Hong Kong-based startup and B2B tech- enabled global sourcing platform BuyHive (https://thebuyhive.com) today announced its first Advisory Board comprising three senior global supply chain experts from Walmart, Gap, Tesco, Carrefour and Flextronics.
The Advisory Board will support BuyHive’s leadership team by providing input on the company’s
business strategy, product roadmap, and fundraising, in support of BuyHive’s efforts to scale the
business.
Minesh Pore, CEO and Co-Founder of BuyHive said, “We at BuyHive have an ambitious
strategy to fundamentally change how small and mid-sized buyers around the world procure
goods from international markets, by democratizing the process via expert-assisted sourcing to
bring it within easy reach of global buyers. Our vision for BuyHive is to become the world’s most
trusted, transparent and reliable sourcing platform for global retail buyers that are small and
medium in size. The newly formed BuyHive Advisory Board has members with impeccable
credentials and strong expertise in the global supply chain industry, and we look forward to their
guidance and support to help us realize our vision.”
The inaugural BuyHive Advisory Board includes Zixiao Pan – Chief Revenue Officer at PCH
International; Jimmy Ku – Head of Growth at Flutterwave and Venture Partner at 10X Capital;
and Christophe Roussel – leading global sourcing and supply chain expert and an industry
veteran.
In addition to her role at PCH International, Zixiao is also a Venture Advisor to Mu Ventures and
Anthropocene Ventures, where she tracks cutting-edge supply chain technologies transforming
global commerce, including infrastructure, robotics, automation, and software & data. She has
earlier held senior level roles in corporate strategy, product innovation, and strategic
investments at various organizations in the US and China.
“Global sourcing and procurement has dramatically changed in the post-pandemic age and
BuyHive is navigating this transition admirably, by leveraging technology to make sourcing
painless for small and mid-sized buyers around the world. Filling the trust gap and addressing
the needs of global buyers wanting to source high-quality products while minimizing risk is an
important value addition that their platform brings,” Zixiao said.
As Venture Partner at 10X Capital, the most active VC in the US, Jimmy assists the portfolio
companies with discussions around growth and fundraising. He is also a prolific angel investor
and an advisor to several startups and established companies. As Flutterwave’s Head of
Growth for developed markets, he is building teams to grow the business in North America and
Europe. Flutterwave is Africa’s largest payments infrastructure company by reach that serves
over 900,000 businesses globally.
“The importance of ecommerce has grown during the pandemic. But the underlying
technological solutions powering the sourcing industry hasn’t changed much. BuyHive is the
sourcing solution for the 21st century and I’m honored to be joining the BuyHive team as an
Advisor because they are addressing an important sourcing issue, have a seasoned team of
experts that has built a product with product-market fit, and have a $4.9 trillion market
opportunity ahead. In just over two years, BuyHive has already built the world’s largest network
of sourcing experts (over 5000) with experience from top global brands and have contributed to
the data and insights that make BuyHive the most trusted, effortless sourcing platform for
supplier and product data anywhere,” Jimmy said.
Christophe is a leading global sourcing and supply chain expert who has led the sourcing
functions for several global retail giants, including GAP, Tesco and Carrefour. He has more than
25 years of experience in building, shaping, and transforming international sourcing, supply
chains and product development.
“I am happy to join BuyHive’s Advisory Board and work with the team to spearhead a revolution
in global sourcing. The leadership team at BuyHive has a finger on the pulse of the global buyer
community and I am confident that their platform is poised to transform sourcing and
procurement for small and mid-sized companies around the world,” Christophe said.
BuyHive provides buyers, including small and mid-sized retailers or D2C brand owners, with a
trustworthy and high-quality sourcing experience through its platform. It connects buyers with
freelance sourcing experts in the world’s leading sourcing markets who know the best suppliers
from their professional work experience.
BuyHive’s platform offers buyers worldwide access to more than 5,000 independent and local
sourcing experts. They specialize in all major consumer product categories, including Fashion,
Textiles & Fabrics, Home, Kitchen & Office Décor, Garden & Outdoor, Electronics, Travel, DIY,
and Toys.
