The Seattle-based coffee business has raised $7.8m to scale its coffee shop distribution reach, which currently comprises 71 cafes across the US alongside single sites in Japan and the UK
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Atomo has raised more than $58m investment to date | Photo credit: Atomo
US coffee alternative brand Atomo Coffee has raised $7.8m in a new Series B funding round and set its sights on scaling its global coffee shop partnerships.
Launched in 2019, Atomo has raised more than $58m to date from backers including S2G Ventures, Horizons Ventures, AgFunder and Suntory Holdings. The Seattle-based business has used previous investment rounds to launch a beanless espresso product in October 2023 and commence operations at a new 33,500sq ft roastery in April 2024 – a site capable of producing four million pounds of beanless coffee annually.
Atomo will use new funding to expand its coffee shop partnerships. In October 2023, the coffee alternative brand signed its first retail partnership with New York-based Gumption Coffee and today its synthetic coffee product is available at 71 cafés across the US, including all 58 sites of boutique café group Bluestone Lane.
In 2024, Atomo expanded beyond the US for the first time, partnering with Japanese zero-waste café Ash and London-based specialty coffee group Hagen – which stocks Atomo’s packaged Coachella Blend.
Atomo CEO Andy Kleitsch said the business will also seek new partners to collaborate on coffee blends that combine 50% of Atomo’s synthetic coffee with 50% conventional coffee – an approach which enables coffee companies to create a more sustainable coffee product while reducing costs.
“Many coffee companies are exploring how to incorporate beanless coffee into their product offerings to ensure they can create consistently great tasting coffee at an affordable price for consumers,” he told technology news site GeekWire.
Atomo’s beanless espresso product is formulated from upcycled, farm-grown superfoods, such as date pits, grapes, sunflower, lemon and guava, before being roasted and brewed. The product produces 83% less carbon emissions and requires 70% less farmland compared to conventional coffee, according to Atomo – citing data from food sustainability research firm HowGood.