Ecobean
EcoBean is a Warsaw-based cleantech spin-off of the Warsaw University of Technology that sells patented modular systems and bio-based ingredients for the full valorization of spent coffee grounds. It serves coffee producers, roasters, and retailers, and downstream buyers in beauty, food, packaging, fuels, and biotech.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersWarsaw, Poland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Ecobean does
EcoBean (ECOBEAN Sp. z o.o.) is a Warsaw-based cleantech company founded in 2018 as a spin-off of the Warsaw University of Technology. It develops and commercializes a patented, modular plug-and-play technology for the full valorization of Spent Coffee Grounds (SCG), transforming coffee waste into five bio-based chemical ingredients — coffee oil, antioxidants, lignin, sugar syrup, and protein additives — plus downstream products such as coffee-derived straws. The core platform is designed for direct integration into existing coffee production lines, with modular capacities ranging from 1,000 to 30,000+ tons of SCG per year, and claims revenue potential of up to €9,000 per ton of valorized SCG.
The company operates a B2B enterprise model serving coffee producers, roasters, and retailers, as well as downstream buyers in beauty, food, packaging, petrochemical/biodiesel, biotechnology, and real estate. Go-to-market is direct consultative enterprise sales supplemented by technology licensing of the modular systems. Pricing is custom-quoted under multi-year contracts, supported by Bureau Veritas-certified carbon footprint data (0.62-1.17 kg CO2e/kg) that downstream customers can use in ESG reporting. Strategic and commercial relationships include Starbucks, Vattenfall, PRIO, Delta Group, Tucano Coffee, DCW, and ecoBeans Coffee.
EcoBean is privately held, employs 11-50 people, and is led by co-founders Marcin Koziorowski (CEO) and Kacper Kossowski. To date it has raised approximately $9.74 million across grants and equity, including a €7 million FENG grant (2023), a Cofounder VC-led seed round (2022) with Qemetica Ventures, Cobin Angels, and EIT InnoEnergy, and the CHF 100,000 LDC Climate Resilience Prize (2024). The company is B Corp certified, headquartered in Warsaw with R&D and laboratory facilities in Warsaw and Nadarzyn, and operates pilot projects across Poland, Portugal, the Netherlands, Germany, and Moldova.
Ecobean firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ecobean
- Legal name
- ECOBEAN Sp. z o.o.
- Website
- https://ecobean.pl
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- EcoBean is a Warsaw-based cleantech spin-off of the Warsaw University of Technology that sells patented modular systems and bio-based ingredients for the full valorization of spent coffee grounds. It serves coffee producers, roasters, and retailers, and downstream buyers in beauty, food, packaging, fuels, and biotech.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ecobean industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Bio-based Chemical Ingredients from Coffee Waste
- NAICS
- Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192), Flavoring Syrup and Concentrate Manufacturing (311930), Flavoring Syrup and Concentrate Manufacturing (31193)
- SIC
- Beverages (2080), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Coffee & Tea Concentrates (Liquid, Extracts, Syrups) (AFAFAGAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Coffee & Tea Concentrates, Syrups & Extracts (CRADAHAI)
Keywords
Where Ecobean is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Warsaw
- HQ country
- Poland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Ecobean business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Bio-based Ingredients and Chemicals: EcoBean generates revenue by selling high-value, upcycled ingredients extracted from spent coffee grounds. Products include Coffee Oil, Antioxidants Extract, Lignin, Sugar Syrup, Protein Additives, and Polylactide (PLA). These ingredients serve various industries including beauty, food, packaging, and petrochemical.
- Technology Licensing and Modular Systems: EcoBean offers its patented plug-and-play technology systems to coffee industry players. The modular solution can be customized for different plant capacities (1,000 to 30,000+ tons of SCG annually). Each ton of valorized SCG can yield up to 9,000 Euros.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | B2B enterprise pricing - custom quotes based on volume and specifications |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Ecobean product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ecobean fully valorizes spent coffee grounds (SCG) using a patented, modular plug-and-play technology to produce five high-value bio-based chemical ingredients — Coffee Oil, Antioxidants Extract, Lignin, Sugar Syrup, and Protein Additives — for sale to enterprises in the beauty, food, packaging, petrochemical, and biotechnology industries. It also licenses its modular SCG valorization systems to coffee producers, roasters, and retailers for on-site integration into existing production lines, with each ton of valorized SCG capable of yielding up to €9,000 in ingredients.
