Racines

What Racines does

Racines SAS is a France-headquartered ethnic food producer and distributor specializing in authentic Sub-Saharan African and Indian Ocean grocery products. Founded in 1987 in Togo as a gari (fermented cassava semolina) workshop in collaboration with French agricultural research institute CIRAD, the company has evolved into a vertically integrated operation with wholly-owned production subsidiaries in Senegal (Dakar, established 2015), Benin (Abomey Calavi, 2016), and Madagascar (Antananarivo, 2018), plus French distribution infrastructure spanning its Montpellier headquarters, a 3,000 m² Montreuil warehouse housing the commercial team, and a 2,000+ m² Le Havre export facility operated via a freight-forwarding partner.

The company's commercial offering combines 18 proprietary brands (Racines, Racines Bio, Matahi, Prophytamine, Trofai, Villageoise, Starling, Bonmafé, Bonfoutou, Mama Africa, and others) with exclusive distribution rights for over 60 international brands including Guinness, Maggi, Nido, Indomie, and Castel Beer, totaling more than 600 product references. It serves 1,000+ hypermarkets and supermarkets and 1,200 specialized ethnic food stores globally, delivering within 72 hours across Europe and importing approximately 500 containers per year on an ex-works basis. The company also operates direct-to-consumer e-commerce through five dedicated storefronts (racines-shop.com, racines-bio.com, matahi.fr, prophytamine.fr, starling-tea.com) and participates in major trade shows (Natexpo, Salon International de l'Agriculture).

Racines generates revenue primarily through B2B distribution of its own brand portfolio and exclusive third-party brands to retail channels, with a secondary direct-to-consumer stream via e-commerce. Its pricing is quote-based and managed through its commercial team. The company has invested in sustainability and quality infrastructure including Fair for Life (FFL) certification across three supply chains (Hibiscus, Cassava, Sweet Potato), Bio certification in Benin, and a quality assurance program of approximately 400 product analyses per year. Reported revenue reached €22 million in 2020. The company is privately held by its founder/operator base with no external funding rounds or institutional investors disclosed.

Name

Racines

Legal name

Racines SAS

Website

https://racines-sa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Racines is a France-based ethnic food producer and B2B distributor of authentic Sub-Saharan African and Indian Ocean grocery products, serving 1,000+ hypermarkets and 1,200 ethnic stores via 18 own brands and 60+ exclusive distributed brands sourced from wholly-owned subsidiaries in Senegal, Benin, and Madagascar.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ethnic Food Distribution

NAICS

Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers (424460)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Ethnic & International Foods Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty & Ethnic Grocery Wholesale (AFAIABAJ), Ethnic Produce & Specialty Vegetables Wholesale (AFAIAIAD), Ethnic Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Wholesale (AFAIAIAB)

Keywords

• Ethnic food distribution
• African food products
• Organic food sourcing
• Food brand distribution
• Grocery import export

Headquarters

HQ city

Montferrier-sur-lez

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. B2B Distribution of Own Brands: Racines generates revenue primarily through the distribution of its own brand products (18 proprietary brands across bio, conventional, and dietary supplement categories) to retailers including hypermarkets, supermarkets, and ethnic food stores across Europe and globally.
2. Exclusive Distribution of Third-Party Brands: Racines acts as the exclusive distributor for over 60 international food brands (including Guinness, Maggi, Nido, Indomie, Castel Beer, De Rica, Dakatine, Vimto, and many others) to over 1,000 hypermarkets and supermarkets and 1,200 ethnic stores worldwide.
3. Direct-to-Consumer E-commerce: Racines operates its own online stores (racines-shop.com, Racines Bio, Matahi.fr, Prophytamine.fr, Starling-tea.com) selling products directly to consumers, with some products available exclusively through these channels.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Racines sources, produces, and distributes authentic African and Indian Ocean ethnic food products through 18 proprietary brands and exclusive distribution rights for over 60 international brands. The company operates an integrated supply chain from production facilities in Senegal, Benin, and Madagascar through to distribution to more than 1,000 hypermarkets/supermarkets and 1,200 ethnic food stores across Europe and globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Racines Bio: Organic product line featuring ethnic African products including cassava flour, sweet potato flour, and cassava semolina from own fields and workshops in Senegal, Benin and Madagascar.
• Matahi
• Prophytamine
• Trofai
• Villageoise
• Starling
• Bonmafé
• Bonfoutou
• Bonfoufou

Products and services

• Racines Bio
• Matahi
• Prophytamine
• Trofai
• Villageoise
• Starling
• Bonmafe
• Bonfoutou
• Bonfoufou
• IVORIO Fruit Juices
• Exclusive Distribution of International Brands
• Racines E-commerce Stores

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 400 product quality analyses conducted annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• CIRAD (Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIRAD is a key strategic research partner of Racines. The collaboration began in 1987 when Racines was founded in Togo, working together to promote traditional products like gari (fermented cassava semolina), structure and valorize local supply chains, and reduce manual labor. CIRAD collaboration continues to this day focusing on product quality development and production process improvement. Racines participated in a joint event at the Salon International de l'Agriculture with CIRAD and AFD (French Development Agency) to discuss food sovereignty.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/racines-sa
• Instagraminstagram.com/racinesfood

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Racines