The Munich Foodtech Ciao Coffee has successfully closed a mid-six-figure financing round led by the Impact Angel Network Better VenturesSeveral business angels from the fast-moving consumer goods, e-commerce, and foodtech sectors are also involved. The fresh capital will be used for brand building, retail expansion, and product development.
Iced coffee without beans
Ciao Coffee aims to disrupt the market with a new form of coffee – functional, sustainable, and healthy. Traditional coffee often poses environmental and health problems: A single cup of coffee requires up to 140 liters of water. Monoculture farming puts a strain on the environment and biodiversity.
Ciao Coffee's solution: iced coffee without beans. Instead, it uses natural ingredients like rye, barley, chicory, and dandelion root, which, according to the company, come exclusively from European cultivation. The recipe combines measured caffeine with a vitamin B complex and iron. The desired effect: long-lasting alertness and focus without the caffeine crash.
"With Ciao Coffee, we want to rethink coffee—more sustainable, more functional, more healthy. Enjoyment, innovation, and responsibility are not mutually exclusive. So why leave things as they are when things can be better?"
explained Anton Reich, Co-Founder of Ciao Coffee.
First listings in retail
Although Ciao Coffee is still in its early stages, the team has already achieved initial success in retail. According to the startup, the iced coffee is available in over 500 Rewe stores (South, North, and Central), Edeka (Southwest, Rhine-Ruhr), and around 100 Billa Plus stores in Austria. According to the company, sales figures are on par with established brands such as Starbucks, Emmi, and Mövenpick.
Ciao Coffee is tapping into two relevant market trends: On the one hand, the market for functional beverages in Europe is growing dynamically and is already valued at several billion euros. On the other hand, the number of consumers who are not well-tolerated by coffee is increasing – and are looking for alternatives.
"Ciao Coffee demonstrates how new brands are boldly rethinking markets – with a clear focus on sustainability, functionality, health, and enjoyment. The team combines excellent brand management with real impact – and hits a nerve in the mainstream,"
says Tina Dreimann, Co-founder and Managing Director of Better Ventures.
Behind the startup are the founders Tobias Hollaus, Felix Hellenberg, Dennis von Bismarck and Anton Reich, who have already gained experience in the areas of FMCG, food innovation and brand building.
