Carlos Pola

Unravel Merchants

1. Our Relationship
Our connection to Unravel Merchants came by surprise. In 2017, while operating a coffee catering company in Los Angeles, we developed a relationship with Zayde Naquib--the founder of Bar Nine Coffee. In 2024, Zayde joined the team at Unravel and introduced us to Unravel's products. We were happy to continue our longstanding relationship in a new way, and look forward to working together in the future.

2. Who is Unravel Merchants?
Unravel Merchants is a specialty green-coffee company that co-produces and imports coffees—especially from Ethiopia—led by founder/CEO Steve Holt and in close collaboration with Ashenafi Argaw of Ardent Exports. The company is based in Colorado (Evergreen/Denver area) and positions itself as giving roasters “direct access to the farm” with profiles tailored to roasting preferences.
The brand made its U.S. launch in 2021, emerging with a focus on Ethiopian supply and a model that includes both direct importing and working with other importers.
Operationally, Unravel offers vacuum-sealed micro-lots (e.g., 30-kg boxes) and, as of 2025, partnered with Algrano to enable forward buying and online stock management for roasters. The company notes this lets them concentrate on production/processing while Algrano provides QA, traceability, and logistics tooling.
They don’t publicly disclose annual revenue or volume. For directional context only, their Algrano seller page shows a snapshot of platform activity (e.g., sales and roaster relationships), which fluctuates over time and should not be taken as total company throughput.
Unravel’s footprint extends beyond North America; in addition to U.S. sales they highlight relationships that supply roasters in Australia (and occasionally Asia) through their network.

3. Industry Impact
Unravel has helped popularize co-production and process-driven Ethiopian micro-lots (including experimental ferments) packaged for small and midsize roasters—lowering the barrier to buying distinctive, story-rich coffees without committing to full container contracts. Their move to vacuum-sealed, ready-to-roast micro-lots and forward-buying via Algrano tightens the link between farm and roaster, speeding sample-to-roast cycles while preserving quality.
The company’s origins in founder-led farm and processing work—combined with on-the-ground partnership through Ardent Exports—has emphasized origin transparency, profile development at source, and a “no-gaps” approach between producer and roaster. That operating philosophy has influenced how many boutique roasters think about sourcing: closer collaboration at origin, clearer processing narratives, and smaller—but higher-impact—lots on the menu.

$6.36 USD

527 lb