What Steeped Coffee does

Steeped Coffee (legal entity Steeped, Inc.) is a California-based Benefit Corporation and Certified B Corporation, founded in 2017 by Josh Wilbur and headquartered in Santa Cruz, California. The company designs and sells a specialty single-serve coffee system centered on the proprietary Steeped Brewing Method — a tea-like process in which precision-ground, triple nitro-sealed coffee is contained in a fully compostable, ultrasonically sealed Full Immersion Filter brew bag and steeped in hot water for 5+ minutes without pods, plugs, or machines. Core technology components include the S-110 Guilt-Free outer packaging (ASTM D6400 and D6868 certified compostable, winner of the 2019 SCA Best New Product Award for Packaging), water-cooled micron-level precision grinding for extraction consistency, and ultrasonic bag sealing without glue or staples. The retail product portfolio spans light, medium, dark, French, and Swiss Water processed decaf blends, plus licensed partner roasts (Mr. Espresso, BLK & Bold, Counter Culture Coffee, Big Island Coffee Roasters), accessories/gear, and digital gift cards.

The business operates a multi-channel go-to-market model. Direct-to-consumer revenue is generated through a Shopify-powered e-commerce site with subscription billing (8/16/24-pack SKUs priced $14.95-$44.85 with approximately 11% subscription discounts) and gift card sales. Wholesale/retail distribution, a dedicated hospitality program targeting hotels (in-room coffee service, with named accounts including Ameswell Hotel and The Emily Hotel), an office coffee program for break-room service, and a private label/OEM offering extend the model into B2B. The most differentiated revenue stream is licensing of the Steeped Brewing Method and S-110 packaging to 400+ specialty roasters globally, who co-brand or white-label single-serve products using Steeped's IP.

The company is privately held, structured as a Benefit Corporation with broad retail-investor ownership following a $5 million Regulation CF equity crowdfunding round on Republic in July 2022 (over 4,500 investors) and a follow-on raise of approximately $1.64 million in February 2024. Operations span the USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, with global reach extended through the licensed roaster network. The company employs 11-50 staff, donates 1% of revenue to charity partners (Charity Water, Feeding America), and currently displays a supply-constrained posture ("Accepting Wholesale Only") indicating demand exceeding current production capacity.

Name

Steeped Coffee

Legal name

Steeped, Inc.

Website

https://steepedcoffee.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Steeped Coffee is a Certified B Corp that makes fully compostable single-serve specialty coffee in proprietary brew bags, selling direct-to-consumer, licensing its brewing method to 400+ specialty roasters globally, and serving hotels, offices, and wholesale retail channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Single-Serve Coffee

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Coffee & Tea (Single-Origin, Micro-lot, Premium) Processing (AFAFADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Coffee Roasters with Cafe (Roastery Cafes) (THAFADAE)

Keywords

• Single-serve specialty coffee
• Compostable coffee packaging
• Brew bag coffee
• Specialty roaster licensing
• Private label coffee

Headquarters

HQ city

Scotts Valley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: Steeped Coffee sells its branded coffee products directly to consumers through its e-commerce website, offering individual bags, variety packs, and starter kits. Products available in 8pk, 16pk, and 24pk sizes with subscription options offering 11% savings.
2. Licensing & Private Label: Steeped licenses its brewing method technology to specialty roasters (over 400 globally). Partners can use Steeped's method to sell their beans in Steeped Brew Bags under co-branded or private label arrangements.
3. Wholesale & B2B: Wholesale distribution to retailers, hotels (hospitality), and office coffee providers. The company has dedicated programs for in-room hotel service and in-office coffee solutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Steeped Coffee sells specialty single-serve coffee in fully compostable brew bags that customers brew by pouring hot water, dunking, and steeping — no pods, plugs, or machines required. The proprietary Steeped Brewing Method combines a plant-based Full Immersion Filter, micron-precision-ground coffee, and triple nitro-sealed S-110 Guilt-Free Packaging (ASTM D6400/D6868 certified compostable). Beyond its own retail coffee (light, medium, dark, French roast, and decaf blends), the company licenses the brew method to 400+ specialty roasters and operates dedicated hospitality, office coffee, and private-label programs.

