What Red Ape Cinnamon does

Red Ape Cinnamon is a privately-held, US-based e-commerce and wholesale spice company founded in 2013 that specializes in premium organic cinnamon and complementary spices. The company's flagship product is Cassia cinnamon sourced from the Mount Kerinci volcanic region of Sumatra, Indonesia, where 15-year tree maturation cycles and volcanic soil produce high oil-content bark. Over time the portfolio has expanded to include Ceylon cinnamon from Sri Lanka, turmeric from Java, ginger from India, and organic nutmeg and cloves from Sri Lanka, with each spice tied to a specific single-origin supplier relationship.

The company operates a dual-channel go-to-market: a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront at redapecinnamon.com shipping domestically within the US (free shipping over $75), and a B2B wholesale division serving food manufacturers, artisan bakeries, ice cream makers, and restaurants with custom pricing and account management. Wholesale is described as the primary revenue stream, with named enterprise customers including Hain Celestial, Beech-Nut Nutrition, and Gaia Herbs, and mid-market accounts including Salt & Straw, Tartine Bakery, Flour Bakery, and McConnell's Fine Ice Creams. The team consists of 1-10 employees led by founder Dan Vishny (Chief Primate) and Kristen Lester (Everything Primate), operating as a bootstrapped, founder-owned business with no disclosed external funding.

Red Ape Cinnamon's core technical competency is supply chain sourcing and rigorous batch-level quality assurance: every batch of cinnamon and spices is tested for lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium by certified third-party labs (Genista Bioscience, AGQ Labs, Eurofins), with results publicly accessible by lot number and lead tolerances set 10-25x stricter than FDA or international standards. The company holds USDA Organic, Oregon Kosher, and Palm Oil Free certifications (the latter being an industry first for a spice company), donates approximately 5% of profits annually to orangutan conservation, and generates incremental revenue through a curated selection of partner products (chai mixes, sunflower butter, baked goods) that incorporate its spices.

Name

Red Ape Cinnamon

Legal name

Red Ape Cinnamon

Website

https://redapecinnamon.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Red Ape Cinnamon is a US-based, founder-owned e-commerce and wholesale spice company that sources premium single-origin organic cinnamon and complementary spices (turmeric, ginger, nutmeg, cloves) from Sumatra, Sri Lanka, Java, and India, selling to individual consumers, artisan bakeries, ice cream makers, and food manufacturers with industry-leading batch-level heavy metal testing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organic Spices

NAICS

Spice and Extract Manufacturing (311942)

SIC

Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty & Single-Origin Spices (Geographic/Varietal, Premium Grades) (AFAJANAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Spices, Herbs & Seasonings Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAE), Ethnic Spices, Herbs & Seasonings Wholesale (AFAIAIAF), Flavorings & Extracts (Natural & Artificial) (CRADAOAA)

Keywords

• Organic cinnamon products
• Premium spice sourcing
• Wholesale spice distribution
• Organic spice retail
• Specialty spice importer

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Product Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of organic spices through e-commerce storefront. Products include cinnamon (Cassia and Ceylon), turmeric, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and value-added products like cinnamon coffee, turmeric sunflower butter, and spice blends. Revenue generated from individual product purchases at various price points and sizes.
2. Wholesale Bulk Sales: B2B wholesale division supplying bulk spices to food manufacturers, bakeries, ice cream makers, restaurants, and CPG brands. Customized pricing through direct sales inquiry. Serves as primary revenue stream with thousands of business customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Red Ape Cinnamon sources, tests, and sells premium organic spices — primarily cinnamon (Cassia from Sumatra and Ceylon from Sri Lanka) plus complementary spices (turmeric, ginger, nutmeg, cloves) and curated blends and partner products. Every batch undergoes third-party heavy metal testing (lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium) with publicly published lot-level results. The company sells direct to consumers via its e-commerce store and to businesses via a dedicated wholesale division serving bakeries, ice cream makers, and food brands across the US.

