Bulgarian startup nFuse has secured $2 million in funding from Eleven Ventures and LAUNCHub to transform B2B ordering for FMCG brands. Founded by former Coca-Cola executives Stoyan Ivanov and Stefan Radov, the company targets the persistent failure of traditional eCommerce platforms in fragmented retail markets. Their solution leverages common messaging apps to simplify how small, independent shops restock their shelves.
Addressing a Persistent Industry Failure
For decades, major consumer goods companies have struggled to digitize the vast network of independent retailers in emerging markets. Their sophisticated B2B portals and ordering apps consistently face low adoption rates, often hovering around a mere 15 percent. This widespread failure stems from a fundamental disconnect between corporate strategy and the daily realities of small shop owners.
A New Approach Rooted in Experience
The founders of nFuse, Stoyan Ivanov and Stefan Radov, witnessed these challenges firsthand during their combined 30 years at Coca-Cola. They observed that digital initiatives repeatedly failed to gain traction because they were designed for headquarters, not the end-user. This deep operational experience inspired them to build a solution that aligns with existing retailer behaviors rather than trying to change them.
Revolutionizing Ordering Through Simplicity
Instead of requiring another app download, nFuse enables retailers to place orders through familiar platforms like WhatsApp, Viber, and SMS. Shopkeepers can simply send a text, a voice note, or even a photo of an empty shelf to restock products. This intuitive, messaging-first approach eliminates the learning curve and friction associated with traditional B2B eCommerce systems.
Impressive Metrics and Market Validation
The results of this simplified model are compelling, with nFuse reporting retailer adoption rates exceeding 70 percent. Clients experience a 15 to 30 percent increase in revenue per outlet and a dramatic reduction in transaction costs to below one dollar per order. The platform's rapid eight-week deployment timeline stands in stark contrast to the 18-month cycles common for legacy systems.
This success is not limited to a single category, as the company is already working with leaders across beverages, dairy, and pet food. This cross-vertical validation proves the model's applicability throughout the diverse FMCG landscape. By making ordering more frequent and efficient, nFuse helps brands increase sales volume and gain faster market feedback.
Investor Confidence and Future Vision
Investors have backed the founders' deep industry insight as much as the technology itself. Rumen Iliev of LAUNCHub Ventures noted that nFuse makes ordering natural again, while Ivaylo Simov of Eleven Ventures highlighted how the AI-powered solution unlocks the massive fragmented market. Both firms expressed confidence in the team's ability to solve a problem they know intimately.
With the new funding, nFuse plans to accelerate its expansion across Europe, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. The company views self-ordering as the initial entry point into a much larger ecosystem. Future plans involve integrating trade marketing, loyalty programs, and financial services like payments and micro-lending directly into the same conversational interface.
nFuse's $2 million funding round marks a significant step toward redefining digital commerce for the $5 trillion fragmented trade sector. By abandoning the flawed app-centric model and embracing retailers' existing communication habits, the company is poised for significant growth. This strategic shift from forcing new behaviors to leveraging existing ones may finally bridge the digital gap for millions of small businesses worldwide.