The ecommerce industry has recorded an impressive boom in Africa, in recent years. Digital tools have become undisputable tools in the industry, leading even informal companies to enter the bandwagon. Tech entrepreneurs are offering suitable solutions to help them. 

Cartona is a B2B platform developed by an Egyptian startup. It allows retail merchants to source from FMCG companies and wholesalers at competitive rates right from a mobile platform. Since its launch in 2020, it has raised over $16 million to support its growth.

“The trade market is completely inefficient and it’s not good for the supplier or the manufacturers, and it’s definitely not good for retailers.[...] So we came up with the idea of Cartona, which is basically a fully light-asset model that connects manufacturers and wholesalers to retailers,” said its CEO, Mahmoud Talaat, in 2021.

To access the list of suppliers and opportunities on the platform, users need to download its mobile app -available for Android and iOS devices- to create their accounts. 

Cartona charges commissions on orders. It also collects fees from wholesalers to list their ads and provide information on retailer behavior, competition, and market information that would help wholesalers adjust their sales policies.   

It also offers access to credit for its more than 60,000 retailers and over 1,500 wholesalers. It has signed partnerships with more than 250 companies to establish a one-stop shop that thousands of retailers can use daily to buy small or large quantities of products. However, expansion is not yet on its agenda.

Adoni Conrad Quenum