Chiper

Chiper operates a business-to-business e-commerce platform through which owners of neighborhood corner shops (tiendas de barrio) order their inventory digitally instead of dealing with multiple travelling sales representatives, paper forms and multi-day supplier lead times. Shopkeepers place orders through the platform, pay digitally, track order status in real time and receive deliveries in under 24 hours, with the company negotiating directly with manufacturers rather than working through intermediaries. Co-founder and CEO Jose Bonilla has described the company as "like Amazon, but for corner shops."

The company was founded in Bogota by Jose Jair Bonilla (CEO), Oscar Sarria (COO) and Carolina Garcia (CRO). Bonilla and Sarria previously worked together at the technology firm Imaginamos, where they began studying the needs and operating problems of small shop owners before building the business. By October 2020 more than 3,000 stores in Colombia and Mexico used the platform and Chiper had direct commercial relationships with more than 120 manufacturers; among its supplier allies is the spirits group Diageo. By December 2021 the company reported a catalogue of more than 3 million products and said the corner shops on its network reach more than 40 million end customers.

Founding story

Jose Jair Bonilla and Oscar Sarria were colleagues at the technology firm Imaginamos when they set out to understand the needs, problems and challenges of small shop owners in order to build a scalable business around them; they founded Chiper in Bogota together with Carolina Garcia, who became CRO, with Bonilla as CEO and Sarria as COO [1].

Business model

Chiper aggregates demand from independent corner shops and buys directly from consumer-goods manufacturers, then fulfils shopkeeper orders placed on its digital platform with delivery in under 24 hours, removing traditional distribution intermediaries [1][2].

Traction

More than 3,000 stores using the platform across Colombia and Mexico and direct agreements with over 120 manufacturers as of October 2020, with a stated goal of more than 30,000 active users (about 5% market penetration) by the end of 2021; by December 2021 the platform listed over 3 million products reaching more than 40 million end consumers, with plans to add 2 million more products and make roughly 200 new hires [0][1].

Latest developments

In December 2021 Chiper announced a $53 million Series B led by Tiger Global and Nosara Capital, bringing total capital raised to $78 million, to fund a launch in Brazil, about 200 new hires and 2 million additional products. In 2022 its three founders were named Endeavor Colombia's 'Entrepreneurs of the Year' at the organization's High Impact Night; they had been selected as Endeavor Entrepreneurs in April 2021 and contributed 1,620 hours of mentoring to other founders [0][2].