Business

Empowering Small Producers: How Delivered Cold Promotes Direct-to-Consumer Sales

Published

1 year ago

December 22, 2023

Over the years, but especially since working from home has become more of the norm, home delivery of food products has experienced a rapid rise in popularity. The frozen food market has seen considerable growth and is set to reach $432.55 billion by 2030 — a significant portion of which is the home delivery market.

Busy lifestyles and a desire for a wider variety of food have led people to seek the services of several home-delivery options that can deliver everything from meat to vegetables right to their door. However, the traditional direct-to-consumer frozen food market has one major downside: most are limited to one supplier per box.

Ruben Cortez, the entrepreneur behind Frozen Logistics, saw an opportunity to expand the frozen food delivery business and solve a number of pain points in the direct-to-consumer space. Cortez brings his years of experience in the entrepreneurial, technology, investment, and real estate spaces to change the traditional direct-to-consumer frozen food delivery space.

Cortez has recently unveiled Delivered Cold, a revolutionary new direct-to-consumer option that allows shoppers to add products from multiple different sellers in the same box, solving what he sees as an obvious issue with the traditional market. “We’re giving customers more options to fill their box with a variety of items they may not find elsewhere with this option,” he says, “making it easier to check out new products without a large cost commitment.”

Different from the competition

Many competing home delivery food companies often only cater to one type of consumer, whether by offering vegan options, ready-to-serve meals, or specialty products. On the other hand, Delivered Cold’s approach to home delivery, is far more streamlined.

“We are setting out to shake up an industry in need of disruption,” says Cortez. The way Delivered Cold operates is simply not possible in other marketplaces because, more often than not, sellers are left to fulfill their own product orders directly. “If a consumer buys three different items from three different sellers, the consumer will get three different boxes,” Cortez explains.

Delivered Cold focuses on empowering the small producer by eliminating the complex self-fulfillment requirement. Because Frozen Logistics operates its own cold storage facility where various products are stored, consumers can order directly from the Delivered Cold freezer, freeing up the producers to do what they do best: produce food products.

“Consumers can shop our freezers directly and access products from all of the incredible farmers, ranchers, and other producers we work with,” says Cortez.

Since the Delivered Cold approach cuts out the middleman, costly and complicated food distribution networks are simplified. By reducing touchpoints in the supply chain, consumers can count on less spoiled food and sellers have another avenue to get their products to consumers.

The sustainability factor

According to recent studies, sustainability is one of the most important factors when consumers choose a company, whether buying food or other products. In recent years, the focus on climate change has influenced every market globally, and it behooves a company to make sustainable practices a cornerstone of their service platforms.

Delivered Cold is built around a sustainability model that compresses the cold delivery supply chain required to get products from the freezer to the consumer. Their approach leads to reduced transportation costs, reduced facility requirements, and reduced material waste.

According to Cortez, Delivered Cold is dedicated to using recyclable and recycled materials throughout the shipping process. It remains cognizant of the impact of its less-than-recyclable materials that are required to get frozen products to the customer. “We plant a tree for every box we ship,” he says. “This helps offset the negative impact of materials that are not entirely sustainable but are necessary for the process.”

Additionally, the company has approached the issue of excess space in packaging that can lead to product thawing, which can cause products to arrive to the consumer in less-than-pristine condition. Traditionally, companies would fill these empty spaces with plastic or paper. Delivered Cold’s approach is decidedly technology-informed.

“Our sophisticated algorithm tracks the available space in each box as consumers shop,” Cortez explains. “We then offer appropriate products to the consumer at competitive and affordable prices, letting us fill each box with as much product as possible.” By maximizing the product-to-packaging ratio, overall waste is reduced.

Moreover, Cortez and his team also produce their own dry ice, further separating the company apart from the competition. The dry ice production process is very energy-intensive, but producing dry ice in the same facility where boxes are packaged with products means they reduce wasted dry ice which, in turn, means less energy goes into each box. By producing dry ice in-house, Delivered Cold is furthering its pledge to sustainable practices.

Growing in 2024

Delivered Cold has soft-launched as of November and will be beginning the next year with over 30 sellers. The company also hopes to host over 100 sellers by the end of 2024 — shipping over 10,000 boxes of a variety of products to consumers by December.

By merging technology, innovations, and a dedicated focus on sustainability, Delivered Cold gives customers what they want and makes shopping for a variety of products easy and accessible.

Business

How Black Banx Has Sped Digital Payments Into Its Global Phase

Published

2 days ago

March 13, 2025

Matthew Wiles

The payments industry has grown substantially in the last decade, with digital transactions now practically a given in most parts of the world. A key contributor to this globalization of payments has been Black Banx, a Toronto-based global digital bank founded by German billionaire Michael Gastauer.

Through innovative fintech solutions, a commitment to financial inclusion, and strategic investments in blockchain and artificial intelligence, the company continues to make transactions quicker and easier no matter where the sender or receiver is in the world.

