MINKA

What MINKA does

MINKA SCS AG is a privately held, Winterthur, Switzerland-headquartered cocoa sourcing company and supply chain manager founded in 2012 by Stefan Bloch and Paul Schönenberger. The company specializes in sustainable sourcing and direct export of certified (Fairtrade, EU/NOP/BioSuisse Organic, Rainforest Alliance) and conventional cocoa beans to the international cocoa processing industry, with a stated annual throughput exceeding 100,000 metric tons. MINKA operates a vertical origin model through five wholly-owned export subsidiaries—SUMAQAO (Peru, 2012), MANACAO (Ecuador, 2014/15), BUNDICAO (Uganda, 2015), DOMINICAO (Dominican Republic, 2017), and CONGOCAO (D.R. Congo, 2020)—plus partner relationships in West Africa, enabling farm-to-port control with on-site warehousing, drying/cleaning/bagging, and Internal Control System field staff. BUNDICAO became Uganda's largest cocoa exporter with 16,000 MT shipped in 2021, and CONGOCAO is positioned around low-cadmium differentiated cocoa.

Underlying technology consists of (i) an Internal Control System for farmer organization, training, and quality assurance across all origin operations; (ii) the Bext360 blockchain-based traceability system implemented in Peru; and (iii) multi-standard sustainability certifications (FLO Fairtrade, EU Organic, NOP Organic, Rainforest Alliance, BioSuisse Organic, FDA registration) that gate access to premium and regulated buyer segments. The company is also a member of the Federation of Cocoa Commerce, Cocoa Association of Asia, European Cocoa Association, and Swiss Platform for Sustainable Cocoa.

The business model is B2B commodity sales-led, with contract-based multi-year pricing tied to international cocoa market rates. Revenue is generated through sale of cocoa beans by origin subsidiaries to industrial cocoa processors, with Asian grinders (Indonesia, Malaysia, India) explicitly called out as a key buyer cluster alongside Western processors. In July 2023, Paul Reinhart AG (a Winterthur-based cotton trading house founded in 1788) acquired a majority stake, with founders Bloch and Schönenberger remaining as managing partners and Adrian Reinhart joining the executive board.

Name

MINKA

Legal name

MINKA SCS AG

Website

https://minkascs.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

MINKA SCS AG is a Winterthur-based, privately held cocoa sourcing company that operates five wholly-owned origin subsidiaries (Peru, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Uganda, DRC) to deliver certified and conventional cocoa beans directly to international cocoa processors and Asian grinders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cocoa Bean Trading and Sourcing

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fair Trade & Ethical Supply Chains (Certification, Traceability, Producer Support) (BPAGALAL), Coffee (Roasted, Ground, Whole Bean) (CRADAHAG)

Keywords

• Cocoa bean sourcing
• Supply chain management
• Sustainable commodities trading
• Certified cocoa supply
• Agricultural raw materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Winterthur

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cocoa Bean Sourcing and Export: MINKA sources cocoa beans from their own export companies located in Peru, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Uganda, and D.R. Congo, and sells them to the international cocoa processing industry. Revenue is generated through the sale of both certified (Fairtrade, Organic, Rainforest Alliance) and conventional cocoa beans.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

MINKA SCS AG is a Switzerland-based B2B sourcing company and supply chain manager that specializes in the sustainable procurement and export of cocoa beans. It sources both certified (Fairtrade, Organic, Rainforest Alliance) and conventional cocoa beans through five wholly-owned export subsidiaries in Peru, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Uganda, and D.R. Congo, plus partner relationships in West Africa, selling directly to international cocoa processors and grinders under multi-year contracts.

Product overview

MINKA SCS AG operates as a sustainable cocoa sourcing company and supply chain manager, offering both certified and conventional cocoa beans through a network of five wholly-owned export subsidiaries across five countries: Sumaqao (Peru, est. 2010), Manacao (Ecuador, est. 2014), Dominicao (Dominican Republic, est. 2017), Bundicao (Uganda, est. 2015), and Congocao (D.R. Congo, est. 2020). Each subsidiary controls the supply chain from farm to port, providing quality control, processing, and direct sourcing from farmers. The company serves the international cocoa processing industry with traceable, certified cocoa including Fairtrade, Organic (EU/NOP/BioSuisse), and Rainforest Alliance certified varieties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Certified and Conventional Cocoa Beans from Peru Sourcing and export of certified and conventional cocoa beans from Peru, operated through wholly-owned subsidiary SUMAQAO SAC with central warehouse in Lurín, Lima and several regional collection warehouses.
• Certified Cocoa Beans from Ecuador Sourcing and export of Rainforest Alliance certified and traceable cocoa in CCN51 and Cacao Nacional varieties from Ecuador, operated through wholly-owned subsidiary MANACAO S.A. with a buying and processing center and field staff.
• Organic Certified Cocoa Beans from the Dominican Republic Sourcing and export of organic certified cocoa from the Dominican Republic, including fermented Hispaniola and unfermented Sánchez varieties, operated through wholly-owned subsidiary DOMINICAO SRL with a processing plant and central warehouse in Maimón.
• Conventional Cocoa Beans from Uganda Bulk sourcing and export of conventional cocoa beans from Uganda for Asian grinding operations, operated through wholly-owned subsidiary BUNDICAO LTD with central drying, sorting and re-bagging facilities in Kampala, also responsible for cross-checking DRC shipment quality.
• Cocoa Beans from the Democratic Republic of Congo Sourcing and export of hand-selected cocoa beans from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, marketed as cleaner and lower in cadmium than comparable African origins, operated through wholly-owned subsidiary CONGOCAO SARL based in Beni, Nord-Kivu.

Quantifiable outcome

• Uganda's largest cocoa exporter, with 16,000 MT exports in 2021
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Feature2 records

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Mondelez International: Global snack and chocolate major with extensive cocoa sourcing programs; comparable as a downstream buyer driving demand for certified, traceable cocoa of the type MINKA supplies.
• Hershey: Major chocolate manufacturer with substantial cocoa sourcing needs; a downstream buyer of MINKA's cocoa beans rather than a direct sourcing competitor.
• Paul Reinhart AG: Centuries-old Swiss commodity trading house (cotton) that is now MINKA's majority owner — comparable as a trading-house business model, though cotton-focused.

Direct peers

• Olam Food Ingredients (ofi): Major cocoa sourcing and processing company with strong presence in Africa and Asia; competes with MINKA in certified cocoa and supply chain solutions for global processors.
• Sucres & Denrées (Sucden): Global commodity trader with a sizeable cocoa origination business, supplying certified and conventional beans to processors — overlapping strongly with MINKA's value chain position.
• Barry Callebaut: World's largest cocoa processor and chocolate manufacturer; a major buyer of cocoa beans from origins where MINKA operates, and the dominant mid-supply-chain player globally.
• Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate: One of the largest global cocoa traders and processors, sourcing from West Africa, Latin America and Asia. Directly comparable to MINKA in cocoa origination and certified/traceable supply.
• ECOM Trading: Swiss-headquartered soft commodity trader with a large cocoa division (ECOM Agroindustrial), directly comparable in origin sourcing and certified cocoa supply.
• Touton: French family-owned cocoa and coffee trader with deep West African presence; a direct peer in sustainable certified cocoa sourcing for international processors.

Emerging players

• Novel Commodities: Africa-focused (notably Uganda) cocoa and coffee trader; overlaps with MINKA's BUNDICAO in Uganda and competes in the same East African origin.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sumaqao-s-a-c-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries5 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 MINKA