BuyHive, a technology startup running a global B2B sourcing platform for small and midsized buyers, is now a case study on Harvard Business Publishing platform. The startup was founded in 2019 by Pune- born Minesh Pore, along with fellow sourcing and supply chain professionals Brent Barnes and Michael Hung.
The case titled ‘BuyHive: A Digital Platform for the Transformation of Global Sourcing’ focuses on key decisions facing BuyHive that is on the cusp of disintermediating the sourcing business with a new business model. It has been authored by faculty of the Thunderbird School of Global Management, Dr. Kannan Ramaswamy and Dr. William E. Youngdahl.
Minesh Pore, CEO of BuyHive said, “As a bootstrapped startup, we are truly honored to have BuyHive’s case study by Thunderbird School of Global Management published on Harvard Business publishing platform. We are also hopeful that this case, covering key strategic choices facing BuyHive – including whether to raise capital from strategic investors or from conventional VCs – will be an important learning asset for management students and teachers from around the world.”
BuyHive provides buyers, including small and midsized retailers or D2C brand owners, with a trustworthy and high-quality sourcing experience through its platform. It connects the buyers with freelance sourcing experts based in the world’s leading sourcing markets who know the best suppliers from their own professional work experience.
“With BuyHive’s Expert Sourcing solution, we are looking to democratize global sourcing, by leveraging experts, and bring it within the reach of smaller retailers as well as D2C brands worldwide. We have already built the world’s largest network of sourcing experts and are now looking for the right strategic investors to fuel the next stage of our growth,” Minesh added.
The sustained growth of D2C brands and 3rd party e-commerce platforms in recent years has opened a significant market opportunity for platforms like BuyHive. The majority of D2C brands and e-commerce sellers do not have global sourcing expertise and are frequently unable to afford full-time sourcing experts to find and qualify suppliers in markets such as Greater China, India, Bangladesh, and Southeast Asia.
BuyHive’s platform offers buyers worldwide access to more than 5,000 independent and local sourcing experts specializing in all major consumer product categories, including Fashion, Textiles & Fabrics, Home, Kitchen & Office Décor, Garden & Outdoor, Electronics, Travel, DIY, and Toys.
