Coffee friends

What Coffee friends does

Amici Caffè AG is a privately held Swiss specialty coffee roaster and retailer founded in 1979 by Francesco Illy and headquartered in Steinhausen in the canton of Zug. The company sells premium nine-origin Arabica coffee as blends and single origins, in multiple formats: its proprietary E.S.E. paper pods (18 and 40 portions), its proprietary TEN Professional Espresso System paper pods (12 and 50 portions) containing approximately 10g of coffee per pod, and 250g whole-bean or ground bags for traditional brewing. The product offering extends to a full machine ecosystem covering home and professional use — La Piccola and LT1 E.S.E. machines for E.S.E. pods, and Flytek TEN, Reniala R1, ZIP PRO 2 and MAXIBAR machines for the TEN system — plus designer porcelain chinaware sub-brands (Mou, Poi ti spiego!, Anniversary Collection, Monologue Stories), traditional and Alessi-designer moka pots, accessories, and resale of Dammann Frères teas.

The business is anchored in a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform at amici.ch, published in English, Italian, French and German, supplemented by physical retail stores in Switzerland. Revenue mechanics are largely transactional unit sales of coffee, machines, and accessories (priced in Swiss Francs, tax included) with two recurring-revenue layers — coffee subscriptions and gift cards — and a loyalty-points program that converts spend into vouchers. Customer segments span individual coffee enthusiasts seeking Italian-bar-quality espresso at home, Italian restaurants and cafés that adopt the TEN system, and gift buyers purchasing premium coffee assortments or digital gift cards.

Amici is family-owned with no disclosed external institutional investor; leadership passed in 2022 from founders Francesco and Annemarie Illy to their children Ernesto and Vittoria, coinciding with a rebrand, a new blend, the TEN system launch, and a sustainability program built around Rainforest Alliance certification targets and a 200,000+ tree reforestation partnership spanning Sekem (Egypt) since 2012 and Antoetra (Madagascar) since 2020.

Name

Coffee friends

Legal name

Amici Caffè AG

Website

https://amici.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Amici Caffè is a Swiss specialty coffee roaster and retailer founded in 1979, selling premium nine-origin Arabica blends and single origins via proprietary E.S.E. and TEN paper pod systems, Italian-designed espresso machines, and designer chinaware to home enthusiasts and hospitality buyers across Switzerland and select Western European markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192), Small Electrical Appliance Manufacturing (335210)

SIC

Beverages (2080), Electric Housewares & Fans (3634)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee Blending & Flavoring (AFAFADAC)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee
• Espresso machines
• Coffee pods
• Arabica blends
• Coffee accessories

Headquarters

HQ city

Steinhausen

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Coffee Product Sales: Revenue from selling premium Arabica coffee in various formats including TEN pods (12 and 50 portions), E.S.E. pods (18 and 40 portions), and 250g bags of whole beans or ground coffee.
2. Coffee Machines: Sales of proprietary coffee machines including La Piccola, LT1 E.S.E., Flytek TEN, Reniala R1, ZIP TEN, ZIP PRO 2, and MAXIBAR for home and professional use.
3. Accessories and Chinaware: Sales of Moka pots, accessories (tampers, grinders, measuring spoons), and designer porcelain cups including MOU Collection, Poi ti spiego!, and Anniversary Collection.
4. Subscriptions: Recurring subscription model for regular coffee deliveries, offering convenience and customer retention.
5. Gift Cards: Digital gift cards available for purchase, redeemable across the entire product range.
6. Tea and Delicacies: Sales of Dammann Frères teas including regular and iced tea varieties.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Amici Caffè sells premium coffee machines and proprietary paper pod coffee systems (TEN and E.S.E.) along with a curated nine-origin Arabica coffee blend. The product range includes home and professional espresso machines (La Piccola, LT1, Flytek TEN, Reniala R1, ZIP PRO 2, MAXIBAR), paper coffee pods, 250g whole bean and ground coffee, moka pots, designer porcelain chinaware, premium teas, and coffee accessories.

Product overview

Amici Caffè is a Swiss specialty coffee company offering a comprehensive coffee ecosystem centered on two proprietary pod systems: E.S.E. (Easy Serving Espresso) and TEN (Professional Espresso System). The core offering includes premium nine-origin Arabica blends and single-origin coffees available in various formats (pods in 12/50 count, 250g beans/ground). The product line encompasses home espresso machines including compact E.S.E. machines (La Piccola, LT1) and professional TEN system machines (Flytek TEN, Reniala R1, ZIP PRO 2, MAXIBAR). Complementary products include designer porcelain chinaware collections (MOU, Poi ti spiego!, Anniversary), premium teas from Dammann Frères, Moka Express stovetop pots, and coffee accessories. The company operates an e-commerce platform with gift voucher and subscription services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AMICI Blend Coffee Premium coffee blend composed of nine pure Arabica varieties from Honduras, San Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, India, Brazil, Ethiopia, Colombia, and Nicaragua, with notes of cocoa, jasmine, ripe fruit, caramel, and spicy dried fruit on a silky body.
• TEN 50 Pods Paper coffee pods for the TEN system containing approximately 10 grams of coffee per portion, in a 50-count pack. Available with the Amici blend or single origins. Compatible only with TEN system machines.
• TEN 12 Pods Smaller 12-count pack of TEN paper pods with the same 10-gram coffee content and Amici blend. Ideal for trying the TEN system before committing to larger packs.
• E.S.E. 18 Pods

