Case Study
How Acáo financed 10 weeks of production without raising new capital
Three founders. One organic energy drink. And ten weeks of upfront production costs before a single bottle is sold. Acáo GmbH faced a decision every product business knows: raise capital and dilute equity, or find a smarter way to fund growth. Read how Acáo scaled production without bringing in a single new investor.
When growth outpaces cash flow
Acáo started the way many strong ideas do: from a personal need. Founders Florens Knorr, Michael Noven, and Christopher Reimann wanted an energy drink that delivered real performance without compromising on health. What began as a university-era idea went on to become a certified organic and vegan beverage brand, now stocked in bars, supermarkets, and pharmacies across Germany.
Demand grew quickly. But like many product businesses, Acáo faced a familiar challenge: production had to be financed long before revenue came in.
Ten weeks before revenue
Producing drinks is both capital-intensive and time-consuming. Each production run takes around eight weeks, plus a two-week buffer for unexpected delays. In practice, that means ten weeks of cash tied up before a single bottle generates revenue.
For a growing company, that kind of gap creates pressure fast. Traditional bank loans often require collateral that early-stage businesses do not have. Funding rounds take time, shift focus, and dilute ownership. “The liquidity gap in our industry is one of the toughest challenges when you’re trying to grow.”
A smarter way to finance production
To bridge the gap between supplier payments and incoming revenue, Acáo uses quickpaid to finance supplier invoices. The process is straightforward: invoices are uploaded to the portal, suppliers are paid upfront, and Acáo gets up to 120 days to repay, enough time for the goods to be produced, delivered, and start generating revenue.
That gave the company a more flexible way to finance production without collateral, unnecessary complexity, or pressure to raise external capital. Combined with factoring on the receivables side, it also helped Acáo build a financing setup that supports growth while preserving independence. “Thanks to A.B.S. Global Factoring and quickpaid, we’ve reduced our capital needs enough to handle the rest ourselves.”
A partner that keeps up
For many founders, financing is something they learn along the way. Bank loans and funding rounds are often the most familiar options, but not always the best fit for a fast-moving product business.
For Acáo, the deciding factor was not just the model itself, but the speed behind it. In a growing company, a fast decision can make the difference between moving forward with an order and missing the opportunity. What they needed was not more process, but a partner that could understand the business and move with it.
“We found a partner that builds solutions with us. In a startup, a fast decision can be the difference between taking an order and missing it.”
– Florens Knorr, CEO of acáo GmbH
What’s next
Acáo continues to grow with sustainability at its core, from organic recipes and vegan ingredients to bottles made from 100% recycled plastic. With a financing setup that better matches the rhythm of production and sales, the founders can focus their energy where it matters most: the next product, the next market, and the next stage of growth.
“With the right financing setup in place, we can focus on building the business not just funding it.”
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