ABACO
ABACO is a Colombian non-profit founded in 2003 that coordinates 26 food banks nationwide, rescuing surplus food from 3,700+ corporate donors and distributing it to 1.6 million+ vulnerable beneficiaries annually through an AI-enabled matching platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersBogotá, Colombia
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What ABACO does
ABACO (Asociación de Bancos de Alimentos de Colombia) is a non-profit association founded in 2003 and headquartered in Bogotá that coordinates a national network of 26 affiliated food banks responsible for rescuing surplus food and distributing it to vulnerable populations in Colombia. In 2025 the network delivered 55,091 tonnes of food and reached more than 1.6 million beneficiaries, supported by a donor base of over 3,700 corporate partners spanning food producers (Nutresa, Alpina, Alqueria, Kellogg's), industrials (Dow), logistics providers (LATAM Airlines), and trade associations such as ANDI.
ABACO's operational backbone rests on three proprietary technology components: the EatCloud AI-powered donation matching platform, deployed in partnership with Dow to support the Cooling2Feed cold chain; the IVAI (Índice de Vulnerabilidad Alimentaria Infantil), built using TOPSIS multi-criteria methodology to map child food insecurity; and the Universidad ABACO learning management system for capacity building. The Observatorio de Nutrición Infantil provides the data layer underpinning targeting and donor reporting. The organization is a member of the Global FoodBanking Network and is led by Director Juan Carlos Buitrago.
The business model is donation-funded rather than revenue-generating: ABACO does not sell a product but matches corporate food surpluses and cash contributions to demand points identified through its network of 26 food banks, supplemented by humanitarian response products (notably Cápsulas de Emergencia, launched February 2026) and event-driven fundraising such as the 2024 Todos Juntos concert in Medellín. Customer concentration risk is structurally low due to the long-tail donor base; the binding constraint is the depth of corporate CSR budgets rather than any single counterparty exposure.
ABACO firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ABACO
- Legal name
- ASOCIACIÓN DE BANCOS DE ALIMENTOS DE COLOMBIA – ABACO
- Website
- https://abaco.org.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- ABACO is a Colombian non-profit founded in 2003 that coordinates 26 food banks nationwide, rescuing surplus food from 3,700+ corporate donors and distributing it to 1.6 million+ vulnerable beneficiaries annually through an AI-enabled matching platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ABACO industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Food Banking Services
- NAICS
- Community Food Services (624210), Community Food Services (62421)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Food Assistance & Nutrition Relief (Emergency Feeding) (BPAGAAAD), Nutrition & Food Security (Global Health) NGOs (HLAJAKAH)
Keywords
Where ABACO is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bogotá
- HQ country
- Colombia
- HQ region
- Latin America
Offices4 records
Markets served
ABACO business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Monetary Donations: ABACO receives financial contributions from individuals and corporations that are used to purchase food, hygiene products, and basic household items distributed to vulnerable populations through the food bank network.
- In-Kind Food Donations: Companies donate surplus food products which ABACO collects, processes, and distributes, reducing donor destruction costs while providing tax benefits under Colombian law Article 126-2.
- Gestión de Merma Sostenible: Sustainable shrink management services where ABACO handles expired or near-expiry product donations, reducing corporate disposal costs for transportation, storage, and destruction.
- Logística de Devoluciones: Retail return logistics service where ABACO collects returned products from distribution centers, manages their social reuse, and provides donors with tax benefits.
- Marketing Social: Social marketing services that enhance corporate social responsibility through campaigns, commercial alliances, publications, and media coverage in regional and national outlets.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | Tax-deductible monetary donations |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
ABACO product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ABACO coordinates a national network of 26 food banks across Colombia that rescue surplus food from the agricultural, industrial, commercial, hotel, and restaurant sectors and distribute it to vulnerable populations facing food insecurity and malnutrition. The organization operates AI-powered platforms (EatCloud) for donation matching and cold chain logistics (Cooling2Feed), and supports emergency food response, child nutrition programs, and training through Universidad ABACO.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- REAGRO: Agricultural surplus recovery program rescuing fruits and vegetables from farmers for distribution to vulnerable populations.
- Cooling2Feed
- Eatcloud
- Desayunos Saludables
- Banco de Hilos
- Todos Juntos
- Observatorio de Nutrición Infantil
- Universidad ABACO
Products and services
- EatCloud Platform
Quantifiable outcome
- 55,091 tonnes of food delivered in 2025, providing 18.5% of daily nutrient recommendations to beneficiaries
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use ABACO
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
ABACO technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
AI capability4 records
Feature4 records
ABACO partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
23 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- EatCloudcoreStrategic technology partnership for AI-powered food donation platform. EatCloud provides an artificial intelligence platform that automates the donation process for any food volume at any location, enabling seamless connection between donors and food banks.
- DowcoreStrategic alliance to strengthen cold chain logistics and food rescue operations. Dow supports infrastructure improvements including cold storage facilities for six food banks and refrigeration equipment for over 40 social organizations. The goal is to rescue 475+ tonnes of small-volume food donations.
- Gobernación de AntioquiacoreMajor government partnership to combat hunger in Antioquia through food rescue and nutrition programs reaching children in 125 municipalities. Delivered 5,000 food rations, distributed 401,161 kg of food, and trained 113 nutrition professionals.
- ANDI (Asociación Nacional de Empresarios de Colombia)coreNational business association partnership for corporate food donations, emergency response coordination, and humanitarian corridor activation during disasters like the Catatumbo crisis and winter emergencies.
- Global FoodBanking Network (GFN)coreInternational certification body that validates and certifies food banks. ABACO holds GFN certification and participates in global food banking standards and best practices exchange.