Product overview
EcoBean operates as a biorefinery technology company offering a modular, plug-and-play solution for the coffee industry to fully valorize spent coffee grounds (SCG). The core product portfolio consists of five coffee-derived chemical ingredients: Coffee Oil, Antioxidants Extract, Lignin, Sugar Syrup, and Protein Additives, each produced through the company's proprietary green chemistry technology. The SCG Valorization Technology serves as the foundational platform, enabling coffee industry partners to transform waste into high-value bio-based raw materials on-site. Revenue potential is approximately 9,000 Euros per ton of valorized SCG.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Coffee Oil Coffee-derived oil abundant in fatty acids (palmitic, linoleic, stearic, oleic, arachidic), antioxidants including caffeine and vitamin E, sterols, tocopherols, and diterpenes, sold as a bio-based ingredient for food, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, and biodiesel/petrochemical applications.
- Antioxidants Extract Extract containing chlorogenic acid, caffeine, and caffeic acid with powerful antioxidant properties, available in ethanol solution, aqueous solution, or powder form, sold for use as natural preservatives, flavor enhancers, skin-protective cosmetic actives, and active food packaging ingredients.
- Lignin Branched polymer constituting 20-25% of dry coffee waste, processed via hydrolysis and leaching, sold for bioenergy and biofuels, bioplastics, renewable phenols and aromatics for the chemical industry, slow-release agricultural fertilizer, and material science applications such as carbon fibers, adhesives, and insulation.
- Sugar Syrup Syrup containing primarily galactose and mannose (with glucose and arabinose), sold as a food ingredient, hydration-active cosmetic input, and biotechnology carbon source for cultivating bacteria, yeasts, and fungi and producing metabolites such as ethanol and lactic acid.
- Protein Additives Beige powder with a milky-coffee aroma combining gypsum (calcium sulfate) and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) biomass, sold as a dietary calcium source and protein/vitamin-rich feed ingredient supporting human health and animal welfare in agriculture.
- Spent Coffee Grounds (SCG) Valorization Technology Patented plug-and-play modular technology for full valorization of spent coffee grounds, transforming waste into high-value upcycled ingredients (coffee oil, antioxidants, lignin, sugars, and protein additives), designed to integrate into existing coffee production lines at scales from 1,000 to 30,000+ tons of SCG annually.
- EcoBean Coffee Straws Recyclable straws produced from lignin extracted from spent coffee grounds, designed to be collectable together with coffee waste and to withstand up to one hour of immersion in cold liquids.
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to €9,000 revenue per ton of valorized spent coffee grounds
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Ecobean
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Ecobean technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Ecobean partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and project.
- MassChallenge SwitzerlandcoreEcoBean participated in MassChallenge Switzerland's 2024 accelerator program, receiving CHF 100,000 LDC Climate Resilience Prize. The program featured 446 judges and 478 mentors supporting 118 startups through a four-month program.
- Warsaw University of Technology (WUT)coreEcoBean is a Warsaw University of Technology spin-off company. WUT is a shareholder. WUT is the largest and oldest technical university in Poland, with research covering all fields of technology.
- EIT InnoEnergycoreEIT InnoEnergy brings people and resources together to catalyze and accelerate the energy transition. They have invested €560 million into more than 480 sustainable energy innovations. EcoBean is proudly supported by EIT InnoEnergy.
- Bureau VeritasmajorEcoBean partnered with Bureau Veritas, a leading certification agency, to calculate carbon footprint of their products. Results can be used in customer sustainability reports.
- PRIOprojectPRIO is a Portuguese distributor of biodiesel and liquid fuels. EcoBean invented technology to extract oil fraction from coffee grounds for use as bio-additive for fuels. Addresses RED II directive compliance.
- DCWprojectPartnership to collect spent coffee grounds from Enschede area and repurpose them into biodegradable flower pots which can be planted directly into the ground.
- StarbucksprojectEcoBean collects Spent Coffee Grounds from Starbucks cafes for R&D works focused on re-use and processing into ecological raw materials and products. Supports Starbucks' goal to be ecologically responsible.
- Delta GroupprojectEcoBean works with Delta to design, implement and verify dedicated SCG collection service for HoReCa in Lisbon. Two logistic models evaluated: door-to-door collection and SCG collection islands.
