Coffee-Bike
Coffee-Bike GmbH operates a mobile coffee franchise system built around proprietary autonomous cargo-bike cafés, deployed across ~250 bikes in 13 countries, generating revenue from franchise fees, bike sales, event catering, and its Caferino coffee brand.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersOsnabrück, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Coffee-Bike does
Coffee-Bike GmbH is a German mobile coffee franchise operator founded in 2010 in Osnabrück by Tobias Zimmer, with a managing director (Mark Rüter) and approximately 30 headquarters staff. The company's core product is a self-sufficient mobile coffee bar built around a custom cargo bike equipped with a proprietary hand-lever portafilter machine, an on-demand grinder, and an autonomous water-and-power system that allows up to 18 hours of operation without external utilities outdoors (or with a standard 230V socket indoors). Each bike is rated to produce approximately 100 specialty drinks per hour, and approximately 300 units have been built in Osnabrück over 15 years at an estimated €1 million of cumulative platform development cost; ~250 of these bikes are currently in operation across 13 countries.
The business operates on four revenue streams: franchise fees and partner onboarding into the Coffee-Bike system; the sale of Coffee-Bike units to franchisees and operators; direct mobile coffee catering for corporate events, weddings, and promotions booked via an online event planner; and retail sales of the proprietary Caferino organic coffee bean range (espresso blend and 100% Arabica) plus merchandise through the shop.coffee-bike.com e-commerce channel. The franchise partners can select fixed-location, event-only, or hybrid operating models, and are supported through the Coffee-Bike Academy training program and an annual Franchise Partner Day.
Coffee-Bike's customer base spans four segments: enterprise event catering (logos include Bugatti, Deutsche Telekom, Samsung SDI, FitX, Douglas, La Francaise Real Estate Managers, Roadsurfer); on-premise venue placements (hospitals, zoos, hotels, offices, retail); aspiring franchise entrepreneurs; and individual bean/merchandise consumers. The company is founder-owned and private, has no funding rounds, and runs its UK operations through a wholly-owned subsidiary (Coffee-Bike International Ltd., London) and its Romanian operations through a master franchise partner. A GPS-tracked mobile app supports bike location, and a charitable partnership with Terre des hommes ties Caferino sales to donations.
Coffee-Bike firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Coffee-Bike
- Legal name
- Coffee-Bike GmbH
- Website
- https://coffee-bike.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Coffee-Bike GmbH operates a mobile coffee franchise system built around proprietary autonomous cargo-bike cafés, deployed across ~250 bikes in 13 countries, generating revenue from franchise fees, bike sales, event catering, and its Caferino coffee brand.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Coffee-Bike industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mobile Coffee Equipment
- NAICS
- Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Coffee Chains & Franchise Cafes (THAFADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Beverage Service (Coffee/Tea/Juice) & Refreshment Stations (HSACAGAJ), Specialty Coffee Shops (Single-Origin, Third-Wave) (THAFADAA)
Keywords
Where Coffee-Bike is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Osnabrück
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Coffee-Bike business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Franchise Fees: Franchise partners pay fees to join the Coffee-Bike franchise system, receiving the proven business concept, training, support, and brand recognition in return.
- Coffee-Bike Sales: Sale of Coffee-Bike units to franchise partners or businesses wanting to operate their own mobile coffee business.
- Event Catering Services: Mobile coffee catering booked for events, corporate functions, and promotions. Customers can book through the online event planner.
- Caferino Coffee Products: Sale of Caferino branded coffee beans (organic espresso and coffee) through the online shop for home use.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Coffee-Bike product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Coffee-Bike GmbH designs, manufactures, and franchises a self-sufficient mobile coffee bar built on a cargo-bike platform, operating approximately 250 units across 13 countries. Each bike can run up to 18 hours without external water or power and serves around 100 specialty coffee drinks per hour using a custom hand-lever portafilter machine and proprietary Caferino organic beans. The company also sells Caferino coffee through its own online shop and books Coffee-Bikes for corporate event catering across Germany, the UK, and Europe.