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 40% more coffee per pod compared to standard capsules
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Rainforest AlliancecoreOthers · 1 January 2021Amici Caffè is working toward 100% Rainforest Alliance certification for all green coffees, with the goal of producing only certified coffees. The company has committed to this certification target as part of its sustainability initiative, though the 2021-2022 harvest was not 100% certified due to quality requirements.
• Dammann FrèresminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAmici Caffè resells Dammann Frères teas, a historic French tea house founded in 1692 with royal privilege and re-established in the 1940s by brothers Robert and Pierre Dammann. Tea offerings include regular and iced varieties.
• Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Design & ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExclusive collaboration for the 40th anniversary collection, where students from Lucerne submitted cup designs for the MOU Anniversary Collection. The community voted on favorites and winning designs were produced.
• AlessiminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerAmici Caffè partners with Alessi for the Moka Pulcina product line, designed by Michele De Lucchi. The moka pot is made of aluminum for outstanding thermal conductivity and is suitable for induction hobs.
• Luca TrazzicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLuca Trazzi is the designer of the LT1 E.S.E. coffee machine, bringing Italian design expertise to the product line. The company is also developing new machines for both E.S.E. and TEN systems designed by Trazzi.
• Sekem Initiative (Egypt)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental partnership for tree planting in Sekem, Egypt, started in 2012. Part of Amici's sustainability commitment to minimize CO2 emissions through reforestation.
• Antoetra (Madagascar)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental partnership for tree planting in Antoetra, Madagascar, started in 2020. Combined with Sekem, the company has planted more than 200,000 trees as part of its sustainability initiative.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pellini Caffè: Italian specialty coffee roaster offering beans, ground coffee, pods, and capsules. Comparable to Amici as a mid-sized Italian specialty roaster with E.S.E. and capsule offerings competing for similar shelf and D2C shelf space.
• Caffè Vergnano: Italian heritage coffee roaster offering E.S.E. pods, beans, capsules, and machines. Closely comparable to Amici as a family-owned Italian-style specialty coffee company with E.S.E. pod distribution and similar D2C positioning.
• Bialetti Industrie: Italian maker of the Moka Express and espresso accessories. Comparable to Amici's moka pot, accessory, and Italian-designed home espresso offering; both target the home Italian-style espresso enthusiast segment.
• Kimbo Caffè: Naples-based Italian coffee roaster selling beans, pods (E.S.E. and capsule), and ground coffee. Comparable to Amici as a Southern Italian-style specialty roaster with pod-based D2C offerings and food service distribution.

Others

• Alessi: Italian design house and existing Amici partner (Moka Pulcina). Comparable as an ecosystem partner/adjacent premium design brand rather than a direct competitor; relevant for benchmarking Amici's design-led premium positioning.

Broad incumbents

• De'Longhi: Italian home appliance manufacturer with a major espresso and pod/coffee machine portfolio. Comparable through Amici's machine line (La Piccola, LT1, Reniala, ZIP, MAXIBAR), though De'Longhi operates at mass-market scale.
• Smeg: Italian design-led home appliance maker including espresso and drip coffee machines. Comparable to Amici's design partnership approach (Trazzi, Alessi) and its positioning of coffee machines as lifestyle objects.
• illycaffè: Premium Italian espresso brand selling beans, E.S.E. pods, and capsules. Directly comparable to Amici's E.S.E. pod and Arabica blend offering, and notably shares the Illy family heritage (Amici's founder Francesco Illy).
• Lavazza: Italian coffee giant offering espresso blends, pods (Espresso Point, A Modo Mio, Blue), and machines. Directly comparable to Amici's blend-and-pod business with strong Italian heritage and a wider product range.
• Nespresso (Nestlé): Global leader in portioned coffee with proprietary capsule machines. Overlaps directly with Amici's closed pod-system model and premium D2C positioning, but at vastly larger scale and with plastic/aluminum capsules rather than paper.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/amici.caffe
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/amici-caff%C3%A8-ag
• Instagraminstagram.com/amici_caffe

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Coffee friends