Product overview

Steeped Coffee is a specialty coffee company offering a single-serve brewing system centered on the proprietary Steeped Brewing Method. The core product is the Steeped Brew Bag — a compostable single-serve filter bag filled with precision-ground, triple nitro-sealed specialty coffee — which users brew by pouring hot water, dunking, and steeping without any equipment. The product portfolio includes its own branded coffee blends across four roast levels (Sunrise Blend light roast, California Blend medium roast, Odyssey Blend dark roast, Breakwater Blend French roast, and Eventide Decaf Swiss Water processed), plus licensed partner blends from Mr. Espresso (Golden Gate and Seven Bridges). The company also sells Gear (mugs, kettles, accessories), Digital Gift Cards, and operates service programs including a Licensed Partnership (licensing the brew method to specialty roasters globally), a Private Label Program (white-label manufacturing), a Hospitality Program (in-room hotel coffee), and an Office Coffee Program. The ecosystem is anchored by the Steeped Brewing Method's patented compostable packaging (S-110 Guilt-Free Packaging, SCA award-winning), which is offered to partners through technology licensing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Steeped Brew Bag (Single-Serve Specialty Coffee) The flagship Steeped product: a fully compostable single-serve filter bag filled with precision-ground, triple nitro-sealed specialty coffee that brews by pouring 8 oz of hot water over the bag, dunking for 15-30 seconds, and steeping for 5+ minutes, with no pods, plugs, or machines required. Available across five in-house roasts (Sunrise Light, California Medium, Odyssey Dark, Breakwater French, Eventide Decaf Swiss Water) in 8pk, 16pk, and 24pk sizes, targeting home and travel specialty coffee drinkers.
• The Lineup Variety Pack Steeped Coffee's best-selling bundle featuring a mix of signature light, medium, dark, and French roast blends in a single variety pack, targeted at consumers sampling the Steeped range or buying for multiple tastes.
• Mr. Espresso Partner Blends (Golden Gate & Seven Bridges) Partner roaster blends from Mr. Espresso sold through the Steeped Brewing Method: Golden Gate (medium roast with chocolate, caramel, and butterscotch notes from Peruvian and Colombian beans) and Seven Bridges, also offered in Steeped Brew Bag format.
• BLK & Bold Partner Blends Co-branded brews from specialty roaster BLK & Bold, brought to consumers through the Steeped Brewing Method, expanding BLK & Bold's offerings to customers who value convenience and sustainability in single-serve format.
• Steeped Brewing Gear & Accessories Brewing accessories sold alongside the brew bags, including Steeped diner mugs and Fellow kettles/accessories (Fellow Stagg EKG, Fellow Corvo EKG, Fellow Stagg Stovetop, Fellow Carter Move Mug), enabling a complete pour-over setup for home, hospitality, and office use.
• Steeped Coffee Digital Gift Card Digital gift cards redeemable on the Steeped Coffee website, available in $15, $30, $50, $75, and $100 denominations for consumer gifting.
• Licensed Roaster Partnership Program Licensing of the proprietary Steeped Brewing Method and compostable packaging (S-110) to specialty coffee roasters globally, enabling them to offer single-serve brew bags under their own brand. Adopted by 400+ specialty roasters worldwide (e.g., Counter Culture Coffee, Big Island Coffee Roasters, Mr. Espresso, BLK & Bold).
• Private Label / White-Label Single-Serve Program Full white-label offering for brands wanting to launch single-serve specialty coffee using Steeped's S-110 Guilt-Free Packaging, Full Immersion Filter technology, and proprietary brew method, including private label manufacturing.
• Hospitality Program (Hotel In-Room Coffee) Program providing hotels with Steeped's compostable single-serve brew bags plus optional kettles, eco-friendly cups, and creamers, delivered with custom branding available. Customers include Ameswell Hotel (Silicon Valley) and The Emily Hotel. Targets contactless, equipment-free in-room specialty coffee service.
• Office Coffee Program Direct-to-business solution providing companies with Steeped's compostable single-serve brew bags plus gear and supplies for in-office break rooms, positioned to elevate workplace coffee sustainably without machine maintenance.

