Velvet Coffee

What Velvet Coffee does

Velvet Coffee (legally Velvet Specialty Coffee Roasters) is a Belgian-headquartered specialty coffee roaster founded in 2013 by Ilse Geyskens. The company operates a vertically integrated direct trade business spanning Colombia (wholly-owned export entity Velvet Export Geyskens S.A.S. in Medellín and Colombian roastery Velvet Tostadores de Café de Especialidad in Itagüí) and Belgium (main roastery in Jodoigne), with all roasting and distribution powered by 100% self-generated electricity. Velvet sources green coffee directly from Colombian and Costa Rican farmers — prepaying 100% in local currency with no brokers — and travels with harvests twice yearly to maintain traceability.

Its product portfolio comprises eight distinct SKUs spanning espresso blends (CLÁSICO, €13/250g; COLOMBIA - FUNDACIÓN, €13.75/250g), ultra-premium microlots featuring scientific processing methods developed with named producer partners (CHIROSO by Wilton Benitez at €23/250g using three-stage fermentation; SUDAN RUME by Nestor Lasso using anaerobic mosto; the 94+ point Costa Rica Catajo Gesha Blend by Mirazú D'Cafetal using raisin honey process), and a solidarity blend (SOLIDARIO). The company also sells green beans directly from Colombia and offers private label roasting services.

Velvet runs a hybrid go-to-market: B2B wholesale to cafés, bakeries, and restaurants across Belgium and Europe (with founder Ilse Geyskens handling all wholesale inquiries personally via email and phone), plus D2C e-commerce shipping to 20+ European countries with 250g and 1kg packaging. Cupping sessions at the Jodoigne roastery serve as both customer acquisition and retention touchpoints, and a former Brussels concept store (Voort x Velvet with Voort Studio) is being relocated. The business is founder-owned and bootstrapped with no external investment, family-led roasting operations, and no public revenue disclosure.

Name

Velvet Coffee

Legal name

Velvet Specialty Coffee Roasters

Website

https://cafevelvet.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Velvet Coffee is a Belgian specialty coffee roaster founded in 2013 that sources directly from Colombian and Costa Rican farmers through wholly-owned entities and serves B2B wholesale customers (cafés, bakeries, restaurants) plus D2C e-commerce buyers across 20+ European countries with vertically integrated farm-to-roastery operations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee Roasting & Grinding (AFAFADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Coffee & Tea (Single-Origin, Micro-lot, Premium) Processing (AFAFADAJ), Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI), Coffee, Tea & Cacao Experiences (Roastery Tours, Tastings) (THAJAGAH)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee roasting
• Direct trade coffee
• Wholesale coffee supply
• Single origin coffee
• Colombian specialty coffee

Headquarters

HQ city

Jodoigne

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct Coffee Sales (B2C): Online shop selling roasted specialty coffee beans in 250g and 1kg quantities. Products shipped directly to consumers across Europe. Prices range from €13-23 per 250g.
2. Wholesale Coffee Supply: B2B supply of espresso bases (Clásico, Fundación), specialty single origins, competition-grade lots, filter coffees, and specialty decaf to cafés, bakeries, and restaurants. Also offers private label coffee roasted to customer specification.
3. Green Bean Export: Export of green coffee beans directly from Colombia to Belgium, managing the entire supply chain from farm to roast.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Velvet Coffee is a Belgian specialty coffee roaster that sources green coffee directly from Colombian farmers, manages in-house export and import operations, and roasts and distributes specialty coffee from its roastery south of Brussels. It sells roasted specialty coffee (single origins, blends, competition-grade microlots) wholesale to cafés, bakeries, and restaurants, and direct-to-consumer via its European online shop in 250g and 1kg formats priced €13–€23 per 250g. It also offers private label roasting, by-appointment cupping sessions, and green bean export.

Product overview

Velvet Coffee is a specialty coffee roaster offering a portfolio of 8 distinct coffee products across single origins, blends, and specialty microlots. Core products include CHIROSO by Wilton Benitez, CLÁSICO (espresso blend), COLOMBIA - FUNDACION, COSTA RICA - CATAJO GESHA BLEND, LILA LAVENDER, SOLIDARIO, SUDAN RUME, and VARIEDAD COLOMBIA P-00. The company operates a wholesale program for B2B customers (cafés, bakeries, restaurants) offering base espressos, specialty single origins, competition lots, filter coffees, and private label options. Additional services include cupping sessions and green bean sales. The company sources directly from Colombian and Costa Rican farmers, managing the entire supply chain from origin to roast.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% prepaid to farmers in local currency
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Voort StudiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConcept store partnership in Brussels. Voort x Velvet combined quality coffee with design and craftsmanship. Currently between addresses while seeking new shared location together.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Coffee Collective: Copenhagen specialty roaster with direct trade sourcing and both wholesale and retail operations. Comparable producer-relationship model and European specialty café/wholesale customer base.
• Friedhats: Amsterdam-based specialty roaster with a curated rotating lineup of single origins, microlots, and competition-grade coffees. Comparable European D2C + wholesale positioning and emphasis on producer storytelling similar to Velvet.
• Hasbean Coffee: Staffordshire-based specialty roaster known for deep single-origin catalog, direct trade, and a long-running reputation among European specialty enthusiasts — directly comparable in catalog breadth and direct-trade positioning.
• Gardelli Specialty Coffees: Italian specialty roaster focused on competition-grade coffees, microlots, and producer partnerships across Latin America and Africa. Comparable premium/competition positioning and emphasis on innovative processing methods.
• Square Mile Coffee Roasters: London specialty roaster with deep producer relationships, wholesale program to UK/EU cafés, and a strong competition/coffee quality reputation. Comparable in premium positioning and wholesale-led GTM.
• Origin Coffee: UK specialty roaster sourcing directly from farmers with a strong emphasis on traceability, microlots, and competition-grade offerings. Similar direct-trade, producer-storytelling GTM targeting cafés and home enthusiasts.
• Caffenation: Belgian specialty coffee roaster based in Antwerp with a direct-trade ethos and B2B/D2C model similar to Velvet Coffee. Comparable scale, Belgian provenance, and third-wave positioning targeting cafés and home enthusiasts across Europe.
• La Cabra Coffee: Aarhus/Danish specialty roaster known for modern processing-method experimentation and a designer-led brand experience with strong D2C European shipping. Highly comparable to Velvet's focus on novel processing (e.g., anaerobic, thermal shock) and premium microlots.
• The Coffee Quest: Belgian/Dutch specialty coffee importer and roaster emphasizing transparent direct trade relationships with farmers — closely analogous to Velvet's farm-to-cup sourcing model. Operates wholesale and D2C channels serving European specialty accounts.
• Dak Coffee Roasters: Dutch specialty roaster with strong direct relationships with Colombian and other Latin American producers, selling single origins and competition coffees D2C and wholesale. Mirrors Velvet's Latin American sourcing emphasis and premium positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/cafevelvetcoffee
• Xx.com/cafevelvetbelga
• Facebookfacebook.com/cafevelvetcoffee

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 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 Velvet Coffee