What is V-Hub?
V-Hub is a B2B specialty coffee marketplace that connects coffee sellers (producers, exporters, traders) with buyers (roasters, importers) worldwide.
What You Can Do
If You Are a Buyer
- Browse available specialty green coffee listings from sellers around the world
- Filter by origin, variety, processing method, certification, score, price, and more
- View detailed lot information including cupping scores, flavour notes, and provenance
- Order samples before committing to a full purchase
- Place orders for bulk coffee directly through the platform
- Save coffees you're interested in with your Wishlist
- Set up Search Agents to get notified when new listings match your criteria
- Follow shops to stay updated on new offerings from your favourite sellers
- Rate listings after purchase with a 1-5 star rating system
- Communicate with sellers through the messaging system
If You Are a Seller
- Create shops (storefronts) for your coffee offerings
- List coffee with detailed attributes: origin, variety, processing, certifications, lot size, pricing
- Manage origins -- track where your coffees come from
- Manage producers -- link farms, cooperatives, and mills to your listings
- Bulk import listings via Excel/CSV
- Manage sales orders through the order lifecycle
- View analytics on your shop performance
- Adjust pricing automatically based on coffee futures data
For Everyone
- Cupping evaluations -- scan QR codes on samples to submit cupping ratings
- Messaging -- communicate with other companies
- Notifications -- email and in-app notifications for orders, messages, and alerts
- AI Assistant -- get help navigating the platform
- Marketplace news -- read industry news and updates
- Market map -- explore sellers and warehouses on an interactive map
Key Concepts
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Shop | A seller's storefront on the marketplace. A company can have multiple shops |
| Listing | A coffee lot available for sale, with details like origin, variety, score, price |
| Origin | A geographical source of coffee (country, region). Sellers manage these to reuse across listings |
| Producer | A farm, cooperative, or mill that grows or processes the coffee |
| Warehouse | A physical storage location where coffee is held |
| Search Agent | A saved search that runs on a schedule and notifies you of matching new listings |
| Cupping | Coffee quality evaluation. Samples have QR codes that link to evaluation forms |
| Futures | Real-time coffee futures pricing data (Databento) that can auto-adjust listing prices |
Platform Architecture
V-Hub uses a Backend-for-Frontend (BFF) pattern:
- Frontend: Next.js 14 (public pages, dashboard, admin panel)
- Backend: NestJS 11 API (business logic, data access, integrations)
- Database: MariaDB with Prisma ORM
- Cache: Redis for sessions and performance
- Payments: Stripe Checkout
- Email: Mandrill (transactional emails)
- File Storage: AWS S3 + NFS volumes