Orijin, a B2B SaaS company transforming agricultural supply chains, has secured strategic funding from Brainforest Association and Gorilla Capital to advance sustainability in coffee and cocoa production. Armed with cutting-edge tools for traceability, compliance, and environmental protection, Orijin empowers producers to meet stringent standards like the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). The company’s innovative approach earned it second place at Arctic15 Pitching Competition, the Nordic region’s prestigious startup competition hosted by FiBAN, where it outshone over 180 competitors. Orijin plans to leverage the funding to enhance its technology, expand its global footprint, and empower smallholder farmers and agribusinesses with sustainable solutions, paving the way for a greener and more equitable agricultural future.
Orijin’s innovative platform equips farmer organizations and agribusinesses with advanced tools for traceability, environmental stewardship, and market access. This includes features like deforestation monitoring and real-time product origin verification, enabling compliance with rigorous global standards like the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). With these capabilities, Orijin not only helps producers meet sustainability benchmarks but also unlocks access to premium markets that reward eco-conscious practices.
At its core, Orijin leverages cutting-edge digital tools to address critical challenges in agriculture, such as supply chain transparency and environmental accountability. By offering accessible solutions tailored to both smallholder farmers and large-scale producers, Orijin facilitates a seamless transition to sustainable operations. These tools also connect data from farm-level polygons to end-product due diligence statements, ensuring high-quality compliance documentation.
Orijin’s leadership team blends extensive industry expertise with a commitment to sustainability, driving innovation across global agricultural supply chains. CEO and Founder Salla Mankinen, a seasoned software architect with 20 years of experience, focuses on empowering supply chains and smallholder farmers. CTO and Founder Teemu Hurmeranta, an IT expert with a comprehensive full-stack skill set, brings over two decades of technical and entrepreneurial insight. Vanessa Afua Sarfoah Agbemor, based in Ghana, leads Africa operations with scientific precision, while Jose Merlo, a sustainability and cocoa specialist, directs Latin America operations from Quito, Ecuador. Their efforts are bolstered by a diverse advisory board comprising experts in African cocoa markets, luxury chocolate branding, and sustainable coffee production.
Earlier this year, Orijin’s journey gained significant recognition when the company was selected to participate in Arctic15, one of the most prestigious startup competitions in the Nordic region. Organized by the Finnish Business Angels Network (FiBAN), the event brings together some of the brightest and most ambitious startups from across the region to compete for investor attention and industry acclaim.
Out of more than 180 promising startups, Orijin stood out for its groundbreaking vision and transformative impact in sustainable agriculture. Securing the second-place prize, Orijin demonstrated the power of its mission to revolutionize supply chains and support sustainable practices. This achievement not only highlights the strength of Orijin’s innovative approach but also solidifies its position as a leader in creating scalable, impactful solutions for global agriculture.
The European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) represents a pivotal shift in addressing global deforestation and forest degradation. By setting stringent compliance standards for commodities like coffee and cocoa, the EUDR aims to eliminate deforestation-contributing products from the EU market, retain forests for their critical role in carbon sequestration and address deforestation driven by agricultural expansion.
Orijin’s tools align perfectly with these goals, enabling producers to navigate complex regulations while enhancing their market competitiveness.
Salla Mankinen, CEO of Orijin, recently discussed the future of sustainable cocoa at the Amsterdam Sustainable Cocoa Conference, shedding light on the challenges and solutions surrounding the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Introduced in 2023, the EUDR seeks to combat global deforestation by regulating commodities like cocoa, requiring compliance with strict traceability and sustainability standards.
Mankinen highlighted the cost challenges faced by smallholder farmers, emphasizing the advantages of using integrated digital solutions for collecting, tracing, and validating data across supply chains. She noted that while farms under four hectares require only GPS coordinates, the legislation’s risk assessment component remains complex and ambiguous.
As Orijin continues to expand its global footprint, its mission remains clear: to empower agricultural communities with the tools and knowledge needed to thrive in a sustainability-focused marketplace. By bridging the gap between compliance and innovation, Orijin is not only transforming supply chains but also paving the way for a more equitable and resilient future in global agriculture.
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Read the orginal article: https://arcticstartup.com/orijin-raises-funding/
