Bean United
Bean United is a Munich-based specialty coffee company founded in 2018 that sells premium roasted coffee to German consumers and corporate offices, routing €2.50 per kilogram to social projects including a school meals program in Burundi implemented with Welthungerhilfe.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersOberhaching, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Bean United does
Bean United is a German specialty coffee company operating as a 'Social Business' founded in 2018 by twin brothers Thomas and Philipp Greulich in Munich/Oberhaching. The company roasts and sells premium coffee under a model that routes €2.50 per kilogram sold to social projects—primarily a school meals program in northern Burundi implemented with Welthungerhilfe, with cumulative impact of 1.73 million meals enabled since inception. Roasting is handled by long-term partner Wildkaffee (led by Hardi Wild, named 'Röster des Jahres 2023'), with small-batch hand-craft production focused on stomach-friendly, low-acid profiles. Bean United holds Kiwa bio certification, and source farms in Brazil carry UTZ and Rainforest Alliance certifications.
The core product line includes four Social Coffee SKUs—ESPRESSO House Roast, CAFFÈ CREMA House Roast, PERU Dark Roast, and KEKE'S DREAM Ruanda Light Roast—sold in 350g and 1000g formats via a direct e-commerce storefront at bean-united.de. A parallel B2B channel targets corporate offices with Bürokaffee (Office Coffee) supply starting at €22.90/kg, bundled with probe packs, machine calibration, barista training, Impact Certificates, and a satisfaction guarantee. Premium Social Experiences (Social Brunch from €599, Social Barista from €799, Social Workshop & Barista Training from €999) extend the corporate offering into event and training services. Distribution channels include direct e-commerce, B2B field sales, and limited retail partnerships with local bakery Brotzeit in the Munich area.
Revenue mechanics combine one-time retail purchases, recurring B2B kg-based supply contracts, and high-margin event services. Marketing emphasizes purpose-driven storytelling around measurable social outcomes (€400,000+ in social projects since 2018, 100,000+ school children supported). Notable enterprise customers include Celonis, Adobe, Steelcase, Sono, and Interone. The company is privately held with no disclosed external funding and operates exclusively in the German market.
Bean United firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Bean United
- Legal name
- Bean United
- Website
- https://bean-united.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Bean United is a Munich-based specialty coffee company founded in 2018 that sells premium roasted coffee to German consumers and corporate offices, routing €2.50 per kilogram to social projects including a school meals program in Burundi implemented with Welthungerhilfe.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Bean United industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Coffee
- NAICS
- Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Specialty Coffee & Tea (Single-Origin, Micro-lot, Premium) Processing (AFAFADAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Coffee (Roasted, Ground, Whole Bean) (CRADAHAG), Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI), Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAD)
Keywords
Where Bean United is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oberhaching
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Bean United business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others
Revenue model
- Retail Coffee Product Sales: Direct e-commerce sales of roasted coffee products to individual consumers. Products include ESPRESSO House Roast (€32.90), CAFFÈ CREMA, PERU Dark Roast, and KEKE'S DREAM Ruanda Light Roast in 350g and 1000g packages.
- B2B Office Coffee Supply: Corporate office coffee solutions with B2B pricing starting at €22.90/kg. Includes professional coffee machine calibration, barista training, and satisfaction guarantee for enterprise clients.
- Social Experiences / Events: Premium experiential offerings including Social Brunch Experience (from €599), Social Barista Experience (from €799), and Social Workshop & Barista Training (from €999). One-time event services for corporate team-building.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | ESPRESSO House Roast - Retail |
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | B2B Office Coffee - Corporate |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Social Brunch Experience |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Social Barista Experience |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Social Workshop & Barista Training |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Bean United product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Bean United is a Munich-based Social Coffee company that sells premium roasted coffee to private consumers via its online shop and to corporate clients through office coffee programs. Each kilogram sold directs €2.50 to social projects in partnership with Welthungerhilfe, enabling 10 school meals in Burundi. The portfolio includes ESPRESSO House Roast, CAFFÈ CREMA, PERU Dark Roast, and KEKE'S DREAM Ruanda Light Roast, complemented by B2B Bürokaffee solutions and Social Experiences events.
Product overview
Bean United is a Social Coffee company offering a portfolio of premium coffee products for both private consumers and B2B office customers. The core product line includes four Social Coffee varieties: ESPRESSO House Roast, CAFFÈ CREMA House Roast, PERU Dark Roast, and KEKE'S DREAM Ruanda Light Roast—all featuring the company's signature social impact model where each kilogram of coffee enables 10 school meals in Burundi. The product ecosystem is complemented by B2B-focused office solutions including Bürokaffee (starting at €22.90/kg), Social Barista Experience, Social Workshop & Barista Training, and Social Brunch Experience, enabling corporate clients to integrate social impact into their workplace culture while enjoying premium coffee roasted by the 2023 Roaster of the Year.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- ESPRESSO House Roast Premium espresso blend sourced from Brazil, India, and El Salvador, with 70% Arabica and 30% Robusta. Full-bodied, bold flavor with dark chocolate and nut notes, roasted by Wildkaffee (Roaster of the Year 2023). Sold in 350g and 1000g packs starting at €16.90.
- CAFFÈ CREMA House Roast Core house roast espresso blend from Bean United's Social Coffee line, sourced from premium coffee regions. Stomach-friendly, low-acid profile with chocolatey and soft notes.
- PERU Dark Roast Dark roast single-origin coffee from Peru with bold, intense flavors. Available in 350g size at €16.90.
- KEKE'S DREAM Ruanda Light Roast Light roast coffee from Rwanda offering a delicate, nuanced flavor profile. Part of Bean United's Social Coffee crema line, available in 350g at €16.90.
