Soil of Excellence, and Women Coffee. The company has subsidiaries at origin in Colombia, Ethiopia, and El Salvador, with a team of 71 professionals across six countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fresh Coffee Clean Ocean (FCCO): Brand guaranteeing 90% decarbonized sailing transport for coffees. Over 500 roasters in Europe participate.
• Forest Coffee (Café de Forêt)
• Belco Impact Score
• Women Coffee
• Soil of Excellence (SOE)

Products and services

• Green Coffee Specialty green coffee sourcing and import with 150-300 coffees available year-round from origins including Colombia, Brazil, Ethiopia, Guatemala, El Salvador, Rwanda, Ecuador, Peru, Uganda, and Kenya. Offers forward sales contracts (defining type, quantity, packaging, unit price, delivery period, payment terms, and transport arrangements) and spot sales. Prices based on New York/London futures market quotation plus differential premium, adjusted continuously based on dollar/euro parity. Full traceability and price transparency on every coffee sheet.
• Belco Equipment (Coffee Roasting and Brewing Equipment) Professional coffee brewing and roasting equipment catalog featuring 1,200+ products from 50+ brands including Hario, Fellow, Chemex, Comandante, Airscape, Timemore, Moccamaster, Moree, MiiR, and Grosche. Categories include grinders, scales, kettles, drippers, filters, espresso equipment, storage solutions, cupping supplies, roasting equipment, and spare parts. €300 minimum for first orders; no minimum for subsequent orders.
• Belco Coffee School (Training Services) In-person and online training programs for roasters and chocolatiers covering coffee growing, roasting, quality control, tasting, and extraction. Includes SCA certification programs and Belco Coffee School courses (Fundamental courses: From Tree to Cup, Roasting, Brewing; Advanced courses: Quality Control, Advanced Tasting, Competition Preparation). Training can be paid with education points earned from green coffee orders or by bank transfer. Includes quarterly sourcing webinars and 24/7 access to webinar replays via customer account.
• Belco Impact Score (Sustainability Assessment Service) Proprietary sustainability assessment tool that evaluates coffees across 24 criteria covering agro-environmental, socio-territorial, and economic dimensions. Helps customers integrate sustainability into purchasing decisions and enables identification of agro-environmental, socio-territorial, and economic projects at origin. Processed via structured sustainability data analysis.
• Fresh Coffee Clean Ocean (FCCO) - Sailing Transport Coffee Sailing transport service guaranteeing 90% decarbonized transport for coffees via TOWT's sailing cargo ships. Reduces maritime freight emissions by 70-90%. Includes turnkey marketing tools for roasters to highlight their commitment. By 2030, Belco targets 80% of coffees shipped by sail. Includes three offers: coffees sourced and imported by sail (FCCO), direct trade by sail, and purchase of only sea freight by sail (Windshift).
• Café de Forêt (Forest Coffee) Certified agroforestry coffee selection from Ethiopia featuring coffees grown under forest canopy with 10+ shade tree species, 50%+ native species, and no pesticides. Belco's Forest Coffee is the highest of three agroforestry certification levels. Includes turnkey marketing tools for roasters to communicate the certification story.
• Agroforestry Coffees (Selection)

