Farmu
Barranquilla, CO · Founded 2021 · 81 employees on LinkedIn · 5 known investors
Colombian B2B marketplace connecting independent neighborhood drugstores with pharmaceutical laboratories and suppliers.
Also known as Farmu
Founders & leadership
Farmu was founded in 2021 by Francisco J. Jassir Miranda.
Investors · 5
Also in the syndicate · 1
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Farmu is a Colombian technology company that operates a B2B marketplace and logistics service linking independent neighborhood drugstores (droguerías) with pharmaceutical laboratories and distributors. Through its web platform at farmu.com.co, drugstore owners order products, access discounts and manage purchasing, while Farmu handles supply and delivery to the shops. The company positions itself as a supply-chain optimizer for the independent pharmacy channel, widening the product catalogue available to small drugstores.
Beyond distribution, Farmu offers participating laboratories data analytics intended to help them better understand demand in the independent channel. The company has said it focuses exclusively on the pharmacy channel rather than serving consumers or patients directly. Founder and CEO Francisco J. Jassir has described a plan to expand first across Colombia and later across Latin America, citing a regional universe of more than 200,000 independent pharmacies.
Founding story
Founder Francisco J. Jassir began working on the idea in 2020 after his father was intubated with COVID-19 and Jassir was unable to find the medicines needed for his treatment, which led him to study how drugstores are supplied. After completing an MBA at Columbia University, he spent about a month travelling around Barranquilla by taxi, speaking with more than 100 independent drugstore owners to understand their problems. He assembled roughly 30 million Colombian pesos for a pilot carrying 3,000 products, working from a desk in his sister's clothing store and personally handling purchasing, packing, invoicing, customer service and deliveries through the courier service Mensajeros Urbanos before raising venture capital to scale.
Business model
Farmu operates a marketplace that aggregates demand from independent drugstores and connects it to pharmaceutical laboratories and suppliers, combining the marketplace with its own logistics and delivery to the shops. It also provides commercial support, discounts and order management to drugstores, and demand analytics to laboratories.
Sources describe the marketplace and distribution model - supplying independent drugstores from laboratories and suppliers with delivery, discounts and commercial support - without specifying pricing or take-rate mechanics.
Traction
Reported metrics include more than 2,000 pharmacy customers, about 100 laboratories and 150 employees across five cities in December 2022; more than 80 suppliers, roughly 2,500 customers and 10,000 monthly orders across seven cities in January 2023; and more than 3,000 drugstores with over 10,000 monthly orders in a later directory profile. The company was included in LinkedIn's Top Startups 2022 list for Colombia.
Latest developments
A startup directory profile lists Farmu at Series A stage with more than 3,000 drugstores served and over 10,000 monthly orders. Investor HTwenty Capital lists Farmu in its portfolio, naming Tiger Global Management, Lightspeed Ventures and Monashees as co-investors.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history, risks & controversies
Market position
Farmu addresses the independent pharmacy channel in Colombia, where the company estimates a typical independent drugstore stocks around 2,000 product references versus roughly 15,000 at large chains such as Farmatodo and Cruz Verde. Coverage names Farmalisto as another Colombian startup in the space, though Farmalisto also runs B2C and patient-care businesses while Farmu says it will focus only on the pharmacy channel. A startup directory lists the Argentine company Extendeal as a similar organization.
The company focuses exclusively on the independent pharmacy channel rather than selling to consumers, aiming to give small drugstores access to a broader catalogue so customers do not switch to chain pharmacies, and pairing distribution with data analytics for laboratories.
Technology
A web-based platform at farmu.com.co through which independent drugstores order from laboratories and suppliers, supported by order management and logistics, plus data analytics delivered to laboratories to help them understand demand.
Go-to-market
Direct field engagement with drugstore owners, alongside partnership development with pharmaceutical laboratories - including an event held in Bogotá for laboratory managers - led by an alliances lead with 12 years of pharmaceutical sector experience. The founder targeted large international venture funds already active in Latin America for capital.
Independent, family-run neighborhood drugstores in Colombia, and the pharmaceutical laboratories and suppliers that want to reach that channel.
Geography
Headquartered in Barranquilla, Colombia. Operations expanded from five Colombian cities in December 2022 to seven cities by January 2023. Management has said it will not expand to other countries until the model demonstrates product-market fit in Colombia, with Latin America as a stated longer-term ambition.
History
Jassir, who previously worked as a consultant at McKinsey & Company and completed a master's internship at Frubana, founded Farmu in Barranquilla, with operations beginning in 2021 (one source dates the founding to September 2021). The company kept a low profile while refining its business model, then raised a seed round from institutional investors. By December 2022 it operated in five Colombian cities with about 150 employees, more than 2,000 pharmacy customers and around 100 laboratories; by January 2023 it reported presence in seven cities, more than 80 suppliers, some 2,500 customers and 10,000 orders a month. Later profiles describe more than 3,000 drugstores on the platform and a Series A stage.
Risks & controversies
In December 2022 the CEO acknowledged operating in a fragile, capital-intensive category and a difficult startup funding environment, stating the company was sufficiently funded to operate for the following months and would only take on new funds to add strategic partners. He also noted the challenge of entering a traditional industry of long-established operators.
Compiled by commissioned research from 7 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 3
launches, deals, and filingsEl Espectador reported that Farmu's distribution model was operating in seven cities, up from five cities reported a month earlier.
Forbes Colombia reported that Farmu raised a seed round to launch the company, with participation from Monashees, H20 Capital Innovation, Picus Capital and Tiger Global; Frubana founder and CEO Fabian Gomez was among the first angel investors. No amount was disclosed.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
▸Research sources · 7
primary sources listed
- Farmu: Por necesidad creó un modelo distribución de medicamentos y ya está en 7 ciudadeselespectador.com · web
7 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Farmu do?
- Colombian B2B marketplace connecting independent neighborhood drugstores with pharmaceutical laboratories and suppliers.
- Who founded Farmu?
- Farmu was founded by Francisco J. Jassir Miranda in 2021.
- Who are Farmu's investors?
- Farmu's investors include HTwenty, MONASHEES, PICUS CAPITAL, Latitud Ventures.
- Where is Farmu headquartered?
- Farmu is headquartered in Barranquilla, CO.