Masaba Coffee

What Masaba Coffee does

Masaba Coffee (legal entity Masaba Sagl) is a Swiss specialty coffee roastery headquartered in Ticino that roasts and sells fair-trade African coffee under a single multi-format brand. The company sources green coffee primarily from Uganda (Mount Elgon, where it has revived six washing stations and works with roughly 7,000 farmers), with additional origins in Rwanda, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Angola. Its product portfolio spans whole beans, ground coffee, 44mm E.S.E. pods, capsules, and accessories (pod machines, Moka pots, cups), organized across nine color-coded blends plus the MASABA 500 sub-brand, with a natural CO2 decaffeination process used for decaf SKUs. Distribution runs through three channels: a Shopify-powered direct-to-consumer e-commerce store (masabacoffee.ch), a hybrid warehouse/store/office/training coffee house in Bironico, and a B2B office coffee service with a 15-day free trial targeting Swiss enterprises.

The business model combines predominantly one-time e-commerce purchases with a recurring B2B office subscription layer, priced in CHF with free shipping above CHF 90. Pricing spans CHF 7.90 for entry-level 250g beans to CHF 210 for a pod machine, with premium blends (Masaba GREEN CHF 21.00, GOLD/VIOLET CHF 19.00) and pod boxes priced up to CHF 59.00. The company differentiates on a 25+ year origin story linking Ticino volunteers to Ugandan farming communities, supported by ongoing social programs (school construction for girls in Karamoja, professional reintegration partnerships with Caritas Ticino), and sports-cause marketing (SWISS TRIATHLON). Leadership is founder-led (Jean-Claude Luvini) with a team of approximately 15 across sales, customer care, operations, events, and technical roles. In November 2025, the company closed a CHF 968,000 equity crowdinvesting round on Oomnium at 200% of target, earmarked for a new coffee house and roastery in Monteceneri and national expansion across Switzerland.

Name

Masaba Coffee

Legal name

Masaba Sagl

Website

https://masabacoffee.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Masaba Coffee is a Swiss specialty coffee roastery in Ticino that roasts and sells fair-trade African coffee (primarily Ugandan) through DTC e-commerce, a physical coffee house in Bironico, and a B2B office subscription service, serving Swiss consumers and enterprise clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Roastery

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee Roasters with Cafe (Roastery Cafes) (THAFADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI), Single-Serve Coffee (Pods, Capsules) (CRADAHAH), Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Beverage Wholesale (AFAIAGAD)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee roasting
• Fair trade African coffee
• Office coffee service
• Coffee pods and capsules
• E-commerce coffee retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Savosa Paese

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Direct sales of roasted coffee products including beans, ground coffee, pods/capsules, and accessories through e-commerce store. Primarily one-time purchase model with free shipping threshold.
2. Office Coffee Service: B2B office coffee supply with 15-day free trial offering, targeting Swiss businesses and organizations.
3. Crowdinvesting: Raised CHF 968,000 through Oomnium crowdinvesting platform, nearly double their target, for expansion.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Masaba Coffee roasts and sells fair trade specialty coffee sourced primarily from Uganda (Mount Elgon) and other African origins as whole beans, ground coffee, E.S.E. pods and capsules, together with coffee accessories and ancillary products. The company distributes through a Shopify e-commerce store for Swiss consumers, a physical coffee house in Bironico, and an office coffee supply service for Swiss businesses with a 15-day free trial.

Product overview

Masaba Coffee is a Ticino-based coffee roastery and B2C e-commerce business offering fair trade coffee sourced from Uganda and other African origins. The product portfolio spans whole coffee beans, ground coffee, E.S.E. pods, and capsules — organized under the main brand and the Masaba 500 sub-brand — along with accessories (pod machines, Moka pots, cups) and select food/drink items. The company also operates a Masaba for Office corporate supply service. The brand centers on nine core coffee blends (COPPER, GOLD, BLUE, VIOLET, GREEN, SILVER, PINK, SWISS TRIATHLON, SWISS) plus two smaller-format offerings (RED, YELLOW), each available across multiple formats (beans, ground, pods, capsules).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MASABA 500: A collection of nine Masaba coffee blends (SWISS TRIATHLON, COPPER, VIOLET, SILVER, PINK, GOLD, SWISS, GREEN, BLUE) available in 500g packaging format.

