Freshline

Freshline operates as a developer of e-commerce and operations software tailored for the food supply chain, headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. The company's journey began in 2016 when co-founders Joseph Lee and Robert Kirstiuk, friends from university, launched Coastline Market. Lee, who had been involved in entrepreneurial ventures since he was 14, dropped out of his computer science and business degree at UBC to focus on the business. The initial venture was a B2B marketplace connecting seafood harvesters directly with restaurants, aiming to improve traceability and pricing. This marketplace, backed by investors like Techstars and Alpha Quest VC, achieved seven-figure revenues and landed the founders on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2018.

The significant pivot to the current business model occurred in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. With widespread restaurant closures, about 90% of Coastline's orders vanished almost overnight, prompting the team to repurpose their internally developed software into a new SaaS product. This led to the rebranding and launch of Freshline, an e-commerce platform designed for any food supplier, from small farmers to large wholesalers, to digitize their sales and operations. The company generates revenue through a subscription-based model for access to its platform, without taking a commission on transactions.

Freshline's platform provides suppliers with a suite of tools to manage both wholesale and retail operations. Key features include customizable online storefronts, real-time inventory management, flexible pricing with options for custom price lists, and automated pick lists. The software is specifically built for the complexities of the perishable foods industry, supporting functionalities like selling items by variable weights, managing custom delivery zones and schedules, and handling recurring orders. It also offers AI-powered assistants for text, email, and phone to manage customer inquiries and orders around the clock. By automating order intake, fulfillment, and communications, Freshline enables food distributors and wholesalers to increase sales, reduce manual work, and streamline their day-to-day operations.

Keywords: food supplier software, e-commerce platform, B2B food marketplace, wholesale food distribution, perishable logistics, food supply chain technology, online ordering system, food tech, inventory management for food, digital price lists, delivery management software, farm-to-table technology, seafood marketplace, meat distribution software, produce supplier software, SaaS for food distributors, order fulfillment software, Robert Kirstiuk, Joseph Lee, Coastline Market