ooha

What ooha does

ooha GmbH is a Hamburg-based sales agency and distributor established in 2024 to support impact-driven food and beverage brands in entering and scaling within the German and Austrian grocery retail markets. The company combines an in-house field force of more than 30 sales people with its own distribution warehouse in Hamburg, providing end-to-end retail support including key account management, in-store execution, warehousing, invoicing, marketing and transparent performance reporting. Its service portfolio targets a structural bottleneck for small and mid-sized F&B brands: navigating Germany's highly consolidated grocery landscape dominated by Rewe, Edeka, Kaufland, Lidl and Aldi, alongside organic and drugstore chains such as Alnatura, Denn's Biomarkt, dm and Rossmann. ooha was founded by Niklas Etmans, Anton Kersten and Lukas Manzeck, who previously built purefood GmbH over six years to high seven-figure revenues and 8,000+ store listings.

ooha's operational model is built around a data and AI-driven sales approach. A KPI-driven in-house field force collects market and execution data in real time across German retail, which is surfaced to brand partners through live Power BI dashboards for transparent performance tracking. The company states it uses artificial intelligence to optimize lean sales processes across roughly 12,000 German retail stores. No proprietary models, patents, or external research assets are disclosed; AI capabilities appear to center on workflow optimization, store-level prioritization and analytics rather than novel model development, with execution risk that the claims rest largely on standard BI tooling rather than defensible IP.

ooha generates revenue through a combination of distribution commissions on goods flowing through its Hamburg warehouse and professional-services fees for agency and consulting engagements (strategy, key account management, marketing and invoicing). Pricing is not publicly disclosed; services are offered individually or bundled. Customer concentration skews to impact-driven and better-for-you F&B brand partners including Heimatgut, vly, Vita Coco, HEJ natural, Lekka, Formo, nucao, Foodspring and ManiLife. The company operates only in Germany and Austria, has no external institutional investors in disclosed records, and is held by its three co-founders, who allocate 1% of revenue to impact causes chosen by team members.

Name

ooha

Legal name

ooha GmbH

Website

https://ooha-food.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hamburg-based sales agency and distributor for impact-driven food and beverage brands entering German and Austrian grocery retail, combining own-warehouse distribution, a 30+ person in-house field force, key account management, marketing and invoicing services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Distribution Services: Commission-based distribution services for impact-driven food brands in German and Austrian retail, including warehousing, invoicing, and field force execution. First impact-driven distributor with own warehouse in Hamburg.
2. Agency and Consulting Services: Strategy, key account management, marketing, and reporting services for food brands seeking retail entry and growth in Germany and Austria.
3. Impact Contribution: The company shares 1% of revenue with the ooha team, giving every member a chance to contribute to causes they care about.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ooha operates as a next-generation sales, marketing, and distribution agency that helps impact-driven food and beverage brands establish themselves in German and Austrian grocery retail. Its integrated service portfolio combines distribution with its own Hamburg warehouse and a 30+ person in-house field force, plus strategy & key accounting, marketing, invoicing, and live Power BI reporting—all unified around a story-driven sales approach for impact brands.

Product overview

ooha operates as a next-generation sales, marketing, and distribution agency dedicated to supporting food brands with positive impact in establishing themselves in the German and Austrian retail market. The company offers an integrated service portfolio combining Distribution (with own Hamburg warehouse and 30+ person sales team), Strategy & Key Accounting, In-house Field Force, Marketing, Invoicing, and Reporting & Feedback services — all unified under a transparent, data-driven approach focused on story-driven impact brands. The core differentiator lies in combining agency services with physical distribution capabilities and an in-house field force, providing brands with end-to-end support from market entry to national retail success.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Distribution Services First impact-driven distribution service with own Hamburg warehouse and a 30+ person sales team dedicated exclusively to story-driven impact brands seeking retail presence in the German and Austrian food retail market.
• Strategy & Key Accounting Strategic development driven by KPIs, leveraging data collected daily from over 350 meetings with key decision-makers in German retail, ensuring successful listings through tailored strategies and network access for impact F&B brands.
• In-house Field Force KPI-driven, target-focused in-house field force team located across key German cities, operating in urban areas to maximize the impact of each store visit through collaborative, multi-brand approaches.
• Marketing Services Marketing services leveraging strong connections to key food marketeers in Germany to build love brands rather than merely placing products on shelf for impact-driven F&B brand partners.
• Invoicing Services Acts as the German entity for international brands and takes over invoicing with all technical and legal requirements met, enabling quick business operations in Germany.
• Reporting & Feedback Data analytics and reporting sharing insights live and completely transparent via Power BI, enabling impact-driven F&B brands to improve their German retail performance.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully listed across 8,000+ stores in Germany and Austria
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, strategic and foundational.

