Cartama

What Cartama does

Cartama is a Colombian vertically integrated producer and exporter of Hass avocados, founded in 2000 in Rionegro, Antioquia by a group of Antioquia entrepreneurs. The company controls the full supply chain from a 500,000-seedling nursery in Súzpia, Caldas, through cultivation across 3,502.79 hectares in 12 municipalities in Antioquia, Caldas, and Risaralda, to a 240 tons/day processing plant and cold storage facility in the Eje Cafetero region (Pereira) that supports export to 18+ countries across Europe, North America, Central America, the Middle East, and Asia (including the UK, Spain, USA, Netherlands, France, Germany, UAE, China, Japan, Belgium, and South Korea).

The company's core product is Colombian Hass avocado, and its technology stack centers on agricultural quality control and traceability rather than software. Notable technical components include AvoLab, described as a unique-in-the-world Hass avocado innovation laboratory providing soil, biological, organic, and aqueous matrix analysis; the Globalscan AI-driven optical classification system that captures 150 photos per fruit for grading; and cold storage capacity for 432 tons per day using Italian refrigeration technology. Cartama operates three sub-brands: Avofruit S.A.S. (the core producing/exporting entity), AvoLab (technical and research services), and Avosolutions (a financial and technological adaptation platform for allied farmers). The company holds a comprehensive stack of international certifications (GLOBALG.A.P., BASC, Smeta/Sedex, Rainforest Alliance, BRCGS AA+, and Sistema B/B Corp) that serve as prerequisites for selling into major international food retailers.

Cartama's go-to-market is B2B direct export to international supermarkets and food distributors, with a buyer inquiry form on its website and a UK-based contact for European orders. The company employs over 1,000 collaborators (as of 2021) and has cumulatively exported more than 5,000 containers of Hass avocados (milestone reached September 2023). It is privately held by its founding Antioquia entrepreneurs, with no disclosed institutional investor or parent company ownership, and maintains R&D partnerships with Sumitomo, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Universidad EAFIT, Universidad de los Andes, Agrosavia, and SENA.

Name

Cartama

Legal name

Cartama

Website

https://cartama.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Cartama is a Colombian vertically integrated producer and exporter of Hass avocados, controlling cultivation across 3,500+ hectares, a 240 tons/day processing plant, and exports to 18+ countries. It serves international food retailers and distributors, and operates the AvoLab innovation laboratory and Avosolutions farmer services platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fresh Hass Avocado Production and Export

NAICS

Fruit and Tree Nut Farming (1113), Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers (424480)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Tropical & Subtropical Fruit Orchards (Avocados, Mangoes, Bananas/Plantains, Pineapples, Papayas) (AFAGACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Perishables & Fresh Produce Forwarding (Food/Seafood/Floral) (TLACAJAA), Local / Farm-to-Wholesale Produce Aggregation & Distribution (AFAIACAG)

Keywords

• Hass avocado production
• Hass avocado export
• Fresh produce distribution
• Agricultural laboratory services
• Farmer support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Medellín

HQ country

Colombia

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hass Avocado Export: Production and export of Colombian Hass avocados to international markets. The company controls the entire supply chain from nursery cultivation, farming across 12 municipalities, processing at their plant, and direct export to global destinations.
2. Agricultural Services (AvoLab): Technical assistance and laboratory services for avocado farmers including soil analysis, biological analysis, and consulting services.
3. Avosolutions Platform: Financial accessibility, technological adaptation, and sustainable agriculture services for farmer allies.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cartama is a Colombian producer and exporter of Hass avocados controlling the full supply chain from nursery cultivation across 12 municipalities in Antioquia, Caldas, and Risaralda to a 240-ton-per-day packaging facility and direct export to 18+ countries. The company complements its core avocado export business with AvoLab, a dedicated Hass avocado innovation laboratory providing technical analysis, training, and research services, and Avosolutions, a service platform that delivers financial accessibility, technological adaptation, and sustainable agriculture support to allied farmers.

