What Cemo does

Cemo is a Norwegian specialty food e-commerce retailer founded in 2007 and headquartered in Søgne, Norway, operating exclusively through the direct-to-consumer storefront at cemo.no. The company sells a curated assortment of gourmet products centered on two pillars: direct-trade specialty coffee (including the Southern Coffee sub-brand with single-origin beans from Kenya, Honduras, and other producing countries, plus a dedicated B2B office coffee offering called "Kaffe på jobb") and an extensive range of spices and seasonings spanning pure single-ingredient spices, traditional Norwegian blends, and international variants (Italian, Ras el Hanout, Shawarma, Tandoori, Za'atar, Gyros). Adjacent categories include bouillons, dessert spices, ceramic spice grinders, chocolates and confections, specialty creams and spreads (pistachio cream, tonka bean cream, caramel syrup), and curated gift packages for both consumer and corporate gifting occasions.

The underlying technology is a standard WooCommerce/WordPress-based e-commerce platform with Klarna Checkout payment integration, free shipping above 499 NOK, and an integrated recipe content library ("Oppskrifter") that drives product usage occasions and organic engagement. The business model is one-time unit-purchase DTC retail with publicly disclosed per-product pricing in the 99-600+ NOK range; no subscription model is offered. Primary customers are Norwegian home cooks and food enthusiasts, with a secondary B2B segment of Norwegian businesses purchasing office coffee solutions and corporate gifts.

Revenue is generated through two streams: consumer e-commerce retail sales via cemo.no and a smaller B2B channel serving office coffee and corporate gifting. Cemo emphasizes direct-trade sourcing and sustainability through the Cemo Care initiative, including documented origin trips to producing countries. The company is privately held with no disclosed funding, no parent company, and headcount in the 11-50 range. Distribution is exclusively direct online; no physical retail or third-party channels are operated.

Name

Cemo

Legal name

Cemo

Website

https://cemo.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cemo is a Norwegian specialty food e-commerce retailer (founded 2007, Søgne) selling direct-trade coffee, premium spices, chocolates, and gift products to Norwegian consumers and businesses exclusively through its cemo.no online store.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Food E-commerce

NAICS

Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529), All Other Specialty Food Retailers (445298)

SIC

Retail-Food Stores (5400), Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060)

akta.pro primary industry

Soups, Broths & Meal Starters (CRADAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Baking & Dessert Mixes (Brownie, Cookie Mixes, Frosting) (CRADABAN)

Keywords

• Specialty food ecommerce
• Gourmet spices retailer
• Direct trade coffee
• Office coffee solutions
• Corporate gift sets

Headquarters

HQ city

Søgne

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. E-commerce Retail Sales: Direct-to-consumer online retail of gourmet spices, seasonings, specialty coffees, and premium food products. One-time purchase model with products ranging from 99-600+ NOK. Revenue generated through individual product sales with free shipping threshold driving basket size.
2. Corporate/B2B Sales: Office coffee solutions (Kaffe på jobb) and corporate gifts (Firmagaver) targeting Norwegian businesses. Provides coffee machines, coffee supplies, and curated gift sets for corporate gifting occasions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Cemo is a Norwegian specialty food e-commerce retailer that supplies premium spices, seasonings, dessert spices, bouillons, ceramic spice grinders, direct-trade coffee (including the Southern Coffee sub-brand), chocolates and confections, specialty creams and spreads, teas, and curated gift sets to Norwegian consumers and businesses. Distribution is exclusively online through the cemo.no storefront, with a dedicated B2B section for office coffee programs (Kaffe på jobb) and corporate gifts (Firmagaver).

Product overview

Cemo is a Norwegian specialty food e-commerce retailer operating as a single unified online store. The product portfolio centers on premium culinary products with two main categories: coffee (including direct trade beans, the Southern Coffee sub-brand, and workplace coffee solutions) and spices/seasonings (ranging from pure single-ingredient spices to complex blends like Italian seasoning, taco seasoning, and za'atar). Supporting categories include bouillons, chocolates and confections, specialty creams and spreads, and gift packages for both consumer and corporate markets. The company emphasizes direct trade sourcing for coffee and fair trade practices through its Cemo Care initiative. Products are sold primarily through the cemo.no e-commerce platform with home delivery in Norway.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Southern Coffee: Specialty coffee brand offering premium coffee sourced directly from farms, including single-origin coffees from various producer countries.

