ICO

What ICO does

ICO, operating commercially as La Nao with legal entity ICO Trading UK (UK Companies House registration 08385087), is a privately held trading company founded in 2001 that facilitates the procurement, transportation, and distribution of a diverse range of physical products across global markets. The company maintains a portfolio of over 50 proprietary SKUs including portable showers, CO2 chargers, and cotton kitchen towels, and additionally distributes branded products through partnerships with Excell (tape dispensers), Garcima (paella pans), Bron Coucke-Tellier (mandolines), and D'Elidas (Panama's most sold hot sauce). Its sourcing network spans seven countries — France, Taiwan, Spain, Hungary, China, Pakistan, and Mexico — supporting sales reach into 20+ countries and an approximate annual customer base of 250,000 clients.

The business operates a channel-led go-to-market model combining direct sales to brick-and-mortar retail stores with online marketplace presence on Amazon and Walmart, monetizing through one-time product sales rather than recurring or licensed revenue. Core technology is not disclosed and there are no proprietary software products, APIs, or AI/ML components in evidence; the operating model is deliberately lean, with a 6-person remote team distributed across three continents using an asynchronous work model. The company is owner-operated with no disclosed institutional investors, parent entity, subsidiaries, or external funding. ICO does not publicly disclose per-product pricing, gross margins, or enterprise customer contracts.

Strategically, ICO has publicly advertised an acquisition mandate targeting consumer brands that derive at least 50% of revenue online, plus SaaS businesses with at least $500K USD of ARR, signaling an explicit shift from pure organic trading into a roll-up or platform consolidation posture. With approximately $7.5 million USD in annual revenue, the company sits at the smaller end of the trading-and-distribution segment, and its future trajectory depends materially on whether the acquisition pipeline converts.

Name

ICO

Legal name

ICO Trading UK

Website

https://lanao.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ICO (operating as La Nao / ICO Trading UK) is a UK-incorporated trading company that procures and distributes 50+ specialty products globally through brand partnerships, Amazon and Walmart marketplaces, and direct sales to brick-and-mortar retailers across 20+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Consumer Goods Distribution

NAICS

Service Establishment Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (42385)

SIC

Wholesale-Misc Durable Goods (5090)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial & Facility Maintenance (MRO) Cleaning Supplies Distribution (CRAOAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Paper, Tissue, Wipers & Dispensers Distribution (CRAOAGAC), Office Technology & Consumables Distribution (Printer Supplies, Toner, Paper) (CRAOALAG)

Keywords

• Consumer goods distribution
• Product sourcing and procurement
• Brand distribution partnerships
• Online marketplace trading
• International product logistics

Headquarters

HQ city

Remote

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Trading and Distribution: La Nao facilitates procurement, transportation, and distribution of diverse products globally. Revenue is generated through product sales via direct sales to brick-and-mortar stores and online marketplaces. The company maintains a portfolio of over 50 products including portable showers, CO2 chargers, and cotton kitchen towels, sourced from established networks across France, Taiwan, Spain, Hungary, China, Pakistan, and Mexico.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

ICO (operating as La Nao) is a trading company that procures, transports, and distributes a portfolio of over 50 products globally. Its assortment covers portable showers, 16g CO2 chargers, cotton kitchen towels, and partner-brand kitchen equipment and food items (Excell tape dispensers, Garcima paella pans, Bron Coucke-Tellier mandolines, and D'Elidas hot sauce), sold through direct sales to brick-and-mortar stores and online marketplaces such as Amazon and Walmart.

