Atomo Molecular Coffee
A Seattle coffee company says it can make better coffee without beans, and venture capitalists are investing $9 million to make it happen.
Atomo Coffee Inc. has developed what it calls “molecular coffee,” a reserve-engineering process that it claims produces “a uniquely smooth and sustainable brew.” The process uses what others consider waste, including upcycled plant materials that produce a less bitter coffee.
The concept, developed in a small-scale environment, was taste-tested by the American CNBC television network. About 70% of consumers sampled preferred Atomo’s coffee over conventional brew.
Now, with $9 million in investment capital, the company plans to develop a production roastery in 2021. The company previously raised $2.6 million in a Kickstarter campaign.
New investors include agriculture technology venture capitalists S2G Ventures, AgFunder, Bessemer Venture Partners, and Horizons Ventures, the company said in a statement.
In the proprietary Atomo process, coffee plant waste is washed and dried like conventional bean processing. Atomo then isolates chemical compounds within the material and combines them to replicate green beans. That material is then roasted, ground, and brewed.
Atomo is the world’s first no-bean, molecular coffee, the company says. Atomo’s mission is to create a better cup of coffee that is better for the planet, reducing the need for further deforestation and destruction caused by commercial coffee farming. The privately held company was founded by Jarret Stopforth and Andy Kleitsch.
“Coffee is among the most popular beverages worldwide, with roughly 42.6 liters consumed per person per year,” investor Tony Lau of Horizons Ventures said in a statement. “As the climate crisis intensifies, and the demand for coffee continues to rise, a more sustainable coffee is absolutely needed.”