Product overview
Coffee-Bike GmbH operates a franchise-based mobile coffee business centered on the Coffee-Bike — a self-sufficient cargo bike that functions as a fully equipped mobile café, capable of preparing ~100 drinks per hour (espresso, cappuccino, specialty lattes, cold brew, matcha, and non-coffee beverages) entirely without external water or power connections for up to 18 hours. The product portfolio is anchored by the proprietary Caferino organic coffee brand (both espresso blend and 100% Arabica single-origin), sold through an integrated online shop alongside branded merchandise. The business model combines three complementary revenue streams: direct B2B placement of Coffee-Bikes at commercial locations (permanent pitches in hospitals, zoos, offices, retail, and tourist sites), on-demand mobile coffee catering for events, and franchise partner expansion across 13 countries with ~250 bikes operating globally. The system is backed by ~15 years of development, over €1 million in R&D investment, and manufacturing entirely in Osnabrück, Germany.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Caferino: Coffee-Bike's proprietary organic coffee brand featuring espresso beans (70% Arabica, 30% Robusta) and 100% Arabica coffee beans. Roasted at low temperatures with long roasting times to enhance bean character.
Products and services
- Coffee-Bike (Mobile Coffee Bike) Flagship cargo-bike-mounted mobile coffee bar developed and manufactured in Osnabrück, Germany. Each unit can operate autonomously for up to 18 hours without external water or electricity, uses a proprietary hand-lever portafilter machine and grind-on-demand grinder, can prepare approximately 100 coffee drinks per hour with two baristas, and is GPS-tracked via the Coffee-Bike mobile app. Roughly €1 million has been invested in development. Sold to franchise partners and businesses seeking their own mobile coffee operation.
- Caferino Organic Coffee Beans Proprietary house coffee brand of Coffee-Bike, available as two EU-organic-certified lines: Caferino Espresso (a 70/30 Arabica/Robusta blend with notes of nut and chocolate and a fine crema) and Caferino Arabica 100% (premium single-origin Arabica from Peru and high-altitude Central America, slow-roasted at low temperature). Roasted long and at low temperatures to enhance bean character. Sold via the Coffee-Bike online shop to consumers for home preparation and supplied to franchise partners and Coffee-Bike locations.
- Mobile Coffee Catering / Event Service Professional mobile coffee catering service for corporate events, customer openings, trade fairs, sales events, weddings, and private parties. A Coffee-Bike unit plus trained baristas are deployed to the customer's venue for the duration of the event. Catering pricing is quote-based, varies by event type, duration, and location, and is supported through an online event planner for booking requests. Named past clients include Deutsche Telekom Services Europe SE, Bugatti GmbH, Samsung SDI Europe GmbH, Parfümerie Douglas, roadsurfer, FitX Germany, and La Francaise Real Estate Managers Germany.
- Coffee-Bike Franchise System Turnkey mobile coffee franchise that enables entrepreneurs to operate their own Coffee-Bike business under the Coffee-Bike brand. The franchise package includes a Coffee-Bike unit, multi-day technical and barista training at the Coffee-Bike Academy in Osnabrück, marketing support, site-selection assistance, and access to the Caferino organic coffee supply chain. Partners can choose a fixed-pitch, event-only, or hybrid operating model, with a current StartSmart Deal offering 6 months cost-free start. Operational in 13 countries via direct franchise, master franchise (Romania), and a wholly-owned UK subsidiary (Coffee-Bike International Ltd.).
Quantifiable outcome
- Approximately 40 million coffee specialities sold in 15+ years of operation
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Coffee-Bike
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Coffee-Bike technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature5 records
Coffee-Bike partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Terre des hommes – Help for Children in NeedminorCharitable partnership where Coffee-Bike donates 10 cents to Terre des hommes for each package of Caferino organic espresso or coffee sold. The organization focuses on combating child labor and respecting children's rights in crisis zones worldwide.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Coffee-Bike competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Street Coffee Company: German operator of mobile coffee bikes/events with a similar cargo-bike-based mobile café model and B2B catering focus. Most directly comparable peer given shared geography, product format, and target customers.