Product overview

ICO (operating as La Nao) is a trading company founded in 2001 that facilitates the procurement, transportation, and distribution of a diverse range of products. The company offers a portfolio of over 50 products including portable showers, CO2 chargers, and cotton kitchen towels, distributed through direct sales to brick-and-mortar stores and online marketplaces (Amazon, Walmart). Additionally, ICO distributes branded products through partnerships with Excell (tape dispensers), Garcima (paella pans), Bron Coucke - Tellier (mandolines), and D'Elidas (Panama's most sold hot sauce).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Portable Showers Portable shower units distributed by ICO via Amazon and its Impeccable-o website for consumer and retail buyers.
• 16g CO2 Chargers 16-gram CO2 chargers sold through Amazon and the Impeccable-o website for consumer and retail buyers.
• Cotton Kitchen Towels Cotton kitchen towels distributed by ICO through the Amazon marketplace (ASIN B016GZUX6I) for consumer buyers.
• Excell Tape Dispensers Brand-partnered tape dispensers from Excell distributed through ICO's network of marketplaces and retail channels.
• Garcima Paella Pans Spanish paella pans from Garcima distributed through ICO's marketplace and retail channels for consumer and restaurant buyers.
• Bron Coucke-Tellier Mandolines Professional mandolines (kitchen slicers) from Bron Coucke-Tellier distributed through ICO's sales channels for professional and consumer buyers.
• D'Elidas Hot Sauce D'Elidas hot sauce, described as Panama's most sold hot sauce, distributed through ICO's marketplace and retail channels for consumer buyers.

Named customers3 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

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ExcellcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBrand partnership for tape dispensers. Excell is a partner brand whose products are distributed through La Nao's channels.
• GarcimacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBrand partnership for paella pans. Garcima products are distributed through La Nao's network of marketplaces and retail channels.
• Bron Coucke - TelliercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBrand partnership for mandolines (kitchen slicers). Products distributed through La Nao's sales channels.
• D'ElidascoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBrand partnership for D'Elidas hot sauce, described as Panama's most sold hot sauce. Distributed through La Nao's marketplace and retail channels.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Thrasio: Thrasio is the largest Amazon-focused brand aggregator, acquiring and operating third-party consumer brands sold through Amazon. It is highly comparable to ICO's stated strategy of acquiring online-revenue brands and distributing through marketplace channels.
• Perch: Perch acquires and operates Amazon-native consumer brands, providing operational, marketing, and supply chain infrastructure. Its business model parallels ICO's strategy of consolidating marketplace-native consumer brands.
• Heyday: Heyday is a marketplace-native brand operator that acquires, scales, and operates consumer brands across Amazon and other online channels. Closely comparable to ICO in its marketplace-first distribution and brand aggregation approach.
• Pattern Brands: Pattern is an Amazon-native brand aggregator that acquires and scales consumer products sold primarily through Amazon. Its brand-acquisition and marketplace-distribution model closely mirrors ICO's stated growth strategy.
• Benitago Group: Benitago acquires and scales consumer brands on Amazon and other online marketplaces, with particular emphasis on international sourcing and distribution. Highly comparable to ICO's marketplace-led distribution of internationally sourced consumer goods.

Broad incumbents

• Imperial Dade: Imperial Dade is one of the largest privately held wholesale distributors in North America, supplying foodservice and janitorial products. Comparable to ICO as a multi-category wholesale distributor serving retailers and end markets.
• DS Smith: DS Smith is a global packaging and distribution group with operations across multiple product categories and geographies. Relevant as a broad wholesale/distribution incumbent operating at a far larger scale than ICO.
• Bunzl plc: Bunzl is a global FTSE-listed wholesale distribution business supplying everyday consumables and specialist products to retailers and businesses. Comparable to ICO as a wholesale distributor operating across multiple product categories and geographies.
• Global Industrial Company: Global Industrial is a value-added distributor of industrial and commercial products operating across multiple categories and digital channels. Comparable to ICO in its multi-category wholesale distribution model and online sales emphasis.

Others

• Coupang: Coupang operates a major consumer e-commerce and marketplace platform with its own first-party distribution infrastructure. Relevant as a comparable operator of consumer marketplace channels where ICO distributes its products.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ico-holding

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 ICO