Tul

Tul is a Colombian company, headquartered in Bogotá and founded in 2020, that operates an e-commerce marketplace for construction materials, hardware and related industrial and consumer goods. Its public storefront organizes inventory into categories including hardware (ferretería), mechanics and automotive, packaging articles, tools/equipment and accessories, industrial safety, roofing/tiles and gutters, paints, and electrical and lighting systems. The catalog spans roughly 150 listed brands, mixing third-party manufacturers such as Bellota, Black+Decker, Dewalt, Gerfor, Pavco Wavin, Pintuco, Sika, Stanley and Truper with a house 'TUL' brand.

The underlying thesis described by secondary sources is the fragmentation and low transparency of the construction-materials supply chain in Colombia, where small retailers and independent hardware stores must coordinate dozens of suppliers. Industry data cited by one source counts roughly 40,000 hardware stores in Colombia, most in residential areas, all requiring a supplier of items such as tiles, screws and other materials. Tul's platform aggregates this supply so that small businesses can search, compare and order in a single place.

Tul combines digital and physical channels. Customers can order through the website, a mobile app, by telephone or via WhatsApp, with a published support line and multiple payment methods including credit and debit cards, Nequi, Daviplata, Bre-B and an in-house credit product, Creditul. The company also runs branded retail stores, publishes store locations and hours, accepts returns/exchanges within 30 days on unused product in original packaging, and offers a 30-day warranty on own-brand goods while deferring to manufacturer warranties for third-party brands.

Founding story

Secondary sources report that Tul was founded in 2020 by Enrique Villamarín Lafaurie (co-founder and CEO), Nicolás Villegas (co-founder and CTO) and Juan Carlos Narváez. Villamarín Lafaurie is described as having previously spent about ten years in the construction industry at Cementos Argos, a major Colombian cement producer. The founders identified inefficiencies and a lack of transparency in construction-materials procurement — a time-consuming process requiring dozens of suppliers, causing delays and cost overruns, and disadvantaging smaller companies with limited access to resources and information — and built an online platform to serve hardware stores.

Business model

Tul operates a B2B/online marketplace for construction and hardware goods, aggregating supply from manufacturers and distributors and selling to small retailers and end buyers. According to a secondary profile, the platform connects construction manufacturers with small businesses that source materials, hardware and tools, letting them search, compare and purchase in one place. Alongside the digital channel, Tul-branded physical stores exist: the company's FAQ page describes seeking commercial premises of roughly 200 m² in high-traffic areas, recruiting store staff, onboarding suppliers, and directing shoppers to buy online through the tul.com.co site (under the 'Construmas' seller listing). Tul states it is not currently granting franchises.

Sources indicate revenue is generated from marketplace and retail sales of construction materials, hardware, tools and related goods to hardware stores and other buyers, both online and through physical Tul stores. The company also offers a credit product (Creditul) to customers. No pricing, take-rate or margin details are disclosed in the sources.

Traction

Customer base grew from fewer than 50 at inception to more than 8,000 by October 2023. Financial reports from June 2023 indicated over USD$200 million raised across investment rounds. An aggregator profile lists 51-200 employees and, following the reported Sooper merger, 82,000 products and 10,000 customers. The marketplace lists approximately 150 brands.

Latest developments

The most recent items in the material are an October 2023 report that Tul had surpassed USD$200 million in investment rounds per June 2023 financial reports and had grown to more than 8,000 customers, and an aggregator claim of a June 2024 merger with Brazilian company Sooper yielding 82,000 products and 10,000 customers across Colombia, Mexico and Brazil. The company's website remains operational, listing active product catalogs, brand directory, store network, app, and the Creditul financing option.