- Espresso Rider: German mobile coffee bike operator offering on-site espresso catering at events and corporate functions. Competes head-to-head with Coffee-Bike for enterprise catering and event bookings in the DACH region.
- Wittekind Kaffeerad: Cologne-based mobile coffee bike rental and catering concept offering barista-driven coffee on wheels for events. Comparable in product, target use case (events/corporate) and German market.
- Coffee-Bike's UK mobile coffee bike competitors (e.g., The Espresso Bike): UK-based mobile coffee bike operators providing on-site espresso catering for events, weddings, and corporate clients. Same product format and use cases as Coffee-Bike's UK franchise operations.
Broad incumbents
- Starbucks: Global coffee chain operator with extensive pickup, drive-thru and small-format stores that compete with Coffee-Bike for the daily premium-coffee occasion. A broad incumbent rather than direct mobile-format peer, but sets brand and price benchmarks in the same market.
- Costa Coffee: UK-founded coffee chain now owned by Coca-Cola, with broad store and franchise presence across Europe including markets where Coffee-Bike operates. Competes for the everyday premium coffee occasion, especially in the UK.
- Caffè Nero: Independent Italian-style coffee chain with significant UK and European footprint, competing for the same premium-espresso customer that Coffee-Bike serves at events and venues.
- Pret a Manger: International sandwich and coffee chain with strong UK and European presence, expanding pickup and small-format stores. Competes for the same grab-and-go premium coffee and food occasion as Coffee-Bike's corporate and venue placements.
Emerging players
- Blue Bottle Coffee: Specialty third-wave coffee company focused on freshness, single-origin sourcing and craft barista experience. Comparable to Coffee-Bike's Caferino and craft-coffee positioning, though primarily café and D2C rather than mobile.
Others
- Cargoroo / Larry vs. Harry cargo bike platforms: Specialist cargo bike manufacturers whose platforms are used by mobile vendors including coffee operators. Adjacent enabling participant rather than a competitor, but relevant as a potential alternative hardware supply for any mobile café entrant.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Coffee-Bike social profiles
Digital presenceCoffee-Bike compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Coffee-Bike financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Coffee-Bike leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Coffee-Bike subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Coffee-Bike funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Coffee-Bike 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 Coffee-Bike
What does Coffee-Bike do?
Coffee-Bike GmbH designs, manufactures, and franchises a self-sufficient mobile coffee bar built on a cargo-bike platform, operating approximately 250 units across 13 countries. Each bike can run up to 18 hours without external water or power and serves around 100 specialty coffee drinks per hour using a custom hand-lever portafilter machine and proprietary Caferino organic beans. The company also sells Caferino coffee through its own online shop and books Coffee-Bikes for corporate event catering across Germany, the UK, and Europe.
Is Coffee-Bike a public or private company?
Coffee-Bike is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Coffee-Bike founded?
Coffee-Bike was founded in 2010. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Coffee-Bike based?
Coffee-Bike is headquartered in Osnabrück, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Coffee-Bike make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Franchise Fees are the primary driver. The others are coffee-Bike Sales, event Catering Services and caferino Coffee Products.
Who are Coffee-Bike's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Street Coffee Company, Espresso Rider, Wittekind Kaffeerad and Coffee-Bike's UK mobile coffee bike competitors (e.g., The Espresso Bike). Broad incumbents are Starbucks, Costa Coffee, Caffè Nero and Pret a Manger. Blue Bottle Coffee is listed as an emerging player. Cargoroo / Larry vs. Harry cargo bike platforms is listed as an others.
Does Coffee-Bike have an API?
No public API is recorded for Coffee-Bike.
What industry is Coffee-Bike in?
Coffee-Bike's product category is Mobile Coffee Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFADAB, Coffee Chains & Franchise Cafes, with a secondary code of HSACAGAJ, Beverage Service (Coffee/Tea/Juice) & Refreshment Stations. Its NAICS code is 722515 and its SIC code is 5810.