IMF

What IMF does

IMF s.r.l. (trading as IMF Roasters) is an Italian manufacturer of professional coffee roasting machines and turnkey roasting plants, headquartered in Occhiobello, Italy, and founded around 1994. All equipment is designed and built domestically, with a portfolio spanning compact shop roasters (RM2, RM6, RM15 with 6–15 kg batches) through to large industrial units (RM30, RM60, RM240, RM480 with 30–480 kg per cycle and up to approximately 1,920 kg per hour on the flagship RM480). The product range is anchored by two registered patents — a vortex airflow system and a hot-air recirculation system — combined with an integrated afterburner architecture that delivers documented gas-consumption reductions of roughly 30% versus comparable equipment and up to 69% in specific customer deployments, alongside low-NOx emissions. Around the roasters, IMF sells a complete plant-solutions stack covering green coffee intake, conveying, cleaning, storage silos, blending, industrial grinding, ground-coffee conveying, degassing, packaging, and environmental systems including heat recovery, catalytic and thermal oxidizers, dust extraction, and green-coffee preheating.

The company monetizes primarily through one-off capital-equipment sales on a quote-based, non-publicly-disclosed pricing model, complemented by professional services (coffee roasting consultancy covering blend development, sensory profiling, and thermal-curve optimization; plant design consultancy; and preventive maintenance programs) plus coffee-lab instruments (LR 300 sample roaster, Lighttells CM100+ colorimeter, Lighttells MD500 moisture/density analyzer). Its go-to-market is consultative and direct: a multilingual website with configurator and quote-request forms, direct field sales for plant projects, and recurring presence at flagship industry events including the Paris Coffee Show, Hotelex Chengdu, and World of Coffee San Diego. Customer evidence spans specialty micro-roasters (Café Lauca, Bell Lane Coffee), mid-market operators (Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters, Tall Order Coffee Roasters, Escape Cafe, JOCaffè Rösterei & Maschinen), startups (Celsius Roasters), and large enterprises (Caffè Borbone, Scott Rao/Prodigal), with active distribution across at least 50 countries in Europe, North America, and South Asia. The company is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors, funding rounds, or parent entities, and has operated as a stable, founder-controlled manufacturer for more than three decades.

Name

IMF

Legal name

IMF s.r.l.

Website

https://imf-srl.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IMF s.r.l. (IMF Roasters) is an Italian manufacturer of professional coffee roasting machines and turnkey plant solutions, serving specialty micro-roasters through large industrial coffee producers across more than 50 countries with patented vortex airflow and integrated afterburner technology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Coffee Roasting Equipment

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee Roasting & Grinding (AFAFADAB)

Keywords

• Coffee roasting machines
• Industrial coffee roasters
• Roasting plant solutions
• Coffee processing equipment
• Specialty coffee roasters

Headquarters

HQ city

Occhiobello

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Coffee Roasting Equipment Sales: Sale of professional coffee roasting machines ranging from small shop roasters (6-15 kg batches) to industrial roasters (30-480 kg per cycle). Equipment available in gas and electric versions.
2. Complete Plant Solutions: Design and delivery of complete, tailored coffee roasting plants. Includes green coffee intake systems, conveyors, cleaning and sorting systems, storage silos, blending systems, grinding, and packaging solutions.
3. Consultancy Services: Coffee roasting consultancy including blend development, roasting process optimization, sensory panel direction, and post-roast workflow optimization. Professional services for operational excellence.
4. Coffee Lab Equipment: Sale of coffee laboratory equipment including sample roasters (LR 300), colorimeters (Lighttells CM100+), and moisture/density analyzers (Lighttells MD500).
5. Environmental Solutions: Heat recovery systems, catalytic oxidizers, thermal oxidizers, dust extraction systems, and green coffee preheating systems for environmental compliance and energy efficiency.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

IMF (IMF s.r.l.) designs, manufactures, and sells professional coffee roasting machines and complete turnkey roasting plants from its facility in Occhiobello, Italy. The product range spans shop roasters (6-15 kg batches) for specialty coffee shops and micro roasters, industrial roasters (30-480 kg per cycle) for large-scale operations, supporting plant solutions covering the entire production chain, and specialized lab equipment for quality control.

