Koppie, a Belgian startup developing a coffee alternative using locally-sourced legumes and fermentation, has closed a pre-seed funding round. The round was led by Nucleus Capital, with participation from Mudcake, Rockstart, and various angel investors.
Koppie was founded in 2022 by Daan Raemdonck, formerly a Marketing Director at Alpro. The startup uses a patent-pending formula to create a coffee bean alternative that is suitable for a variety of formats, including roast and ground blends and capsules. It can be used as a full replacement, or an additive in hybrid products.
According to Koppie, the new funding will be used to bring the production of the coffee alternative to commercial scale by early 2026. The startup says it is already in talks with various coffee roasters and retailers.
The coffee replacement is claimed to be compatible with conventional coffee roasting and brewing equipment, and has reportedly received positive feedback from both consumers and professional tasters.
“Strong interest”
Coffee production has been heavily affected by climate change, and is also associated with environmental issues such as deforestation. This has led to rising prices and supply chain issues, but alternatives such as Koppie’s could provide a solution. Koppie claims its product generates 70% fewer CO2 emissions than conventional coffee production, while requiring 60% less land and 90% less water.
Worldwide, several other startups are also working to develop alternatives to coffee, including Singapore’s Prefer and US-based Voyage Foods.
“We see strong interest from coffee companies looking for low-risk ways to increase supply and price stability,” said Daan Raemdonck. “Hybrid blends, where our products are introduced up to 50%, offer a way to reduce pressure while appealing to evolving consumer needs.”
