Ancestral Organics - Chamber of Commerce of Armenia and Quindío (CCAQ)

Investing in Impact

P4G awarded the partnership with about US $350,000 in grant funding. 

Ancestral Organics is a Colombian startup working with dozens of smallholder farmers to produce organic superfood products using regenerative practices in regions like Quindío where conventional monoculture practices and heavy chemical use have led to about 70% of the soil being degraded or in the process of degradation. 

Key achievements during the P4G funding period between 2024 to 2026: 

• 10 producers achieved organic certification for a diverse portfolio of products
• Expansion of operations to Cali confirming product market fit beyond Bogotá 
• Establishment of two functional biofactories for local production of biofertilizers and other inputs 

Ancestral Organics paid farmers between 50% to 200% more than the market rate and converted their crops into higher value-added products such as Sacha Inchi protein powder, specialty coffee and goldenberries with dark chocolate. The startup also trained farmers on agroforestry methods such as chemical-free production and crop rotation to ensure healthier crops that could deliver higher incomes to farmers. The startup’s integrated value chain from crop cultivation to direct consumer marketing enabled it to control the entire process and ensure product quality and traceability. Shortening the supply chain also allowed it to offer significantly higher prices to farmers for their products. 

During the P4G grant period, Ancestral Organics made significant progress on commercialization and investment readiness. This included guiding producers through the rigorous readiness process to achieve organic certification. As a result of this support, 10 producers, covering 77 hectares received organic certification. This sparked commercial conversations with North American importers and diversified the startup’s portfolio. 

Other activities included market expansion beyond Bogotá, removing operational bottlenecks in Miami, and planning a launch in New York. Ancestral Organics also strengthened its governance framework and built the financial, legal and strategic infrastructure needed to attract investors. These deep dives allowed the startup to refine its financial model, gain better understanding of its unit economics and preferred financing structures. The company also finalized its ESG strategy during this time and designed a robust Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system based on international standards. 

As part of building the capacity of smallholders and strengthening its supply chain, the startup established two demonstration plots and two biofactories. 

The startup also focused on boosting brand visibility and positioning on social media through engaging reels and videos on ingredients, regenerative agriculture and recipes. It continued to amplify these marketing efforts through targeted campaigns in the United States and Colombia, eventually moving from brand awareness to actual customer conversions. Through participation in premier global food events such as the Fancy Food Show in New York and Expo West in California, the startup secured more than 150 high quality leads from independent retailers in the United States. A targeted commercial mission to Cali saw the company’s first entry into large-format through Supermercados Cañaveral, who became the startup’s best client in Colombia. 

Ancestral also optimized its presence on Amazon and Shopify to generate steady growth. Additional drivers of its go-to-market strategy have included partnerships with B2B platforms such as Colombian Boosters and Faire. Beyond sales, these partnerships gave Ancestral Organics firsthand insights on customers’ preferences, packaging impact and the behaviors of different retail environments. These experiences gave Ancestral Organics more confidence to replicate its distribution model in the Northeastern U.S. and California, two key growth markets for the company. 

Through the P4G National Platform in Colombia, the startup gained valuable connections with financial and regulatory stakeholders including those like OlarteMoure who gave Ancestral Organics more insights into intellectual property and trademark strategies. Engagements with ANDI shed light on investor preferences and available resources and learning for startups. During this time, Ancestral Organics also successfully received a $25,000 grant from IDH to improve its impact measurement systems to make them more efficient and scalable. 

FLII 2026 was Ancestral Organics’ most productive investor opportunity since it brought the startup in front of prospective investors and partners including Rockefeller Foundation, Whole Foods Foundation, Mercy Corps and others. 

Key lessons learned:

• Don’t force a capital raise before maturity: By taking the time to build stronger infrastructure and systems, Ancestral Organics was able to show up as a stronger proposition for investors demonstrating real traction, impact and commercial viability.
• Segmentation helped prioritize the most prospective producers for organic certification: By identifying the different levels of investor readiness, Ancestral was able to focus on the producers who could pass the rigorous process while building the pipeline for the next round.
• Investor prioritization is essential to closing the deal: As inbound interest in the startup grew, Ancestral focused on investors who were the most strategic fit while pausing conversations that were advancing slowly or those with less obvious impact. 

Knowledge product produced during the grant period: 

• Making Regeneration More Profitable Than Degradation: A case study charting the startup's investment readiness journey

The partnership comprised the following partners: Ancestral Organics (lead business partner); Chamber of Commerce of Armenia and Quindío (CCAQ) (lead administrative partner).