Wholex

Wholex identified a critical opportunity to serve Peru's microenterprise sector—businesses that contribute 30% to the national economy yet lack access to modern commerce tools. These entrepreneurs face high competition, struggle to find reliable suppliers, deal with inventory challenges during peak seasons, and have no secure way to receive payments. MeetLabs delivered end-to-end: product strategy, brand identity, UI/UX design, and mobile platform development, creating a marketplace microservice within Wanya that connects buyers and sellers with protected transactions, in-app chat negotiation, and business metrics that help entrepreneurs grow.

Wholex needed to digitize the chaotic world of informal B2B commerce in Peru. Microentrepreneurs bodega owners, market vendors, small workshop operators typically source products through word of mouth, physical market visits, and cash transactions with no protection or records. High competition makes finding new clients difficult. Inventory rotation during peak seasons creates cash flow pressure. Payment fraud and disputes are common with no recourse. The platform required deep integration with the Wanya wallet for protected payments, an interface simple enough for merchants with limited digital experience, and trust mechanisms (verification, ratings, sales history) that give both buyers and sellers confidence in the platform. The marketplace needed to support both products and services, with location-based discovery and in-app chat for negotiation.

Strategic Consulting

Objective: Define a marketplace model optimized for Peru's microenterprise ecosystem. We mapped the buying and selling journeys of microentrepreneurs, identifying pain points in supplier discovery, price negotiation, payment security, and delivery confirmation. We defined the core value proposition around three pillars: trusted connections between buyers and sellers, tools that simplify everything in one place, and protected payments that eliminate fraud risk.

Market Research and Business Strategy

Objective: Validate market opportunity and define competitive positioning. We analyzed Peru's microenterprise sector over 2 million businesses representing the backbone of the economy. Research confirmed that existing marketplaces (MercadoLibre, OLX) focus on consumer commerce rather than B2B wholesale needs. Microentrepreneurs want fair prices, fast delivery, and payment protection none of which informal channels provide. We positioned Wholex as the trusted community for entrepreneurs, differentiated by protected payments through Wanya, absolute simplicity, and cloud-powered speed.

Brand Identity & Visual Strategy

Objective: Build an energetic, trustworthy brand that resonates with Peruvian entrepreneurs. The Wholex identity captures entrepreneurial energy and optimism. Vibrant lime green signals growth, opportunity, and action—matching the "¡Ya!" (Now!) urgency in the name. The visual system uses playful circular shapes and photography of real Peruvian merchants to build immediate relatability. The brand integrates seamlessly with the Wanya parent ecosystem while establishing its own personality. Typography is bold and confident, readable on mobile screens, with a friendly tone that feels accessible rather than corporate.

UI/UX Design

Objective: Create a marketplace experience simple enough for first-time digital users yet powerful enough for serious business. We designed separate but connected flows for buyers and sellers. Buyers browse by category (Polo, Short, Vestidos, Zapatillas) or search, view listings with price, stock, shipping time, and seller ratings, then chat to negotiate and complete purchase. Sellers register products with photos, variants (color, size), pricing, and stock levels, then respond to inquiries and track orders. The escrow-style protected payment flow holds funds until delivery confirmation, building trust on both sides. Seller profiles display verification status, sales count, and satisfaction ratings. A bottom navigation bar (Inicio, Vender, Órdenes, Chats) keeps core actions accessible throughout.

AI-Powered Automation and Prototyping

Objective: Surface relevant products and provide business intelligence for sellers. We prototyped recommendation algorithms that match buyers with relevant suppliers based on location, purchase history, and category preferences. Seller dashboards include metrics on views, conversion rates, and customer satisfaction to help merchants optimize their listings. Future iterations will include demand forecasting to help sellers stock appropriately for peak seasons and AI-powered pricing suggestions based on market conditions.

Mobile App Development

Objective: Deliver a lightweight marketplace experience integrated within the Wanya ecosystem. We built Wholex as a microservice within the Wanya mobile application, accessible directly from the wallet interface. The marketplace features product/service browsing with category filters and search, detailed product pages with variant selection (color, size, quantity), integrated chat for buyer-seller communication, protected payment flows using Wanya wallet balances, order tracking with delivery confirmation, and seller dashboards with sales metrics. The app is optimized for mid-range Android devices common in the target market, with efficient image loading and offline-tolerant architecture.

