Raw Coffee

What Raw Coffee does

RAW Coffee Company LLC is a Dubai-headquartered specialty coffee roastery and vertically integrated coffee business founded in 2007 by Kim Thompson, with Matt Toogood joining as 50/50 co-founder. The company operates from a custom-built 13,500 sqft roastery, café, and SCA Premier Training Campus in Al Quoz, sourcing green coffee through direct and ethically traded relationships with producers in 10 countries (Rwanda, Ethiopia, Uganda, Yemen, El Salvador, Brazil, Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, Burundi), and supporting 350+ smallholder farmers via its partner Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza.

The core product portfolio consists of premium single-origin coffees (including rare anaerobic and experimental microlots), three signature blends (Working Blend, Black Tie, LBD), a flexible subscription service, and a curated catalog of espresso machines, grinders, brewing equipment, and café goods from brands including Rocket Espresso, La Marzocco, Nuova Simonelli, Eureka, and MilkLab. As official UAE distributor for Rocket Espresso, RAW also generates equipment, warranty, and servicing revenue. The company runs an SCA-accredited training program at Foundation, Intermediate, and Professional levels across barista, brewing, and sensory skills, plus domestic home barista courses and seasonal training camps.

Revenue is generated across five streams — D2C retail, subscriptions, commercial/wholesale B2B supply, equipment sales and servicing, and SCA training — served through a hybrid channel mix: a Shopify-based e-commerce storefront shipping to 10 countries, the Al Quoz café/showroom open daily, a dedicated commercial sales team, and on-site training delivery. Customers span specialty coffee cafés, restaurants, hotels, offices, event/catering partners, retail consumers, and aspiring coffee professionals. Pricing is in AED, with coffee at AED 60–318 per 250–500g bag, equipment from AED 30 accessories to AED 50,500 commercial machines, and training from AED 1,050 to AED 6,150.

Name

Raw Coffee

Legal name

RAW Coffee Company LLC

Website

https://rawcoffeecompany.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dubai-based specialty coffee roastery founded in 2007, sourcing direct-trade green beans from 10 countries and serving B2B clients (cafés, hotels, offices) and B2C consumers through retail, subscriptions, equipment distribution, and SCA-accredited training.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Roasting

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee (Roasted, Ground, Whole Bean) (CRADAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Coffee Roasters with Cafe (Roastery Cafes) (THAFADAE), Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAD), Coffee & Tea Concentrates, Syrups & Extracts (CRADAHAI)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee roasting
• Coffee wholesale supply
• Barista training services
• Coffee equipment distribution
• Direct trade coffee

Headquarters

HQ city

Dubai

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Coffee Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of specialty coffee beans including single origins, blends, and rare/experimental coffees through the e-commerce platform and physical café. Coffees are sourced from 10 different origin countries with direct trade relationships.
2. Coffee Subscriptions: Recurring subscription service delivering freshly roasted coffee on weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly schedules. Customers can subscribe to blends or single origin coffees with flexible delivery intervals. Subscriptions can be edited, paused, or cancelled at any time.
3. Commercial/Wholesale Solutions: B2B supply of coffee, equipment, and beverage ingredients to cafes, restaurants, hotels, bars, and offices. Includes tailored beverage development, white label options, and commercial automated coffee solutions (e.g., DR. COFFEE F11 machines).
4. Equipment Sales & Servicing: Sales and servicing of espresso machines (Rocket, La Marzocco, Nuova Simonelli) and brewing equipment. Official UAE distributor for Rocket Espresso. Services include warranty support, annual maintenance, and parts replacement for commercial and consumer equipment.
5. SCA Training Courses: SCA-accredited barista skills, brewing, and sensory skills training at Foundation, Intermediate, and Professional levels. Also offers domestic/home barista courses and commercial training programs. Training conducted at their Al Quoz SCA premier training campus.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

RAW Coffee Company roasts and supplies specialty coffee beans (single origins and house blends) sourced directly from producers in 10 countries, selling them to consumers via an e-commerce store and subscriptions, to wholesale clients (cafes, restaurants, hotels, offices) through a B2B division, and through its own cafe/showroom in Al Quoz, Dubai. The company also distributes espresso equipment, runs an SCA-accredited training campus, and provides equipment servicing, operating as a vertically integrated specialty coffee business.

