LeafLink
What Is LeafLink
LeafLink is a B2B wholesale marketplace platform built for the legal regulated-product (i.e. cannabis) industry. It connects brands / producers / distributors with retailers (dispensaries) to streamline ordering, payments, logistics, and analytics. Digital Commerce 360+4LeafLink+4LeafLink+4
In effect, it's a vertically-specialized commerce + operations platform aimed at reducing friction in the wholesale supply chain. LeafLink+3LeafLink+3LeafLink+3
Key metrics / scale points:
It operates in ~30 markets in the U.S. LeafLink+2LeafLink+2
Over 12,000 companies (brands + retailers) use the LeafLink ecosystem. LeafLink+1
It processes several billions in GMV / order volume annually. Digital Commerce 360+4LeafLink+4LeafLink+4
What LeafLink Is Used For / Core Capabilities
Here’s how LeafLink fits into operations:
1. Wholesale Ordering / Marketplace
Brands list their product catalogs / menus, with compliance data, batch/test results, etc. Retailers browse and place orders through the platform. LeafLink+2LeafLink+2
Orders are tracked, statuses updated, and fulfillment is managed in the same system. LeafLink+1
LeafLink supports order cloning, bulk price edits, buyer order forms, etc., to improve ordering efficiency. Digital Commerce 360
2. Payments / Settlements / Financing
LeafLink offers payments infrastructure (net terms, ACH) to help cloth up the challenge of paying / getting paid in a largely cash-dominant industry. LeafLink+4LeafLink+4LeafLink+4
They have introduced Payment on Sell-Through (PoST) — a mechanism where sellers/brands get paid as the retailer sells, rather than waiting for full payment in advance — helping with cash flow. LeafLink+2Digital Commerce 360+2
LeafLink acquired Dama Financial’s banking arm, enabling more integrated (and hopefully compliant) banking / financial services for cannabis operators. Digital Commerce 360
3. Logistics / Compliance / Supply Chain
LeafLink has logistics / shipping tools, so sellers and retailers can more seamlessly coordinate delivery, manifests, and fulfillments. LeafLink+2LeafLink+2
The platform integrates with ERP, seed-to-sale / trace systems, inventory management, etc., to automate compliance and data consistency. LeafLink+1
4. Analytics, Insights, Advertising
LeafLink offers market intelligence, insights, and data dashboards (sell-through data, pricing benchmarks, product performance) to help brands and retailers make better decisions. LeafLink+3Digital Commerce 360+3LeafLink+3
They provide advertising services: brands can promote their products inside the LeafLink marketplace to reach retailer buyers. LeafLink+2LeafLink+2
Their “Inventory Insights” tool connects with POS systems and builds visual dashboards to help retailers optimize restocking, manage margins, and avoid stale inventory. LeafLink
Who Uses LeafLink / User Base
LeafLink operates at the wholesale layer, so its users are primarily:
Brands / Producers / Distributors — those who produce or package products and want to reach retailers with minimal friction.
Retailers / Dispensaries / Buying Managers — to browse supplier catalogs, place orders, manage deliveries, align inventory.
Sales / Brand / Marketing Teams — to run promotions, manage pipeline, influence assortment, advertise, manage buyer relationships.
Operations / Logistics Teams — handling fulfillment, shipping, manifests, supply chain execution.
Finance / Accounting Teams — reconciling payments / settlements, invoicing, tracking receivables/payables.
Analysts / BI / Strategy Teams — to pull data on trends, price movements, retailer behavior, demand forecasting.
Because LeafLink sits between brand and retailer, it becomes a vantage point many operations pass through.
Why You (Analyst / Product & Sales Role) Should Care About LeafLink
From your vantage, LeafLink is interesting for several reasons:
Wholesale data visibility
If many brands and retailers use LeafLink, you get access (via integrations or partnerships) to order flows, volume per SKU, price movements, sell-through data, etc. That’s upstream data that traditionally was opaque.Demand forecasting & signal
You can see orders, restocks, reorder frequency, retailer preferences — leading indicators of demand shifts before consumer data shows up.Pricing and margin dynamics
Because LeafLink handles pricing per brand / region / discount, you can analyze margin erosion, pricing elasticity, promotions impact, etc.Cross-market benchmarking
With many brands and retailers on the same platform, standardized datasets make benchmarking (e.g. “this SKU in Colorado vs same SKU in Oregon”) more feasible.Cash flow / credit risk insight
Given their payment / financing tools (PoST, net terms, settlement timing), you can model credit risk, payment delays, receivables aging, and their effect on operational viability.Operational friction detection / optimization
LeafLink may surface friction points (order rejections, stockouts, logistics delays). As an analyst, you can partner to identify hotspots (by SKU, by region, by brand).Integrations anchor
Because LeafLink integrates with POS, ERP, inventory systems, accounting, etc., it can act as an integration hub; knowing its data model helps you design your ETL pipelines or syncing logic more robustly.Leverage for growth / negotiation
If your company is a brand or retailer negotiating access or terms on LeafLink, having deep clarity into the platform’s incentives, feature set, and data rights gives you more leverage.
Strengths, Risks & Criticisms
No platform is perfect. Here are pluses and caveats I found (or infer) about LeafLink.
Strengths
Domain focus & trust — built specifically for regulated wholesale cannabis, not adapted from generic B2B.
Network effect / density — many brands & retailers on the same platform, making it easier to discover new connections and reduce friction.
Integrated payments & financial services — reduces the “cash chore” that plagues the industry. Their acquisition of Dama Financial suggests they’re serious about this. Digital Commerce 360+1
Sell-through data & forecasting features — giving brands access to downstream performance signals (versus purely upstream order data). Digital Commerce 360+1
Advertising / promotional channel — brands can promote inside the marketplace to influence buyers proactively. LeafLink+2LeafLink+2
Ability to acquire or absorb competitors — e.g. LeafLink acquired Leaf Trade to expand reach and depth. MJBizDaily
Recent product upgrades — e.g. the “All Access Edition” to streamline payments, sell-through analytics, automated reconciliation. Digital Commerce 360
Risks / Weaknesses / Concerns
Data ownership & limits — how much data can brands or retailers extract (raw transactions, downstream metrics) may be limited by LeafLink’s APIs or terms.
Conflict of interest / neutrality — since LeafLink sells advertising, it might favor some brands (paying ones) in exposure, which may bias visibility.
Margin / fee pressure — the platform will take fees, commissions, or margins; negotiating those is a strategic issue.
Integration / sync complexity — synchronizing between LeafLink’s data model and a brand’s internal ERP or systems could be messy, especially across jurisdictions or edge cases.
Dependence / lock-in — heavy reliance on LeafLink means shifting platforms later could be costly or painful.
Payment / settlement risk — delays, defaults, or finance mismatches in PoST or net term arrangements can be risky.
Regulatory / compliance risk — if LeafLink’s banking or financial integrations run afoul of state or federal rules, it can create exposure.
Announced features vs execution — sometimes platforms announce features that later delayed, limited, or buggy in rollout.