Database Architecture & Cloud Deployment

Objective: Support marketplace operations with fast, reliable infrastructure. We architected for e-commerce scale: product catalogs with variant management, real-time inventory tracking, order state machines, and transaction audit trails. The cloud infrastructure handles image storage and optimization for product photos, search indexing for fast product discovery, and real-time messaging for buyer-seller chat. Geographic distribution ensures fast response times across Peru.

Backend Development & Integration Systems

Objective: Enable secure transactions and seamless Wanya wallet integration. We implemented deep integration with the Wanya wallet for protected payments funds are held in escrow until the buyer confirms delivery, then released to the seller. User verification leverages Wanya's existing KYC (email, SMS, identity document) to establish trust. The dispute resolution system handles claims from both buyers and sellers. Order APIs support the complete lifecycle from creation through delivery confirmation and feedback. Seller verification badges (Email ✓, SMS ✓, KYC ✓) display prominently to build buyer confidence.

MeetLabs built Wholex as a B2B marketplace microservice that brings digital commerce to Peru's informal economy. The platform connects buyers and sellers with trusted profiles, enables negotiation through integrated chat, protects both parties with escrow-style payments through Wanya, and provides sellers with metrics to grow their businesses. Integrated within the Wanya ecosystem, Wholex leverages existing wallet infrastructure, user verification, and payment rails to deliver a complete commerce experience. The result is a platform where microentrepreneurs can find suppliers, source inventory, make sales, and receive payments all with the protection and simplicity they've never had access to before.

1. Branding

Wholex's brand identity captures the energy and optimism of Peruvian entrepreneurship. Vibrant lime green dominates the palette, signaling growth, opportunity, and the urgency implied by "¡Ya!" (Now!). The visual system uses bold circular shapes that feel dynamic and approachable, contrasting with the dark green of the Wanya parent brand for clear hierarchy. Photography features real Peruvian merchants market vendors in Gamarra, bodega owners, small workshop operators building immediate connection with the target audience. The wordmark is confident and readable, with the exclamation point adding personality and energy. The brand system scales from app interfaces to social media content to physical event activations, maintaining the empowering, community-focused tone throughout.

2. Mobile App

Wholex lives within the Wanya mobile application as an integrated marketplace microservice. Buyers access the marketplace from their Wanya wallet home screen, browsing products and services by category with location based results. Product listings show price in Soles, available stock, shipping timeframe, and seller credentials (verification status, sales count, satisfaction percentage). Detailed product views enable variant selection (color, size) and quantity specification before purchase. The integrated chat connects buyers directly with sellers for negotiation and questions. Protected payments hold funds until delivery confirmation, at which point the buyer releases payment and can leave feedback. Sellers access their dashboard to register products with photos, descriptions, variants, and pricing. The order management view tracks all transactions from inquiry through completion. Seller profiles display verification badges, sales history, income totals, and satisfaction ratings building the reputation that drives future sales. Metrics help sellers understand which products perform best and where to focus their efforts. The bottom navigation (Inicio, Vender, Ordenes, Chats) provides consistent access to core functions throughout the experience.

3. Strategic Consulting

An in-depth analysis of Peru's microenterprise ecosystem, informal commerce patterns, and digital adoption barriers was conducted to define Wholex's positioning and roadmap. We identified the three-phase growth strategy: Phase 1 (2025) establishes the marketplace for products and services with the entrepreneur community foundation; Phase 2 (2026) adds business finance management tools; Phase 3 (2027) introduces microcredit for entrepreneurs. The go-to-market strategy focuses on community-building through influencer marketing with local entrepreneurs, events and activations at key commercial centers like Gamarra, and viral content featuring real success stories. Revenue model includes transaction commissions, premium memberships, workshops and courses, and promoted positioning within the platform.

Wholex successfully launched as the first B2B marketplace specifically designed for Peru's microenterprise sector. The platform achieved its first-year targets: 10,000 social media followers and 1,000+ registered users within the first three months. Protected payments through Wanya eliminated payment fraud a critical pain point that drove initial adoption. Seller verification and rating systems built trust that informal channels never provided. The community-building approach through workshops, educational content, and local events established Wholex as more than a marketplace it became a support system for entrepreneurs. Financial projections for Year 1 show sustainable unit economics: $123,350 investment generating $161,700 gross revenue and $7,012 profit, setting the foundation for Phase 2 expansion into business finance management tools.