Products and services

• Coffee Beans Collection Whole coffee beans sold across the nine core Masaba blends (SWISS TRIATHLON, VIOLET, GOLD, PINK, GREEN, SWISS, COPPER, SILVER, BLUE) plus smaller-format offerings RED and YELLOW, in 250g, 500g and 1kg sizes priced from CHF 7.90 to CHF 27.00. Targeted at Swiss home consumers and coffee enthusiasts seeking fair trade single-origin and blended African coffees.
• Ground Coffee Collection Pre-ground coffee available in the same Masaba blend varieties as the Beans collection, sold in 250g, 500g and 1kg packages. Designed for Swiss consumers who brew with drip, moka or French press methods and do not grind at home.
• Coffee Pods (Pads / E.S.E.) Collection 44mm E.S.E. (Easy Serving Espresso) pods across the Masaba blend range, including the eco-friendly Masaba COPPER and Masaba GOLD 30 Eco Pods. Priced CHF 17.00–CHF 59.00 per box. Targeted at Swiss consumers using pod-compatible espresso machines and offices seeking simpler brewing.
• Coffee Capsules Collection Coffee capsules compatible with standard capsule machines, featured SKU Masaba RED Capsules at CHF 52.00 for 50 units. Targeted at Swiss capsule-machine owners who want an authentic African alternative to Nespresso-style multinational capsules.
• Coffee Accessories Collection Coffee-related hardware and accessories including the MIGNON Pod Machine (CHF 210.00), Moka Bialetti Induction (from CHF 49.90), milk jugs, sugar holders, cappuccino cups and espresso cups (CHF 8.00–CHF 11.50). Targeted at Swiss home consumers and offices equipping their coffee corners.
• MASABA 500 Sub-Brand Collection A curated sub-brand collection featuring the nine core Masaba blends (SWISS TRIATHLON, COPPER, VIOLET, SILVER, PINK, GOLD, SWISS, GREEN, BLUE) positioned in 500g packaging as the MASABA 500 line. Targeted at Swiss consumers and offices seeking the larger-grammage format.
• Masaba for Office (Office Coffee Service) Corporate office coffee supply service offering a 15-day free trial, dedicated Masaba products for office use, and tailored hospitality solutions on a monthly subscription cadence. Targeted at Swiss businesses, restaurants, hotels and organizations using coffee for workplace hospitality and client meetings.
• Ancillary Products (Chocolates, Tea, Paper Products) Ancillary catalogue covering Wernli Sablé biscuits, El Mundo chocolates (white, dark, fondente, gold, latte, nocciola, pistacchio, bacio), Crowning's Tea (Earl Grey, Camomile, Berry) and paper cups with lids. Targeted at Swiss consumers bundling with coffee purchases and at offices seeking a one-stop beverage/snack supplier.

Quantifiable outcome

• CHF 968,000 raised through crowdinvesting, exceeding target by 100%
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• SWISS TRIATHLONcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFor every bag of Masaba Swiss Triathlon coffee purchased, CHF 5.00 is donated to young talents of SWISS TRIATHLON. This partnership supports Swiss athletic development while promoting the brand.
• Association for Cooperation between Ticino and UgandacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA portion of Masaba Coffee proceeds is donated to this association, contributing to construction of schools for girls in the semi-desert region of Karamoja, northern Uganda. This partnership is central to the company's social mission.
• Caritas TicinosupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMasaba Coffee collaborates with Caritas Ticino and other organizations focused on professional reintegration of people in need, including those facing unemployment, disability, or former prisoners.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Gardelli Specialty Coffees: Independent Italian micro-roastery focused on high-end single-origin and competition-grade coffees with strong direct-to-consumer e-commerce. Comparable in size, craft positioning and premium pricing to Masaba.
• Hasbean Coffee: Long-running UK specialty micro-roaster with a single-origin focus, e-commerce DTC motion and direct farmer relationships — comparable craft-scale and D2C specialty model to Masaba.
• Ditta Artigianale: Florence-based Italian specialty coffee roaster and café chain with origin-driven storytelling and roast-to-cafe model, closely mirroring Masaba's roastery + DTC + social-mission positioning at a similar scale.
• Blaser Café: Established Bern-based Swiss specialty coffee roaster serving B2B offices, hotels and retail with branded single-origin and blend products — overlapping business model and customer base with Masaba's office-coffee and DTC operations.
• Caffè Chicco d'Oro: Ticino-anchored Swiss coffee roaster with a comparable mix of roasted coffee, pods/capsules and strong Swiss retail presence. Same operating canton and similar specialty positioning make it the most directly comparable peer.

Emerging players

• Counter Culture Coffee: US specialty coffee roaster known for direct-trade farmer relationships, sustainability programs and education-led go-to-market — analogous fair-trade/educational DNA to Masaba's Uganda project storytelling.
• Kicking Horse Coffee: Canadian organic/fair-trade specialty roaster with strong brand storytelling and scaled DTC distribution. Comparable to Masaba's positioning around ethical sourcing and impact-led branding, though at significantly larger scale.

Broad incumbents

• illy: Italian premium-coffee brand focused on espresso, pods (iperEspresso) and sustainable sourcing (Ernesto Illy Foundation). Overlaps Masaba's premium and sustainability-led positioning while operating at a much larger scale.
• Nespresso (Nestlé): Swiss-based global leader in portioned coffee and capsules and the dominant incumbent in Masaba's home office-coffee market. Multiple Masaba customers explicitly cite switching away from Nespresso, framing it as the primary competitive benchmark.
• Lavazza: Large Italian coffee major with growing specialty/sustainability positioning (e.g., ¡Tierra! line) that competes with Masaba for premium and ethically-sourced shelf and office share across Europe.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/masabacoffee
• Facebookfacebook.com/masabacoffee
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/2683443

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

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 Masaba Coffee