Company Name: Aquantuo
Location: Dover, Delaware
Year Founded: 2016
Website: www.aquantuo.com
Aquantuo, an international logistics company based in Dover, Delaware, has been named the CO—100 Top Honoree in the Global Stars category for 2024.
Aquantuo provides an essential service for individuals and businesses in Africa, enabling them to easily purchase goods from U.S.-based companies and other international markets that traditionally do not ship to the continent. Through its robust logistics network, Aquantuo handles everything from international shipping to customs clearance and last-mile delivery for thousands of customers.
Breaking barriers in global commerce
Aquantuo’s unique value proposition stems from a significant challenge: Many U.S.-based retailers, such as Walmart, Amazon, and Target, either do not ship to Africa or only offer limited shipping options.
“This is primarily because international shipping, customs clearance, and last-mile delivery are difficult to navigate for those not familiar with diverse markets, and [it] typically involves at least six different parties to accomplish all three,” explained Clement Owusu-Donkor, Founder of Aquantuo.
To address this critical gap in the market, Owusu-Donkor created Aquantuo, which provides a single platform for shopping and delivery. Through Aquantuo’s service, customers receive a U.S. warehouse address and can shop from any online store, with Aquantuo taking care of the rest.
Since its inception in 2016, Aquantuo has expanded its shipping options from the U.S., Canada, China, and the U.K. to eight African countries, including Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, and Nigeria. The company's next goal is to penetrate further into the African market, with a long-term vision of expanding into at least half of the continent’s 54 nations.
“This is not just a need for one country in Africa; it’s a need for all African countries,” Owusu-Donkor explained. “We see enormous opportunities for growth, particularly in regions where our services can make a real difference in people's lives by facilitating international trade.”
We see enormous opportunities for growth, particularly in regions where our services can make a real difference in people's lives by facilitating international trade.
Clement Owusu-Donkor, Founder, Aquantuo
Innovating through concierge services and seamless currency solutions
According to Owusu-Donkor, listening to customer feedback has helped Aquantuo identify new service opportunities — including a concierge service that has transformed its business model.
This concierge service allows businesses outside the U.S. to source and purchase goods from U.S.-based retailers, with Aquantuo handling both the procurement and international shipping. This innovation has created dual revenue streams for the company, generating income from both the sourcing service and the logistics involved in getting the products to Africa.
What sets this service apart is its flexibility with currency transactions.
“It allows the client to pay for the product they are looking to source in any of the eight local currencies for the eight countries we are in in Africa, while we transact for them in U.S. dollars,” Owusu-Donkor explained. “This is a complex transaction involving multiple foreign exchange transactions that we navigate seamlessly and carefully to ensure we do not incur any … losses.”
Overcoming challenges with strategic innovation
Aquantuo's growth has not come without challenges. One significant hurdle was managing operations in China, where the company initially relied on third-party logistics providers. However, after facing issues with communication and shipping timelines, the company made a strategic decision to cut out the middlemen and open its own warehouse in China.
"This has given us over 90% control of our China operations,” Owusu-Donkor said. “We have full visibility into our China operations, are providing better communication to our clients, have improved the transit time for goods, and [we] are saving on costs as well.”
Another key to Aquantuo’s success has been its ability to adapt marketing strategies to a global audience. The company employs a blend of digital marketing tactics, including social media ads on platforms like Instagram and Facebook, to target customers around the world.
This multi-channel approach, combined with frequent blog posts and email campaigns, has allowed Aquantuo to attract new customers while retaining existing ones through personalized marketing efforts. These efforts have proven effective, helping Aquantuo maintain a global customer base, more than 75% of which is international.
Aquantuo’s forward-thinking approach and commitment to providing seamless global commerce solutions have solidified its position as a leader in the cross-border logistics space. As it continues to expand, the company’s influence on global trade will undoubtedly grow in the years to come.
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Spotlight On
Aquantuo
Aquantuo provides a seamless solution for individuals and businesses in Africa to shop from any international store and have their orders delivered directly to them, simplifying the complexities of international shipping, customs clearance, and last-mile delivery. By offering a single platform that manages the entire process, including third-party logistics services, Aquantuo opens up international markets to U.S.-based businesses while ensuring transparent and reliable delivery to customers across Africa.