• Rewe GroupcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor German supermarket group and one of two largest supermarket operators in Germany. Strong in urban areas and brand-driven. Key retail partner for ooha's distribution and field force execution activities.
• Edeka GroupcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGermany's largest retailer by revenue with decentralized structure of independent store owners. 'Gold standard' for mainstream retail presence. Key retail partner for distribution and sales execution.
• KauflandmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPart of Schwarz Group (same parent as Lidl). Hypermarket format with wide assortment and strong price positioning. Important for large pack sizes, value-driven products, and promotional secondary placements.
• LidlmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPart of Schwarz Group. Germany's leading discounter with over 40% market share. Slightly broader assortment than Aldi with increasing branded listings. High-volume distribution opportunity.
• Aldi (Nord & Süd)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPioneer of discount retail in Germany with over 40% market share combined. Highly price-focused with strong private label. Delivers huge volumes but with slim margins.
• Denn's BiomarktstrategicChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOne of largest organic supermarket chains in Germany with over 350 stores. Focus on certified organic products, sustainability, and health-conscious consumers. Target for niche or premium better-for-you products.
• AlnaturastrategicChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOrganic pioneer with strong brand identity and stores across Germany. Strict listing requirements often requiring Bio-certification. Strategic partner for organic and sustainable impact brands.
• dm-drogerie marktstrategicChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGermany's largest drugstore chain, increasingly relevant for organic healthy snacking and better-for-you beverages. Major opportunity for functional foods and wellness-driven products.
• RossmannstrategicChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStrong in both urban and rural locations with expanding food & beverage range. Relevant for health-conscious product categories alongside traditional drugstore offerings.
• purefood GmbHfoundationalStrategic or Co-development PartnerHamburg-based food startup where founders met and gained 6 years of experience building FMCG company from low five-figure turnover to securing accounts across Germany and Austria. Founded by entrepreneurs who built and scaled three impact brands together before founding ooha.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Lekkerland GmbH & Co. KG: Major German food and convenience products distributor (REWE Group subsidiary) supplying gas stations, kiosks, convenience stores, and retail. Comparable B2B food distribution model to ooha but substantially larger scale and convenience-focused rather than impact-brand focused.
• METRO AG: Major publicly listed German wholesale and food distribution group serving HoReCa, retail, and food service customers through METRO Cash & Carry and food distribution arms. Provides relevant public market benchmark for food distribution multiples, though substantially larger and broader in scope than ooha.
• Transgourmet Deutschland GmbH: European cash & carry and food service distribution arm of Swiss Coop Group, operating across Germany with national delivery and wholesale centers. Comparable food distribution infrastructure to ooha but primarily serves HoReCa customers rather than impact-brand retail distribution.
• Landgard eG: German farmer-owned cooperative and major fresh produce distributor/logistics provider serving retail and wholesale across Germany and Europe. Comparable B2B food distribution model to ooha but specialized in fresh produce and substantially larger scale.

Direct peers

• dennree GmbH: Germany's largest organic food wholesaler and operator of the Denn's Biomarkt organic supermarket chain, focused on certified organic and sustainable brands. Most directly comparable to ooha in terms of values alignment (impact/sustainability) and German B2B organic food distribution, though dennree serves specialist organic retailers rather than mainstream LEH.
• Weiling GmbH: Family-owned German organic food wholesaler serving natural food retailers (Naturkost) across Germany with focus on organic, sustainable, and impact brands. Closely comparable mission to ooha (impact-focused distribution) and similar mid-sized B2B food distribution model in Germany.

Regional players

• Advantage Solutions: International sales and marketing agency for CPG brands with field sales, retail execution, category management, and integrated brand services. Closely comparable B2B agency-plus-execution model to ooha but US/North America focused.
• Crossmark: International sales and marketing agency providing field sales, merchandising, and retail execution services to CPG brands and retailers. Highly comparable integrated agency model to ooha but operates primarily in North America rather than DACH.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ooha-impact-food-agency/posts/?feedView=all
• Instagraminstagram.com/oohafood

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 ooha