Product overview

RAW Coffee Company operates as a specialty coffee roastery and café with a diversified portfolio of products and services. The core offering centers on premium single-origin coffees sourced directly from 10+ countries (Rwanda, Ethiopia, Uganda, Yemen, El Salvador, Brazil, Peru, Mexico, Guatemala, Burundi, Colombia) and signature house blends (Working Blend, Black Tie Blend, LBD Blend), available through direct purchase or subscription. Complementary product lines include commercial and home espresso equipment from Rocket, La Marzocco, Nuova Simonelli, and Sage; brewing equipment (AeroPress, Chemex, Bodum, Bialetti); and café goods (MilkLab non-dairy milks, ceremonial matcha). The company provides SCA-accredited training programs at its Al Quoz campus spanning barista, brewing, and sensory skills at Foundation through Professional levels, plus domestic home barista courses. B2B services encompass commercial wholesale supply, office solutions featuring the DR. COFFEE F11 automated machine (up to 100 cups/day), and event catering. Equipment servicing and repair is offered through official distributor relationships. The RAW Café at the roastery serves as both showroom and dining destination.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Single Origin Coffees

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple World Coffee Championship placements (1st, 3rd, 4th place)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• SCA (Specialty Coffee Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRAW operates as an SCA-authorized training campus offering SCA Coffee Skills Program (CSP) courses. The company has in-house Authorized SCA Trainers (ASTs) providing barista skills, brewing, and sensory skills training at Foundation, Intermediate, and Professional levels. RAW's founders hold the first SCA Diploma qualification in MENA.
• Rocket EspressocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial UAE distributor for Rocket Espresso espresso machines. RAW provides sales, warranty support, servicing, and parts for Rocket machines throughout the UAE market.
• La MarzoccomajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized reseller and service provider for La Marzocco espresso machines in the UAE. Offers sales, maintenance, and repair services.
• Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza (FAF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with FAF, a family-run operation in Brazil supporting over 350 smallholding farmers in the Serra dos Ciganos community. Enables sourcing of exceptional Brazilian coffees with sustainability and quality focus.
• Equal OriginsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEqual Origins focuses on equitable coffee supply chains. RAW's alignment with their mission supports their direct trade and ethical sourcing practices.
• MilkLabminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized reseller of MilkLab non-dairy milk products (almond, coconut, oat) for use in coffee applications.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• La Marzocco: Premium espresso machine OEM for whom RAW is an authorised UAE reseller and service partner; relevant as both a key supplier and as a reference point for the high-end equipment ecosystem RAW participates in.

Emerging players

• Common Room Coffee Roasters: Dubai-based specialty coffee roaster with café operations and wholesale supply; emerging competitor in the same premium UAE specialty segment.
• The Espresso Lab: UAE specialty coffee operator with roastery, café and training offerings; partial overlap with RAW across specialty roasting and education in the same regional market.

Direct peers

• Stomping Grounds: Dubai-based specialty coffee roaster and café operator with wholesale and D2C channels; comparable to RAW as a UAE homegrown specialty roaster competing in the same local customer base.
• Counter Culture Coffee: US specialty coffee roaster recognised for direct trade sourcing and extensive professional training programs; directly comparable to RAW on direct trade ethos and training-as-revenue approach.
• % Arabica: Japan-origin specialty coffee brand with rapid global rollout and active UAE/GCC presence; directly comparable to RAW in premium single-origin positioning and direct-to-consumer specialty café model.
• Nightjar Coffee Roasters: Dubai-based specialty coffee roaster and café with focus on direct trade and quality-driven sourcing; mirrors RAW's positioning as a quality-first specialty player in the same city.
• Coffee Planet: UAE-headquartered specialty coffee roaster and supplier serving cafes, hotels, offices and retail; closely comparable to RAW in operating model (roastery + B2B wholesale + retail) and MENA geographic focus.
• The Roastery by JIEDA: UAE specialty coffee roastery also based in Al Quoz, Dubai, supplying cafes, restaurants and offices; directly comparable on location, customer mix and product range.

Broad incumbents

• Café Younes: Lebanon-origin specialty coffee roaster with regional MENA footprint across retail, wholesale and training; broader incumbent comparison for RAW's diversification across B2B, B2C and education.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rawcoffee

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Raw Coffee