Rwandan food logistics startup GET IT has raised an undisclosed amount of capital in a Series A funding round held in July 2020 led by VestedWorld, Chandaria Capital and other angel investors.
The fresh funds raised will be utilized to expand its operations and give it a platform for future regional progress.
Launched in 2014 by Lauren Russell Nkuranga, GET IT supplies food products, commercial kitchens and hospitality outlets, specializing in fresh fruits and vegetables mainly to hotels and restaurants. They combine food production, manufacturing, and distribution to build an integrated food ecosystem.
GET IT owns a primary production arm, whereby it grows its own fresh agricultural produce, while also collaborating with manufacturers to do simple processing of the products it grows for export and domestic distribution. The startup began its journey as a household trade distribution company, specializing in grocery delivery. They also provide dairy products like meat, seafood and cleaning products, amenities, and other items for their hospitality and restaurant clients. Their roster of clients includes Marriott, Wilderness Safaris, One&Only, Singita and Rwandair.
GET IT aims to expand itself to a fully curated model of hospitality distribution, manufacturing partnerships, and basic horticultural production in Rwanda. The founder feels this fully curated model will provide the platform for future regional development. They are on a mission to become the topmost food logistics company among East, West, and Central Africa. The company supplies commercial kitchens throughout Rwanda, not just in Kigali.
Nkuranga was quoted to have said, “I did the first 500 deliveries out of the back of my car in Kigali. Through 2015 we discovered that there was no “broadline” foodservice distribution company, not only in Rwanda, but in all of East, West, and Central Africa. In 2016 we transitioned the company to be solely dedicated to broad line foodservice distribution, with a specialty on fresh fruits and vegetables. We built a network of out-growers to provide over 100 varieties of produce to high-end hotels, restaurants, and commercial catering companies.”
In addition to hotels and restaurants, they also supply products to the Volcanoes National Park, Akagera National Park, Lake Kivu resorts and Nyungwe National Park. “As we built backward linkages into our supply chain, we discovered significant barriers to growth with our out grower network. We also saw significant opportunity to grow our product for export and domestic distribution”, the founder said in a concluding statement.
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