Product overview

Cartama is an agricultural company specializing in the sustainable production, processing, and export of Hass avocados from Colombia. The core product is Hass avocado production and export, supported by Avolab — a specialized innovation laboratory providing technical analysis, training, and research services to producers — and Avosolutions, a platform providing allied producers with financial access, technology adaptation tools, and sustainable agriculture services. Together these form an integrated value chain from nursery to international delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AvoLab: A unique-in-the-world Hass avocado innovation laboratory that delivers technical analysis and training to guarantee the highest quality standards in the production chain.
• Avosolutions

Products and services

• Hass Avocado Production and Export (Aguacate Hass) Sustainable production, processing, and international export of Colombian Hass avocados from nursery cultivation, farming across 12 municipalities in Antioquia, Caldas, and Risaralda, to a 240-ton-per-day packaging facility in the Eje Cafetero region, sold to international food retailers and distributors in 18+ countries.
• AvoLab - Hass Avocado Innovation Laboratory A specialized Hass avocado innovation laboratory providing technical analysis, research, and training services to guarantee the highest quality standards across the production chain, including soil analysis, biological analysis (mycorrhizal colonization, pathogen identification), organic matrices analysis, and aqueous matrices analysis, serving small, medium, and large producers.
• Avosolutions - Farmer Support Platform

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• SumitomocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Strategic partnership through Avofruit for R&D projects in sustainable agriculture. Sumitomo collaborates with Cartama's research initiatives in the Colombian avocado sector.
• Universidad Nacional de ColombiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership through Cartama R+D group with Colciencias-registered research groups (COL0191541 and COL0223117). Collaboration in eco-physiology, fit improvement, post-harvest quality, plant health, precision agriculture, and sustainable development.
• Universidad EAFITcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partner collaborating with Cartama R+D on agricultural innovation projects.
• Universidad de los AndescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partner collaborating with Cartama R+D on innovation projects.
• AgrosaviacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch center partner for agricultural research and development collaboration.
• SENAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical training and research collaboration partner for agricultural development.
• AvolabcoreOthersCartama's own innovation laboratory - first Hass avocado laboratory in the world. Provides technical analysis and training services to guarantee quality standards in the production chain.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Calavo Growers: US-listed Hass avocado packer and distributor with Mexican sourcing; competes head-to-head with Cartama for shelf space at major North American and European retailers in the fresh Hass category.
• Mission Produce: Largest global Hass avocado grower, packer, and ripener with operations across California, Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Guatemala, and South Africa. Directly comparable as a vertically integrated Hass exporter serving the same international retailer base.
• Index Fresh: US-based Hass avocado packer and distributor sourcing from multiple Latin American origins. Competes with Cartama for the same retailer contracts in North America and Europe.
• Del Rey Avocado: Family-owned US avocado packer and exporter focused on California and Mexican supply. Comparable as a Hass-focused exporter with similar retailer-driven B2B model.
• GreenFruit Avocados: US-based Hass avocado distributor sourcing from Latin American growers for the North American market. Comparable as a Colombian/Latin American-sourced exporter serving similar retail customers.
• Westfalia Fruit: Privately held multinational Hass avocado producer-exporter with operations across Africa, the Americas (including Colombia), and Europe. Closest analog in scale, vertical integration, and certification-driven positioning.
• Henry Avocado: California-based Hass avocado grower, packer, and distributor serving North American retailers. Similar vertically integrated structure and customer base overlap with Cartama's US exports.

Regional players

• Subsole: Chilean fresh fruit producer and exporter with a significant Hass avocado business. Operates in the same category but counter-seasonally from Chile, serving overlapping European and Asian retail customers.
• Grupo ProHass (Peruvian Hass Association): Peruvian Hass avocado industry association coordinating production and export standards. Relevant benchmark for production practices and market access strategies in the same category.
• Avo Hass Peru: Peruvian Hass avocado producer-exporter association representing growers. Competes with Cartama in counter-seasonal windows and for the same European/US retailer contracts from the Southern Hemisphere.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cartamacolombia
• Facebookfacebook.com/cartama.colombia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cartama
• Instagraminstagram.com/cartama_col

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Cartama