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% decarbonized sailing transport
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TOWT (Transoceanic Wind Transport)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to decarbonize large-scale sea transport. TOWT operates sailing cargo ships that reduce maritime freight emissions by 70-90%. Belco's Fresh Coffee Clean Ocean (FCCO) brand utilizes TOWT's sailing transport services.
• CIRADcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConducted Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) on forest coffee in Ethiopia to measure environmental impact of agroforestry coffee production.
• Carbone 4coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for measuring carbon footprint of Belco's coffees and developing decarbonization strategies.
• CEC (Convention des Entreprises pour le Climat)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelco participated in CEC Business Convention for the Climate to develop regenerative roadmap for 2030.
• Association d'Agroforesterie Française (AAF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to create guidelines for coffee agroforestry and for Forest Coffee brand. Developed 3-level agroforestry specifications.
• RisomeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner to analyze impact of climate change on coffee growing in producing countries.
• Haers Group (Airscape manufacturer)coreTechnology or IntegrationAirscape products manufactured by Haers Group in Yongkang, China. Factory employs 1,500 people with 6,000 across three sites. Site visited by Belco team to verify quality and working conditions. Part of 95% of world's drinkware production in Zhejiang province.
• MiiRcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMission-driven American brand (B Corp certified) selling tumblers and mugs. Belco distributes MiiR products in Europe. MiiR's Product to Project model supports clean water, environment, and community projects. Factory visits to Latim (750 employees) and Shinetime (1,900 employees) suppliers.
• GroschecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCanadian company producing moka pots and drinkware. Belco distributes Grosche products. Grosche Safe Water project provides clean water to families in developing countries. Grosche audited partner facilities for CSR standards compliance.
• TimemorecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChinese brand for coffee equipment including grinders. Belco distributes Timemore products. Founder conducts unannounced factory visits. Company invests heavily in R&D and product innovation.
• HariocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJapanese 'King of Glass' brand for high-end coffee preparation equipment including V60 drippers, kettles, and cupping tools. Belco distributes Hario products in France/Europe. Brand known for 100 years of quality and environmental/social responsibility.
• Grosche Safe WaterminorOthersClean water project funding biosand filters in Philippines, Malawi, Pakistan, South Sudan, India, and Uganda. Each Grosche product purchased provides more than 50 days of clean water to families.
• Trees for the FutureminorOthersPartner for Grosche's tree planting initiative, contributing to planting of 10,000 trees in Haiti and Africa.
• Project Waterfall (Hario charity)minorOthersHario supports this charity bringing clean water and education to coffee-growing communities in Nicaragua, Tanzania, Rwanda, Vietnam, Uganda, Kenya, and Ethiopia. Changed over 50,000 lives since 2011.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sucafina: One of the largest green coffee traders globally with origin presence across producing countries. Comparable to Belco in green coffee sourcing for European roasters, but at significantly larger scale and broader commodity-coverage footprint.
• ECOM Trading: Global coffee merchant with extensive origin operations and specialty coffee division (ECOM Specialty). Direct competitor to Belco in B2B green coffee supply for roasters, with deeper balance sheet and broader geographic reach.
• Volcafé: Specialty and commercial green coffee trader owned by ED&F Man. Directly competes with Belco in sourcing green coffee for European roasters, with a longer heritage and larger scale but a less focused sustainability/agroforestry positioning.
• Nordic Approach: Specialty green coffee importer with strong origin presence and quality focus. Highly comparable to Belco in customer base (specialty roasters), operating model (transparent pricing, quality-led sourcing), and European B2B distribution.
• Caravela Coffee: Specialty green coffee importer with direct relationships at origin across Latin America. Comparable to Belco in B2B sourcing model, microlot-to-volume offering, and producer relationship-led approach.
• Sustainable Harvest: Specialty coffee importer focused on transparent, relationship-based sourcing with European and North American roaster customers. Overlaps with Belco on direct trade narrative and B2B specialty distribution.

Emerging players

• Tropiq: Digital marketplace for green coffee connecting roasters with producers. Emerging peer to Belco's sourcing model, more software-enabled, but competing for the same specialty roaster buyer.

Broad incumbents

• D.E Master Blenders 1753 (JDE Peet's): Largest coffee company in Europe with green coffee sourcing operations. Overlaps with Belco at the upstream green coffee supply level but competes as a broad incumbent across the full value chain, not specialty-only.
• La Marzocco: Premium espresso equipment manufacturer with selective distribution. Comparable to Belco Equipment line in the high-end professional coffee equipment space, but as a manufacturer rather than multi-brand distributor.

Others

• Specialty Coffee Association (SCA): Industry body offering SCA certification programs that Belco Coffee School delivers. Not a competitor but a peer ecosystem participant whose curriculum Belco delivers and whose programs underpin Belco's training revenue line.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BelcoCafeVert
• Facebookfacebook.com/Belcofr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/belco-green-coffee

Compliance12 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries3 records

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 Belco