What Koppie does

Koppie is a Belgian B2B food-technology company that develops and produces a fermented legume-based ingredient designed to be blended with coffee. Incorporated in 2024 and publicly launched in June 2025 after a pre-seed round led by Nucleus Capital, the company operates from Ghent with a small founding team led by CEO Daan Raemdonck (ex-Bain, ex-Alpro) and CPO Pascal Mertens (PhD in Bio Engineering). The product, marketed as the Koppie Bean, is built on a patent-pending fermentation and roasting process that transforms local pulses (primarily yellow pea) into coffee-like flavor while preserving whole-bean form, so customers can roast, grind and brew it on standard coffee equipment with no adaptation. The portfolio spans three flavor profiles (Standard, Sweet, Fruity) and multiple formats (green beans, roasted beans, pre-ground, liquid concentrate, with an instant powder under development), enabling blends of up to 50% Koppie without taste compromise and delivering a lifecycle footprint of 1.19 kg CO2 per kg roasted (up to 95% lower emissions versus conventional coffee).

The business model is a sales-led B2B ingredient play targeting medium-to-large coffee companies, ingredient suppliers and retailers with annual revenue above €10M across Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. Koppie sells the ingredient in multiple formats (big bags or 10/25 kg units) at pricing positioned as competitive with mainstream coffee, monetizing both unit sales and co-development/professional services such as tailored roast profiles, industrial trial support, ERP linking and on-site technical assistance. Production is outsourced to two certified manufacturing partners in Belgium and the Netherlands (ISO 22000 and FSSC 22000), and Koppie is confirmed not to be a Novel Food, which removes a major regulatory hurdle for European enterprise onboarding. Following a successful 4-ton industrial trial in February 2026 and total disclosed funding above €2M, the company is preparing to support up to 1,000 tons of capacity in 2026 for launch partners, alongside a consumer-facing sub-brand called OtherKinds for DTC trials.

Name

Koppie

Legal name

Koppie

Website

https://koppie.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Koppie is a Belgian B2B food-tech company that sells a patent-pending fermented yellow-pea ingredient to European coffee companies, ingredient suppliers and retailers as a price-stable, lower-emission extender for hybrid coffee blends.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Coffee Alternative Ingredients

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)

akta.pro primary industry

Kombucha & Other Fermented Non-Alcoholic Beverages (AFAFABAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fermented Beverage Concentrates & Bases (Kombucha Concentrate, Starters) (AFAFAHAG), Plant-Based & Alternative Dairy Cultures (Vegan Yogurt/Cheese, Fermented Plant Beverages) (AFAJAJAG)

Keywords

• Fermented coffee alternative
• Legume-based ingredients
• Hybrid coffee blends
• B2B food ingredients
• Plant-based coffee substitute

Headquarters

HQ city

Gent

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. B2B Ingredient Sales: Koppie sells its fermented and roasted legume ingredient (Koppie Bean) to coffee companies, ingredient companies, and retailers. Product is sold in multiple formats: green beans (unroasted), roasted beans, pre-ground (filter or espresso), and liquid concentrate. Delivery available in big bags or smaller quantities (10 or 25kg). Pricing is competitive with mainstream coffee and offers a hedge against volatile coffee prices.
2. Co-development and Technical Services: Koppie provides co-development services including tailored roast profiles, application support, and industrial trial assistance. They help partners set up industrial testing and provide industrial quantities. They also help link ERP systems, automate transport & storage, and support product innovation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Koppie develops and sells a proprietary fermented and roasted legume-based ingredient (Koppie Bean) designed to be blended with coffee as a sustainable, price-stable supplement. The patent-pending fermentation technology transforms local peas (yellow pea, chickpea, fava bean) into whole beans that roast, grind, and brew on standard coffee equipment. Koppie sells its ingredient in multiple formats (green beans, roasted beans, pre-ground, and liquid concentrate) to coffee companies, ingredient suppliers, and retailers across Europe.

Product overview

Koppie offers a portfolio of fermented pea-based coffee alternatives branded as the 'Koppie Bean', designed for B2B integration with coffee roasters, retailers, and ingredient companies. The core technology uses patent-pending fermentation and roasting processes to transform local legumes (primarily yellow pea) into coffee-like ingredients that can be roasted, ground, and brewed using existing coffee equipment. The product line includes multiple forms (green beans, roasted beans, pre-ground, concentrate, and instant under development) and three flavour profiles (Standard, Sweet, Fruity) to match different coffee applications. The company also operates a consumer sub-brand called OtherKinds. Koppie positions itself as a hybrid coffee solution rather than a full replacement, enabling partners to create blends containing up to 50% Koppie while maintaining taste and reducing exposure to coffee price volatility and supply constraints.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OtherKinds: A branded consumer proposition operated by Koppie for direct-to-consumer and small-scale trial sales of Koppie-based coffee products.