Quantifiable outcome

• SCA Best New Product Award for Packaging
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mr. EspressocoreTechnology or IntegrationMr. Espresso partners with Steeped to offer their Golden Gate Blend and Seven Bridges Blend in Steeped Brew Bags. This partnership allows customers to enjoy Mr. Espresso's oak wood-roasted coffee in the convenient single-serve format.
• BLK & BoldcoreTechnology or IntegrationBLK & Bold, a specialty roaster, partnered with Steeped to bring their best-selling blends to the Steeped Brewing Method, expanding their product offerings to customers who value convenience and sustainability.
• Counter Culture CoffeecoreTechnology or IntegrationCounter Culture Coffee licenses the Steeped Brewing Method to offer their coffee in single-serve format. Their CEO has praised the method for reflecting their sourcing and roasting efforts.
• Charity WatercoreOthersSteeped donates 1% of all revenue to Charity Water to support access to clean and safe drinking water globally. Customers can also select Charity Water as a giving partner and Steeped donates 20% of their order.
• Feeding AmericacoreOthersSteeped supports hunger relief initiatives through Feeding America. Customers can select Feeding America as a giving partner and Steeped donates 20% of their order.
• The Ameswell HotelminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorA leading eco-friendly hotel in Silicon Valley chose Steeped to meet its sustainability goals while delivering superior taste to guests in-room.
• The Emily HotelminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorA boutique hotel that found adding Steeped Coffee in-room ended early morning coffee complaints from guests.
• Beautiful Gate CenterminorOthersSteeped supports Beautiful Gate Center through their Packs for Good program, with 20% donation from customer orders.
• Providence InternationalminorOthersSteeped supports Providence International through their Packs for Good program, with 20% donation from customer orders.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Keurig Dr Pepper (Keurig / Green Mountain): Dominant single-serve coffee player via the Keurig brewing system and pod portfolio. Direct competitor for single-serve occasions and shelf space; Steeped positions as the sustainable alternative to K-Cups.
• Nespresso: Premium single-serve coffee brand under Nestlé. Competes for premium single-serve occasions; both brands emphasize specialty taste and convenience, though Nespresso uses machines and aluminum capsules.

Direct peers

• Halo Coffee: Sells 100% compostable coffee pods designed for Keurig-style machines. Closest direct competitor in the eco-friendly single-serve coffee niche with overlapping sustainability positioning.
• Tayst Coffee: Compostable pod brand offering specialty single-serve coffee. Competes in the same premium, eco-conscious single-serve category and shares the office/hospitality channel focus.
• EKOBrew (ABM Global): Manufacturer of mesh filters and reusable/compostable single-serve solutions for Keurig brewers. Adjacent product offering targeting the same plastic-pod-replacement buyer.
• Café Joe: Single-serve coffee in a tea-bag-style brew pouch format. The closest direct format analogue to Steeped's brew bags and shares the no-machine, single-serve value proposition.

Emerging players

• Cometeer: Premium specialty single-serve coffee brand using flash-frozen concentrated coffee. Targets a similar premium D2C coffee drinker with a distinct delivery format and overlapping customer profile.
• Alpine Start: Instant specialty coffee brand focused on outdoor and travel use cases. Overlaps with Steeped on portability, sustainability messaging, and outdoor-channel distribution.

Others

• Counter Culture Coffee: Specialty roaster and licensed Steeped partner. Relevant as a comparable specialty coffee operator using Steeped's licensing platform and as a benchmark for the partner-roaster economics.
• Fellow (Fellow Products): Premium coffee gear brand (kettles, mugs) carried by Steeped. Adjacent ecosystem player that shares Steeped's specialty-coffee consumer and B2B hospitality buyer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/steepedcoffee
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCMmh6GQ2SggYCtzQdAtZ_GQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/steepedcoffee
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/steepedcoffee
• Instagraminstagram.com/steepedcoffee

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Steeped Coffee