Interview of the NextStepers behind CloudFB !
At NextStep Studio, we work with entrepreneurs and founders who have some great projects in the F&B, Food Tech or Food industry. We wanted to give you a sneak pick at who we are working with on a regular bases, and maybe you'd like to be part of this network too.
Greg from NextStep (NextStep): Introduce yourself and the people in charge of Cloud FB.
Derek from CloudFB (CFB): There are 3 partners in the business:
- Albert Xiang, the founder and CEO of Cloud FB. He is from Huangshan, Anhui Province, China.
- Derek Bushaw, originally from Canada, arrived in China in 2004, he is the COO
- Arnaud Douilly, originally from France, arrived in China in 2018.
NextStep: What is CLOUD FB ? What's the pitch ?
CFB: CloudFB is an online B2B marketplace and fulfillment platform connecting high quality food & beverage suppliers directly to foodservice customers across China. We reduce the layers in the supply chain, providing a direct connection between buyers and sellers. CloudFB manages the full transaction, from order to delivery to payment. Our nationwide delivery service is fully-temperature controlled from door-to-door.
NextStep: How did you come up with this idea ?
CFB: A passionate foodie and executive at Havi Logistics (McDonalds global supply chain partner), Albert had a dream to create a digital ecosystem for the millions of small & medium size restaurants in China undeserved by current models which favor large companies.
In 2017, his dream was set in motion and the company began building an active community of restaurants and suppliers attracted to CloudFB’s vision.
NextStep: At which stage of development are you at to date ?
CFB: We would consider ourselves an early stage startup, despite this we have good traction in the market. We are now active in 15 cities in China and have the physical infrastructure in place to expand nationwide. We’re raising money now to speed up that expansion.
NextStep: What’s your end goal ? Your vision ?
CFB: Our vision is to be the #1 platform for high quality F&B procurement in China.
NextStep: Where can we find what you are doing ?
We are available on our app via our WeChat account here.
We are also accessible directly online by visiting :
NextStep: What exciting news should we be expecting from you and your company in the next weeks or months ?
CFB: We have started the process of raising our first formal funding round, so obviously we expect this to be the most important announcement to come in the not too distant future!
(You can learn more about this opportunity by reaching out to khalid@nextstepstudio.co)
NextStep: How could people who are reading this interview help you with your project ? What do you need to go further from here ?
CFB: Beyond the fundraising mentioned above, we’re always looking for partners. New team members who bring complementary skills and the energy & willingness to work in a startup environment. New supplier or foodservice customers who want to join our collaborative platform to improve and grow their business in China. Or new community members and ambassadors who can spread the word about CloudFB in China.
NextStep: How did you discover NextStep ? How are we helping you at the moment ? Why did you decide to join the studio ?
CFB: CloudFB has stayed close to NextStep over the years as both organizations have a strong connection to the F&B industry in China. More recently we have partnered with NextStep to support our fundraising goals. We appreciate their energy and ambition to help startups like ourselves to succeed in this market.
Thanks CloudFB team ! As a final question, how people could reach out to you ?
The easiest would be to reach to Derek by email here derek.bushaw@cloudfb.cn
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