Product overview

Red Ape Cinnamon is an e-commerce spice company specializing in premium organic cinnamon and complementary spices. The product portfolio centers on two main cinnamon varieties: Cassia cinnamon sourced from Sumatra, Indonesia (their flagship product available in ground, stick, and chip forms) and Ceylon cinnamon from Sri Lanka (available in ground and quill forms). Beyond cinnamon, they offer a range of other organic spices including nutmeg, cloves, turmeric, and ginger from Indonesia, India, and Sri Lanka. The company also curates specialty products made with their spices, including cinnamon coffee blends, cinnamon sugar and vanilla cinnamon shakers, and partnerships with third-party brands like Healing Home Foods, Jahmu, Blue Lotus Chai, and Wildfire. They provide wholesale bulk ordering for commercial customers including bakeries, ice cream makers, and food brands. All products undergo heavy metal testing by third-party labs for quality assurance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ground Cassia Cinnamon (Shaker Jar 2.3oz)

Quantifiable outcome

• Lead tolerance level set at 0.1 ppm for Cassia Cinnamon (vs. FDA standard of 2.5 ppm international standard)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers31 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Orangutan Information CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOIC founded in 2001 by Panut Hadisiswoyo focuses on frontline rescue of Sumatran orangutans and habitat protection. Has planted more than two million trees to restore degraded orangutan habitat in Gunung Leuser National Park, part of the Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra UNESCO World Heritage Site. Red Ape donates approximately 5% of profits annually to support OIC's conservation efforts.
• Borneo Nature FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBNF is a not-for-profit wildlife and biodiversity conservation organization protecting tropical rainforests in Borneo. For 18 years, their flagship OuTrop program has worked in Sebangau Forest monitoring orangutan behavioral ecology, carrying out biodiversity research, and developing conservation solutions. Red Ape supports BNF through annual donations.
• Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOCP works on all aspects of Sumatran orangutan conservation including rescue, quarantine and reintroduction of illegal pet orangutans, wild population surveys and monitoring, behavioral ecology research, habitat conservation, and conservation education. Red Ape has donated to support SOCP's orangutan species survival plan.
• Orangutan Species Survival PlansecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerRed Ape donated to the Orangutan Species Survival Plan for the advancement of the conservation of orangutans, supporting breeding and survival programs for critically endangered orangutans.
• Palm Oil Free Certification BodycoreOthersRed Ape Cinnamon became the first spice company in the world to achieve Palm Oil Free certification, validating their commitment to sustainable sourcing practices that protect orangutan habitat.
• International Animal Rescue (IAR)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerIAR manages orangutan rescue centers in Indonesia. Red Ape has supported IAR's work including caring for rescued orangutans like Monti and Rickina who were found in distressing situations.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Penzeys Spices: Direct-to-consumer and wholesale premium spice retailer with a broad catalog of spices, extracts, and blends. Comparable in premium-positioned spice retail and B2B/wholesale serving bakers and small food producers.
• The Spice House: Premium spice retailer and wholesaler with a wide assortment of fresh-ground spices and baking-focused blends. Comparable to Red Ape in serving artisan bakeries and home bakers with premium spices and a wholesale program.
• Burlap & Barrel: (Duplicate risk noted; retained as the most direct peer.) Single-origin DTC and wholesale spice company with overlapping customer segments in artisan bakeries and clean-label CPG.
• Diaspora Co. Single-origin spice company focused on direct-trade sourcing of heirloom and GI-tagged spices (including Ceylon cinnamon). Directly comparable to Red Ape in single-origin premium positioning and B2B artisan food customer base.
• Mountain Rose Herbs: Organic herbs, spices, and botanical products company selling to both consumers and business customers with strong certifications (USDA Organic, non-GMO). Comparable to Red Ape in organic certified spice assortment and B2B supply for natural food brands.
• Spicewalla: Chef-founded premium spice brand offering fresh, small-batch spices via DTC and wholesale channels. Comparable to Red Ape in premium positioning, chef/artisan customer overlap, and DTC-plus-wholesale GTM motion.
• Burlap & Barrel: Single-origin spice company that sources directly from smallholder farmers globally and sells premium spices to both home cooks and B2B food brands. Closest comparable to Red Ape in mission, sourcing model, and product mix (cinnamon, turmeric, pepper, etc.).

Broad incumbents

• BADIA Spices: Large, value-oriented spice manufacturer and distributor with broad retail and foodservice penetration. Comparable in spice category and wholesale distribution model, but competes on price rather than premium single-origin positioning.
• Frontier Co-op: Large wholesale cooperative supplying organic and conventional spices, herbs, and botanicals to natural food retailers and manufacturers. Comparable in B2B organic spice wholesale but at significantly greater scale and breadth than Red Ape.
• McCormick & Company: Global spice and flavoring incumbent supplying retail, foodservice, and CPG customers across all major spice categories. Represents the large-scale competitive benchmark against which Red Ape's premium, single-origin positioning must continue to justify pricing.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RedApeCinnamon
• Instagraminstagram.com/redapecinnamon
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/red-ape-cinnamon

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Red Ape Cinnamon