The Cross-Border Payment Boom

Global transactions have never been more essential to the world economy. From businesses engaging in international trade to individuals sending remittances back home, the demand for fast and cost-effective cross-border payments has skyrocketed. In fact, FXCintelligence projects that the cross-border payments market will hit an astonishing US$290 trillion by 2030, driven by the rise of e-commerce and digital trade.

Historically, moving money across borders wasn’t simple. Traditional banking relied on a complex web of intermediaries, leading to slow processing times, high fees, and inefficiencies. But fintech has changed the game. Companies like Black Banx have introduced digital-first solutions that eliminate unnecessary middlemen, enabling instant, affordable transactions.

Black Banx’s Rapid Growth: A Testament to Demand

Black Banx has experienced explosive growth, reflecting the increasing demand for seamless global payments. By the end of 2024, the company’s customer base had expanded to 69 million users across 180+ countries—a staggering 76% growth from 39 million in 2023.

This growth wasn’t accidental. Black Banx’s success stems from its ability to offer frictionless cross-border banking, catering to individuals and businesses worldwide. It’s offerings include:

Instant Multi-Currency Accounts – Customers can open accounts online within minutes, eliminating the need for physical bank visits.
Cryptocurrency Integration – Black Banx has accepted Bitcoin and Ethereum since 2016 and expanded its crypto services in 2024 by integrating Solana and the Lightning Network, allowing for ultra-fast, low-cost cross-border transfers.
Zero-Intermediary Transfers – By leveraging blockchain technology, the company bypasses traditional banking infrastructure, significantly reducing fees and processing times.

AI-Powered Payments: Enhancing Speed and Security

If there’s one technology that has reshaped digital payments in 2024, it’s artificial intelligence. AI is now at the heart of fraud detection, customer service, and transaction optimization, making global payments more secure and efficient.

Black Banx has fully embraced AI, using predictive analytics and automated systems to streamline operations. AI-driven chatbots handle customer inquiries, reducing response times and improving service efficiency. Meanwhile, real-time fraud detection algorithms flag suspicious transactions, preventing financial losses and building customer trust.

The results? Black Banx achieved a cost/income ratio of just 68% in 2024—one of the best in the industry—demonstrating how AI-powered automation can drive profitability while maintaining top-tier service.

Financial Inclusion: Breaking Down Barriers

Despite living in a digital age, over 1.4 billion people worldwide remain unbanked, according to the World Bank. Traditional banks have long failed to serve these individuals due to bureaucratic hurdles, geographic limitations, and high fees. Black Banx has made financial inclusion one of its core missions, particularly in underbanked regions like Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia-Pacific.

In 2024, the company’s impact on financial inclusion was profound:

32% year-over-year increase in SME clients in Africa and the Middle East – Black Banx empowered businesses in these regions with seamless digital banking services, reducing reliance on inefficient traditional banking channels.
Instant digital accounts with minimal documentation – Unlike traditional banks, which require extensive paperwork, Black Banx allows users to open accounts quickly, enabling greater access to financial services.
Affordable cross-border transactions – By eliminating intermediaries, the company ensures that even those in remote regions can send and receive payments without excessive fees.

The Future of Cross-Border Payments: Crypto and Blockchain

Cryptocurrency is no longer a niche asset—it’s gradually become a key cog in the global payments machine. Recognizing this early on, Black Banx became one of the first digital banks to integrate Bitcoin and Ethereum into its platform back in 2016.

In 2024, the company doubled down on its crypto-first strategy, incorporating Solana and the Lightning Network. These technologies allow users to complete cross-border transactions in seconds while avoiding the high fees and delays associated with traditional banking infrastructure.

Black Banx is also exploring crypto-based lending services, a move that could disrupt traditional financial models even further. If successful, decentralized finance (DeFi) solutions could provide businesses and individuals with access to capital without the constraints of conventional banking regulations.

A Year of Record-Breaking Financial Success

While many tech companies faced financial turbulence in 2024, Black Banx defied expectations, posting record-breaking numbers:

Annual revenue: US$11.1 billion (exceeding the forecasted US$10.8 billion)
Pre-tax profit: US$3.6 billion (far surpassing the original US$2.4 billion projection)
Customer base: 69 million users worldwide
Cost/income ratio: 68% – demonstrating operational efficiency
Capital distributions: US$2.90 per share

Black Banx’s financial success highlights the immense demand for efficient digital banking services, proving that fintech is not just a disruptor but the future of global finance.

What’s Next for Black Banx in 2025?

Given its past success, Black Banx is setting ambitious goals to build on its 2024 momentum. The company aims to:

Expand its customer base to 100 million users – By reaching more individuals in emerging markets, Black Banx hopes to further its mission of financial inclusion.
Strengthen its presence in digital asset banking – With growing demand for cryptocurrency-based financial services, the company will continue integrating blockchain solutions.
Enhance global payments infrastructure – By entering new markets and refining its AI-driven systems, Black Banx plans to make transactions even faster and more accessible.
Lower its cost/income ratio – Through further automation and AI optimization, the company aims to improve operational efficiency.

By embracing AI, blockchain, and a relentless commitment to financial inclusion, Black Banx has clearly been key in accelerating the transition of the world to a truly global payments system.