Trocafone operates a platform for buying, refurbishing and reselling used smartphones and tablets, performing rigorous hardware and software quality checks before listing devices for sale. The company also offers device insurance against accidental damage, theft and loss, and supports leasing programs that allow consumers to pay in installments and return or buy out devices at contract end. With plans to expand its service offering in Brazil, Trocafone is preparing a new express repair service to fix smartphones and tablets in a few hours. The startup employs about 400 people and says it will increase headcount by 50% with the new capital. Trocafone has sold more than 1.4 million devices, saw sales double during the pandemic year versus the prior year, and expects an 80% increase in device sales by year-end. It sells refurbished phones at discounts of roughly 35–40% and distributes through its site and retail partners including Casas Bahia, Americanas.com, Ponto Frio, Magalu, Samsung, Fast Shop and Vivo. Trocafone is an online marketplace focused on buying, refurbishing, and reselling used consumer electronics, primarily smartphones. The company accepts devices from consumers, repairs them, and retails them at roughly 50–60% of market price. It currently operates in Brazil and Argentina and counts more than 1 million buyers and sellers on its platform. In its three-year history it has signed six deals with phone makers and telecommunications companies to power trade-in programs. With recent funding, Trocafone is targeting expansion into Russia and additional countries that lack carrier subsidies or loan programs. The company has now raised nearly $40 million in total funding. Trocafone operates a certified refurbished smartphone marketplace that buys back, refurbishes and resells used phones across Latin America. The company partners with major brands, manages buyback programs and sells directly to consumers through its web portal. Certification and GSMA IMEI checks are central to its model, helping prevent the resale of blacklisted or stolen devices. Trocafone launched a trade-in program with Samsung two years prior and claims to be the largest reseller of certified used phones in Brazil. It is currently selling about $3 million worth of phones per month and expects to reach a $70 million annualized run rate by November. The company began operating in Argentina in March 2016 and says it will use new funding to continue international expansion across Latin American and other markets. Trocafone acquires used mobile phones, refurbishes them, and resells them with the same features as a new device for about 40% of the new-device price. The startup raised $1.1M in a funding round that included Quasar Ventures, the incubator Wayra and NXTP Labs. Proceeds from the round are intended to support regional development, with an initial launch in Brazil followed by expansion into Argentina and the rest of Latin America. The company positions its service as a lower-friction, lower-risk way to buy and sell phones. The article frames this against a growing market, citing projections of 225 million mobiles in the U.S. and 241 million in Latin America by 2017 and noting that phone prices in Latin America can be up to five times those in the U.S. The funding round was announced on November 17, 2014.

Total raised

$29M

Funding rounds

4

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

Dec 2020