- Bürokaffee (Office Coffee) Solutions B2B office coffee solutions starting at €22.90/kg, with €2.50 per kg donated to social projects. Includes Barista Training for new office customers, professional coffee machine calibration, Impact Certificate, free probe pack, promotional materials, and satisfaction guarantee.
- Social Barista Experience Mobile barista service bringing professional coffee experience to corporate office events via a barista bike for weekly or event-based coffee service. Pricing starts at €799.
- Social Workshop & Barista Training Professional barista training workshop for office teams, teaching coffee preparation skills and coffee knowledge. Pricing starts at €999.
- Social Brunch Experience Premium social brunch experience combining coffee service with team events for corporate team-building. Pricing starts at €599.
Quantifiable outcome
- 9 out of 10 offices decide permanently for Bean United office coffee after a trial
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Bean United
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Bean United technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Bean United partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Redi School (Digital Women Program)minorSocial project partnership for Digital Women Program, exclusively for corporate clients ordering minimum 20 kg/month. €2.50/kg contribution funds digital education for women with migration background, including childcare during courses (€2,500/year per woman).
- TreedomminorCO2 compensation partnership. For every shipment, trees are planted through Treedom to offset carbon emissions from transportation. Bean United Forest visible at treedom.net. Contributes to climate protection, biodiversity, and sustainable development.
- WelthungerhilfecorePrimary social impact partnership since 2018. Welthungerhilfe implements the school meals program in northern Burundi. Per kilo of Bean United coffee sold, €2.50 goes to this program enabling 10 school meals. The program supports over 100,000 school children, improving both nutrition and education outcomes (10% annual increase in enrollment and attendance).
- WildkaffeecoreCoffee roasting partnership since 2018. Wildkaffee, led by Hardi Wild ('Roaster of the Year 2023'), provides small-batch, hand-crafted roasting. Focus on stomach-friendly, low-acid profiles with chocolatey and soft notes. This partnership ensures premium quality differentiation.
- Brotzeit (Local Bakery)minorRetail distribution partnership with local bakery Brotzeit in Deisenhofen and Oberhaching. Bean United coffee is available for purchase at these physical locations.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Bean United competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Blue Bottle Coffee: US-based specialty coffee DTC and café operator with a similar 'premium-roaster pedigree + purpose narrative' positioning. Relevant as a thematic/thesis comparable for specialty DTC-plus-events coffee, though geographically separate from Bean United's German focus.
Broad incumbents
- Melitta: German coffee and filter-coffee giant with national retail distribution and coffee machines. Operates broadly across CPG coffee where Bean United competes for at-home and small-office consumption.
- Nespresso (Nestlé): Global premium portioned-coffee incumbent with an entrenched German corporate and retail presence. Relevant as the dominant premium office-and-home coffee benchmark Bean United's B2B and DTC offerings are positioned against.
- Tchibo: Mass-market German coffee and consumer goods incumbent with its own roast production and ~21,000 retail points-of-sale. Sets the dominant national baseline for office coffee, price benchmarks, and consumer coffee distribution that Bean United must compete against.
- J.J. Darboven: Hamburg-based German coffee roaster producing Mövenpick and IDEE Kaffee for grocery, foodservice, and office channels. Comparable as an established German coffee roaster competing in Bean United's office-coffee segment.
- Illy: Italian premium coffee brand distributed in German retail and foodservice. Comparable as a premium European roasted-coffee competitor targeting quality-conscious consumers and corporate clients.
- Dallmayr: Munich-headquartered German premium food and coffee roaster with deep office and hospitality presence. Competes in Bean United's core Munich/Upper Bavaria geography with established brand recognition and broader food/coffee portfolio.
- Lavazza: Italian coffee incumbent with growing presence in the German office and out-of-home coffee segment. Relevant comparison for premium European roasted-coffee positioning and B2B office contracts.
Direct peers
- Kaffee Partner: Germany's largest dedicated B2B office-coffee and vending supplier. Directly competes with Bean United for the same German enterprise office-coffee procurement budgets, machine maintenance, and recurring supply contracts.
- Coffee Circle: Berlin-based specialty coffee company selling roasted beans direct-to-consumer online and to B2B clients, with sustainability/direct-trade sourcing. Closest comparable German DTC-and-B2B specialty coffee peer to Bean United's hybrid model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Bean United social profiles
Digital presenceBean United compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Bean United financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Bean United leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Bean United funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Bean United 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 Bean United
What does Bean United do?
Bean United is a Munich-based Social Coffee company that sells premium roasted coffee to private consumers via its online shop and to corporate clients through office coffee programs. Each kilogram sold directs €2.50 to social projects in partnership with Welthungerhilfe, enabling 10 school meals in Burundi. The portfolio includes ESPRESSO House Roast, CAFFÈ CREMA, PERU Dark Roast, and KEKE'S DREAM Ruanda Light Roast, complemented by B2B Bürokaffee solutions and Social Experiences events.
Is Bean United a public or private company?
Bean United is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Bean United founded?
Bean United was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Bean United based?
Bean United is headquartered in Oberhaching, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Bean United make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Retail Coffee Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are B2B Office Coffee Supply and social Experiences / Events.
Who are Bean United's main competitors?
Blue Bottle Coffee is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are Melitta, Nespresso (Nestlé), Tchibo, J.J. Darboven, Illy, Dallmayr and Lavazza. Direct peers are Kaffee Partner and Coffee Circle.
Does Bean United have an API?
No public API is recorded for Bean United.
What industry is Bean United in?
Bean United's product category is Specialty Coffee. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAFADAJ, Specialty Coffee & Tea (Single-Origin, Micro-lot, Premium) Processing, with a secondary code of CRADAHAG, Coffee (Roasted, Ground, Whole Bean). Its NAICS code is 311920.