- Fundación NutresamajorCorporate foundation partner supporting nutrition programs and food rescue initiatives. Grupo Nutresa is one of Colombia's largest food companies with diverse portfolio supporting ABACO's mission.
- AlqueriamajorMajor dairy company providing milk products for the Desayunos Saludables (Healthy Breakfasts) program feeding 3,400+ children daily.
- AlpinamajorMajor dairy and food company providing dairy products for the Desayunos Saludables program feeding vulnerable children.
- Kellogg'smajorCereal company providing products for the Desayunos Saludables program through alliance with ABACO.
- Fundación ANDImajorANDI Foundation working with ABACO on emergency response, food donations, and humanitarian aid distribution during national crises.
- Fundación SaciarcoreKey affiliated food bank in Medellín managing operations in Antioquia and founding board member. Responsible for Banco de Alimentos del Oriente Antioqueño serving 23,000+ vulnerable people.
- Fundación ExitomajorRetail foundation partner supporting food rescue and community nutrition programs.
- Pastoral Social NacionalmajorCatholic social services network operating food banks and participating in humanitarian corridors during emergencies like Catatumbo crisis.
- Fundación Saldarriaga ConchamajorFoundation focused on social development supporting ABACO's mission on board of directors.
- VantimajorEnergy company partner supporting the Alliance for Child Nutrition through social programs.
- LATAM Airlines ColombiamajorAirline providing logistics support to transport emergency food donations to remote and disaster-affected regions.
- Fundación StarbucksmajorStarbucks foundation partnering with Alsea and ABACO to rescue food in Nariño and Bolívar departments.
- OlimpicamajorMajor retail chain providing food donations and supporting emergency response efforts.
- Tiendas D1majorDiscount retail chain donating products and participating in food rescue programs.
- Tiendas AramajorRetail chain supporting food donations and community programs.
- Páramo ImpactacoreEvent production partner that co-organized the 'Todos Juntos' concert raising $11.46 billion pesos for child nutrition programs.
- AXA ColpatriamajorInsurance company partner supporting nutrition and food security initiatives.
- HerbalifemajorNutrition company partner supporting food bank operations and nutrition programs.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
ABACO competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Caritas Internationalis: International confederation of Catholic relief organizations operating food assistance and humanitarian programs worldwide, with Pastoral Social as a direct partner of ABACO. Adjacent peer with overlapping beneficiary base and food distribution work.
- Red Cross / Colombian Red Cross: Humanitarian network providing emergency food relief and disaster response, including in Colombia. Overlaps with ABACO on emergency feeding activations (Catatumbo, Venezuela earthquake) but with broader health and shelter mandate.
- The Food Bank Singapore: Singapore-based food rescue and redistribution nonprofit using technology-enabled logistics for surplus food. Comparable tech-forward food banking model relevant as a peer in digital food rescue innovation.
Direct peers
- Mesa Brasil SESC: Brazil's largest food bank network operated by SESC, redistributing surplus food across hundreds of cities. Closest direct peer in scale and geography, with similar corporate-donor model and large beneficiary base.
- The Global FoodBanking Network (GFN): Global federation that certifies and supports national food banking networks, including ABACO. Most directly comparable as ABACO's international umbrella and standards body, with shared mission of food rescue and redistribution.
- Food Bank For New York City: Major US metropolitan food bank distributing food via charitable network and pantry partners. Comparable in mission and donor base, though smaller in geographic scope than ABACO's national reach.
- European Food Banks Federation (FEBA): European umbrella of food bank federations across 30+ countries coordinating surplus food redistribution. Directly comparable network-of-networks structure to ABACO's 26-bank Colombian federation.
- Bancos de Alimentos de México (BAMX): Mexico's national food bank association coordinating a network of food banks for surplus food rescue and distribution. Closest Latin American direct peer by mission, structure and operational model.
Broad incumbents
- World Food Programme (WFP): UN agency addressing global hunger and food security, including emergency response operations in Colombia and Latin America. Larger incumbent with overlapping emergency feeding mission, though structured as a multilateral rather than association.
- Feeding America: Largest hunger-relief organization in the US, operating a network of 200+ food banks and 60,000+ partner agencies. Larger and more established direct equivalent with similar food rescue, redistribution and corporate-donor model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ABACO social profiles
Digital presenceABACO financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ABACO leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
ABACO funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ABACO M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ABACO
What does ABACO do?
ABACO coordinates a national network of 26 food banks across Colombia that rescue surplus food from the agricultural, industrial, commercial, hotel, and restaurant sectors and distribute it to vulnerable populations facing food insecurity and malnutrition. The organization operates AI-powered platforms (EatCloud) for donation matching and cold chain logistics (Cooling2Feed), and supports emergency food response, child nutrition programs, and training through Universidad ABACO.
Is ABACO a public or private company?
ABACO is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was ABACO founded?
ABACO was founded in 2009. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is ABACO based?
ABACO is headquartered in Bogotá, Colombia, in the Latin America region.
How does ABACO make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Monetary Donations are the primary driver. The others are in-Kind Food Donations, gestión de Merma Sostenible, logística de Devoluciones and marketing Social.
Who are ABACO's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Caritas Internationalis, Red Cross / Colombian Red Cross and The Food Bank Singapore. Direct peers are Mesa Brasil SESC, The Global FoodBanking Network (GFN), Food Bank For New York City, European Food Banks Federation (FEBA) and Bancos de Alimentos de México (BAMX). Broad incumbents are World Food Programme (WFP) and Feeding America.
Does ABACO have an API?
No public API is recorded for ABACO.
What industry is ABACO in?
ABACO's product category is Food Banking Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAEAA, Food Assistance & Food Banks, with a secondary code of BPAGAAAD, Food Assistance & Nutrition Relief (Emergency Feeding). Its NAICS code is 624210.