Products and services

• Koppie Bean (Standard Profile) Fermented and roasted yellow pea-based coffee alternative in whole bean form with a balanced, rich and full-bodied profile delivering depth, roundness and roasted intensity. Designed for blending with coffee at up to 50% replacement rate without taste compromise.
• Koppie Bean (Sweet Profile) Fermented legume-based coffee alternative variant with enhanced natural sweetness and reduced perceived bitterness, smooth and gentle profile. Targeted at espresso applications and all coffee types and roast levels.
• Koppie Bean (Fruity Profile) Higher-acidity fermented legume variant described as fruity, lively and fresh with added complexity. Designed for light to medium roasts, especially filter coffee applications.
• Green Koppie (Unroasted Bean) Unroasted, dried fermented pea allowing full flexibility for customers to apply their own roasting expertise. Can be pre-blended or post-blended with coffee and roasted on existing coffee equipment.
• Roasted Koppie Bean Fully roasted Koppie bean shipped in protective packaging, ready to be post-blended with coffee, ground and packed using standard coffee processing equipment.
• Pre-Ground Koppie Ground Koppie product to customer specification, shipped in protective packaging. Can be mixed with ground coffee and packed with standard equipment for filter or espresso applications.
• Koppie Concentrate Liquid concentrate with intensity and brix to specification, designed for RTD coffee beverages, ice cream, bakery and dessert applications. Available in liquid or paste form.
• OtherKinds Consumer-facing branded product line alongside Koppie, offering Koppie-based coffee alternative products directly to consumers and small-scale buyers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 95% lower CO₂ emissions per kg compared to conventional coffee
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Belgian and Dutch Manufacturing PartnerscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTwo production partner companies in Belgium and the Netherlands well-known in food ingredient production. One partner (ISO 22000 certified) delivers fermented and roasted product. Another partner (FSSC 22000 certified) delivers ground product and blends with coffee.
• Food Pioneers Accelerator (FPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCross-border acceleration program (Interreg Vlaanderen-Nederland, European Union funded) supporting Koppie in scaling technology and production. Provides networking, expertise, and partial budget for production partner identification across borders.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Atomo Coffee: US-based molecular coffee company that reverse-engineers coffee from upcycled plant ingredients (date seeds, etc.). Direct conceptual peer to Koppie — both produce bean-format coffee alternatives for blending, addressing climate and price volatility through food-tech reformulation.
• Cirkula: Germany-based food-tech startup developing upcycled and plant-based food ingredients including coffee-alternative concepts. Closely comparable European peer targeting B2B ingredient sales into the coffee and beverage industry.

Broad incumbents

• Blue Bottle Coffee: US specialty coffee roaster and café chain owned by Nestlé. Relevant as a Nestle-owned specialty incumbent that has explored sustainable sourcing and could serve as a downstream channel for hybrid blends in the US market.
• Tchibo: German coffee and consumer goods company with extensive retail footprint. Relevant incumbent given its German HQ overlap with Koppie's European GTM and its own sustainability initiatives in coffee sourcing.
• JDE Peet's: Dutch-headquartered global coffee company (Douwe Egberts, Peet's Coffee, L'OR). Major potential B2B customer for Koppie's hybrid blends given its scale in European retail and out-of-home coffee channels.
• Keurig Dr Pepper: Major North American coffee and beverage company with significant single-serve and food-service exposure. Comparable in scale and as a potential partner or competitor given its prior moves into sustainable coffee sourcing and alternative formats.
• Massimo Zanetti Beverage: Italian-headquartered global coffee group (Segafredo, Boncafé) with strong private-label and foodservice positions. Relevant European incumbent in the same hybrid-blend and private-label coffee category.
• Nestlé (Nespresso): Global coffee giant and potential enterprise partner or competitor. Owns Blue Bottle, has deep R&D in plant-based beverages, and is among the 'coffee majors' Koppie is reportedly in discussions with. Both are exposed to the same supply volatility and sustainability pressure.
• Lavazza: Italian coffee roaster with significant private-label and food-service presence across Europe. Comparable as a potential launch partner seeking sustainable, price-stable hybrid blends for its retailer and HoReCa customers.

Emerging players

• Waka Coffee: US-based emerging player in instant and specialty coffee formats, with quality-focused positioning. Comparable as a smaller-scale coffee-format innovator targeting premium and convenience-driven consumer occasions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/drinkkoppie

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors5 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 Koppie