- VattenfallprojectEcoBean collects and repurposes coffee waste from Vattenfall's EDGE Suedkreuz building in Germany. Partnership developing SCG composite for objects used by employees, targeting German real estate market.
- Tucano CoffeeprojectJoint feasibility study to close coffee loop in Moldova with Tucano as local partner. Project implemented by UNDP under Polish Challenge Fund. 2,700 tons of coffee waste generated annually in Moldova.
- EDGE (Real Estate)projectPartnership with Vattenfall and EDGE on sustainable office building project. EcoBean developing coffee waste utilization solution for EDGE Suedkreuz building in Berlin.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Ecobean competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- JDE Peet's (Jacobs Douwe Egberts): Global coffee company with major brands (Jacobs, Douwe Egberts, Peet's) operating large roasteries that generate significant spent coffee grounds. A potential large-scale licensee or in-house developer of SCG technology.
- Cargill: Global agricultural supplier and biofuel producer with deep involvement in coffee supply chains and bio-based feedstocks. Comparable as a potential strategic acquirer or large-scale offtake partner for EcoBean's lignin and coffee oil.
- Veolia: Global environmental services and waste management major that already handles organic waste streams including SCG at industrial scale. A potential competitor for collection logistics or a large-scale licensee for SCG valorization.
- Louis Dreyfus Company: Global agricultural commodity merchant and processor that awarded EcoBean the LDC Climate Resilience Prize and is positioned to be a strategic partner or competitor in bio-based feedstock supply chains.
- Nestlé: World's largest coffee company (Nescafé, Nespresso) with extensive sustainability and circular-economy programs. Comparable as a coffee-industry counterpart with significant SCG volumes and the ability to internalize waste valorization.
Direct peers
- Bio-bean: UK-based company that collects and processes spent coffee grounds into biofuels, biomass pellets and biochemicals. The most direct global peer to EcoBean in SCG valorization, operating in the same feedstock and end-product space.
- Kaffeeform: German company producing reusable coffee cups from recycled spent coffee grounds. Comparable as an SCG-to-product innovator, although focused on a single finished-good output rather than a full biorefinery ingredient platform.
- Cascatrade: Spanish company transforming spent coffee grounds into bio-based materials and natural extracts. Directly comparable as a European SCG valorization peer serving cosmetics, food and materials customers.
Others
- Winnow Solutions: UK food-waste technology company focused on commercial kitchen measurement and reduction. Thematically adjacent in food waste valorization but does not compete directly in SCG biorefinery.
Emerging players
- Nexe Innovations: Canadian maker of plant-based, BPI-certified compostable coffee pods. Adjacent sustainability-focused coffee packaging player with overlapping eco-credentials and a relationship to EcoBean through the ecoBeans Coffee customer.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Ecobean social profiles
Digital presenceEcobean compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Ecobean financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ecobean leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Ecobean funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors7 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ecobean M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Ecobean
What does Ecobean do?
Ecobean fully valorizes spent coffee grounds (SCG) using a patented, modular plug-and-play technology to produce five high-value bio-based chemical ingredients — Coffee Oil, Antioxidants Extract, Lignin, Sugar Syrup, and Protein Additives — for sale to enterprises in the beauty, food, packaging, petrochemical, and biotechnology industries. It also licenses its modular SCG valorization systems to coffee producers, roasters, and retailers for on-site integration into existing production lines, with each ton of valorized SCG capable of yielding up to €9,000 in ingredients.
Is Ecobean a public or private company?
Ecobean is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Ecobean founded?
Ecobean was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Ecobean based?
Ecobean is headquartered in Warsaw, Poland, in the Europe region.
How does Ecobean make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Bio-based Ingredients and Chemicals are the primary driver. The others are technology Licensing and Modular Systems.
Who are Ecobean's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are JDE Peet's (Jacobs Douwe Egberts), Cargill, Veolia, Louis Dreyfus Company and Nestlé. Direct peers are Bio-bean, Kaffeeform and Cascatrade. Winnow Solutions is listed as an others. Nexe Innovations is listed as an emerging player.
Does Ecobean have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ecobean.
What industry is Ecobean in?
Ecobean's product category is Bio-based Chemical Ingredients from Coffee Waste. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAFAGAC, Coffee & Tea Concentrates (Liquid, Extracts, Syrups), with a secondary code of CRADAHAI, Coffee & Tea Concentrates, Syrups & Extracts. Its NAICS code is 311920 and its SIC code is 2080.