Product overview

IMF Roasters is an Italian manufacturer of professional coffee roasting machines and complete turnkey roasting plants with over 30 years of experience. The product portfolio includes two main categories: Shop Roasters (RM2, RM6, RM15) designed for small roasteries and specialty coffee shops with capacities from 6 kg to 15 kg batches; and Industrial Roasters (RM30, RM60, RM240, RM480) for medium and large-scale operations with capacities ranging from 30 kg to 480 kg per cycle. Supporting the roasters, IMF offers comprehensive Plant Solutions covering the entire production chain from green coffee intake through storage, conveying, cleaning, roasting, cooling, grinding, ground coffee handling, degassing, blending, and packaging. This includes specialized subsystems for green and roasted coffee storage silos, various conveyor types, blending systems, and industrial grinders. The Environmental Solutions portfolio provides heat recovery systems, catalytic and thermal oxidizers, dust extraction, and green coffee preheating systems. IMF also offers Coffee Lab Equipment including the LR 300 sample roaster, Lighttells CM100+ colorimeter, and Lighttells MD500 moisture/density analyzer. Additional services include roasting consultancy, plant design consultancy, and preventive maintenance programs. All equipment is manufactured 100% in Italy and features patented Vortex airflow technology and integrated afterburner systems for energy efficiency.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• RM2 Coffee Roaster
• RM6 Coffee Roaster
• RM15 Coffee Roaster
• RM30 Coffee Roaster
• RM60 Coffee Roaster
• RM240 Coffee Roaster
• RM480 Coffee Roaster
• LR 300 Sample Roaster
• Lighttells CM100+ Colorimeter
• Lighttells MD500 Moisture & Density Analyzer
• Complete Plant Solutions
• Environmental Roasting Solutions
• Coffee Roasting Consultancy
• Plant Design Consultancy
• Preventive Maintenance Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• 69% reduction in natural gas consumption per kilogram (from 0.25 to 0.078 cubic metres)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Specialty Coffee Association (SCA)minorOthersIMF is a member of the Specialty Coffee Association, demonstrating commitment to the specialty coffee industry and access to industry standards and networking opportunities.
• GITC (Gruppo Italiano Torrefattori Caffè)minorOthersIMF is a member of the Italian Coffee Roasters Group, an industry association supporting Italian coffee roasting standards and practices.
• Garbin Coffee TrademinorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMF provides a link to Garbin Coffee Trade for green coffee supply, suggesting a partnership for complete coffee solutions from green bean sourcing through roasting.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Loring Smart Roast: US-based manufacturer of energy-efficient coffee roasters known for their patented single-drum hot-air roasting technology that eliminates the need for an afterburner. Directly competes with IMF in the specialty and mid-market roaster segments with a similar energy-efficiency value proposition.
• Probat: German-based global leader in coffee processing and roasting equipment, manufacturing industrial and shop roasters, grinders, and complete plants. Directly competes with IMF across the full spectrum from small specialty roasters to large industrial installations.
• Diedrich Manufacturing: US-based specialty coffee roaster manufacturer producing IR-series roasters and aftermarket afterburners, serving the North American specialty coffee market. Directly competes with IMF for specialty roaster customers in the US and Canada.
• Toper: Turkish coffee roasting equipment manufacturer with a global footprint, offering small to medium-capacity roasters. Directly competes with IMF in emerging market segments and mid-tier specialty roaster categories.
• Giesen Coffee Roasters: Dutch premium coffee roasting equipment manufacturer offering a full range from sample roasters to industrial-capacity machines. Directly competes with IMF across European specialty roaster channels and complete plant solutions.
• Joper: Brazilian coffee roasting equipment manufacturer producing roasters and complete plants, dominant in Latin American coffee-producing markets. Directly competes with IMF for industrial roaster customers in South America.
• Petroncini: Italian manufacturer of industrial coffee roasting plants, grinding equipment, and complete turnkey processing facilities. Closely comparable as a fellow Italian-made, full-plant-solution provider competing for the same industrial customers as IMF.
• Mill City Roasters: US-based specialty roaster manufacturer focused on small to mid-capacity roasters for craft coffee shops and micro-roasters. Directly competes with IMF's shop roaster line, particularly in the North American specialty market.
• Has Garanti Roasters: Turkish manufacturer of coffee roasting machines ranging from small sample roasters to large industrial capacities. Directly competes with IMF in price-sensitive specialty and industrial roaster markets globally.

Broad incumbents

• Bühler Group: Swiss global plant engineering and equipment manufacturer serving food processing including coffee, with much broader industrial scope. Competes with IMF at the high end of industrial coffee plant solutions as part of its wider food processing portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/imfroasters

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 IMF