Products and services

• Coffee (Kaffe) Specialty direct-trade coffee sold in 250g and 1kg packages, sourced directly from farms in producer countries and sold through the cemo.no storefront. Includes the Southern Coffee sub-brand range of specialty coffees for the Norwegian consumer market.
• Spices & Seasonings (Krydder) Extensive range of pure spices (sesame, turmeric, garlic, ginger, nutmeg, paprika, cumin), known seasoning blends (Aioli dipmix, Biffkrydder, Fiskekrydder, Hot chicken, Hvitløkspepper, Italiensk krydder, Jakt & Viltkrydder) and world-spice blends (Ras el Hanout, Shawarma, Tandoori Masala, Za'atar, Gyros, Five spice) targeted at Norwegian home cooks.
• Dessert Spices (Dessertkrydder) Specialty spices for baking and desserts including Bakepulver, Ekte vaniljesukker, Grøtkrydder, Karamelldryss, Maisstivelse, Malt kardemomme, Pumpkin spice krydder, Safran, and Vaniljestang (Tahitensis vanilla beans from Indonesia), aimed at Norwegian home bakers.
• Spice Grinders (Krydderkverner) Ceramic spice grinders including Urtesalt 2pk, Krydderduo Salt & Pepper, B&W Pepper & salt, Black Pepper, Chiliflak med kvern, Peppermiks, Salt chili & hvitløk, Salt Ost & Basilikum, Himalayasalt, Salt Ramsløk & urter, and White salt.
• Bouillons (Buljong) Bouillon range including Drikkebuljong (drinking bouillon), Kyllingbuljong (chicken), Oksebuljong (beef), Fiskebuljong (fish), and Grønnsaksbuljong (vegetable), designed for soups, sauces, stews, and stock bases.
• Chocolate & Confections (Sjokolade & Godteri) Chocolate products including Gaveboks hjertesjokolade (heart-shaped chocolate gift box with caramel and chocolate ganache), Trøfler (Naturell, Salt Toffee, Chili, Havsalt), Helt nøtt (hazelnut milk chocolate), Sjokolademandler, Lakrisprodukter, Karamelldrøm (red licorice with white chocolate and caramel), and Fudgekarameller.
• Creams & Spreads (Kremmer & Smørepålegg) Specialty creams and spreads including Pistasjkrem (pistachio cream), Sjokolade- og tonkakrem (chocolate and tonka bean cream), Karamellsirup, Sjokoladesaus, Dotty Toffee, and Pistasjsirup.
• Tea (Te) Tea category offered alongside coffee in Cemo's beverage assortment, serving Norwegian consumers seeking premium hot beverages.
• Southern Coffee (specialty coffee sub-brand) Specialty coffee sub-brand offering premium single-origin coffees sourced directly from farms, including varieties from Honduras and Kenya in 250g and 1kg formats with accompanying coffee equipment accessories.
• Office Coffee Solutions (Kaffe på jobb) Dedicated B2B service for Norwegian businesses offering office coffee setups, including coffee machines (Kaffemaskiner) and workplace beverages such as the Kontorspeed blend designed for office environments requiring consistent energy and focus.
• Gift Products (Gaver & Firmagaver) Gift packages for personal and corporate gifting occasions, including Gaveboks hjertesjokolade, Gavefavoritt (gift set with coffee and truffles), Gavepose Velfortjent (cellophane gift bag with coffee, chocolate licorice, and fudge), Temaposer (pizza, taco, chocolate rolls, pumpkin spice), and Strikkekaffe og sjokolade (knitting-themed gift set).

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Fuglen: Oslo-born (now global) specialty coffee roaster with adjacent lifestyle retail — comparable as a Scandinavian specialty coffee DTC brand selling single-origin beans to design-conscious urban consumers.
• Tim Wendelboe: World-renowned Norwegian micro-roaster and café (former World Barista Champion) selling specialty coffee online — comparable as a premium Norwegian specialty coffee DTC brand sharing direct-trade sourcing ethos with Cemo.
• Trade Coffee: US-based specialty coffee DTC marketplace curating roasters for direct delivery — highly comparable as a content-rich DTC specialty coffee retailer operating with multi-roaster / sub-brand discovery similar to Cemo's Southern Coffee positioning.
• Jacobsen & Svart: Norwegian specialty coffee roaster focused on premium single-origin beans sold direct-to-consumer and through selected retailers — directly comparable on coffee category, pricing band (premium), and direct-trade positioning.
• Kaffebrenneriet: Long-established Norwegian specialty coffee roaster and retail brand selling single-origin and direct-trade beans online and in cafés — directly comparable to Cemo's coffee category and Southern Coffee sub-brand, with similar Norwegian DTC positioning.
• Stockfleth AS: Historic Norwegian coffee roaster (founded 1895) selling premium and specialty coffees through DTC channels and selected retail — directly comparable as a Norwegian specialty coffee DTC brand with longer heritage.

Broad incumbents

• Santa Maria (Orkla): Pan-Scandinavia's largest spice and seasoning brand under Orkla, with broad retail grocery presence — comparable as the incumbent scale player in the same spices/seasonings category Cemo serves, though operating at vastly higher scale via grocery rather than DTC.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cemogourmet
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cemo-gourmet-as

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Cemo