Cup of Excellence / Alliance for Coffee Excellence, Inc. (ACE)

What Cup of Excellence / Alliance for Coffee Excellence, Inc. (ACE) does

Alliance for Coffee Excellence (ACE) is a U.S.-incorporated non-profit membership organization founded in 1999 to operate the Cup of Excellence (COE), the globally recognized specialty coffee quality competition and auction program. ACE runs annual juried cupping competitions across 10 countries in 2026 (Latin America, Southeast Asia, and East Africa) using a rigorous two-stage evaluation protocol — National Jury followed by International Jury — with full farm and micro-lot traceability. Winning lots and National Winner semi-final lots are sold through online auctions operated on the V-Auction Limited platform (a Vollers Group member), with the majority of proceeds flowing directly to farmers.

ACE's revenue model combines recurring membership subscriptions (Enthusiast $75, Community $375, Allied $1,900, Benefactor tiers), per-country sample set and auction registration sales ($250-$850), transaction commissions on auction proceeds returned to host countries, and jury application fees. The organization serves three primary stakeholder groups: specialty coffee producers seeking global recognition and premium pricing, specialty coffee roasters and importers seeking traceable ultra-premium lots and transparent price discovery, and individual coffee enthusiasts supporting the specialty ecosystem. ACE also operates Private Collection Auctions for curated specialty lots, the Legends of Excellence recognition and charitable program for repeat winners, and pilot programs in emerging origins such as Thailand, Taiwan, and China's Yunnan region.

Core operational technology is the V-Auction online auction platform with integrated Stripe and PayPal payment processing, supported by a network of in-country exporter partners (Bicafe in Guatemala, Choacapa in Honduras, COAUSOLES in El Salvador, Sancoffee and WW Trading in Brazil, SCACR in Costa Rica, ASECC in Colombia, ECC in Mexico) that handle physical coffee logistics. Strategic partnerships include the Specialty Coffee Association, Cropster, and a 2026 collaboration with Siip to enhance coffee discovery beyond numerical scoring.

Name

Cup of Excellence / Alliance for Coffee Excellence, Inc. (ACE)

Legal name

Alliance for Coffee Excellence, Inc.

Website

https://allianceforcoffeeexcellence.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Alliance for Coffee Excellence is a non-profit membership organization operating the Cup of Excellence, the world's premier specialty coffee quality competition and online auction program serving producers, roasters, and importers across 10 origin countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Auctions & Quality Competitions

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Coffee Shops (Single-Origin, Third-Wave) (THAFADAA), Beverage & Mixology (Coffee, Tea, Wine, Cocktails) (EDAAAGAH)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee competitions
• Coffee quality auctions
• Premium coffee sourcing
• Coffee membership programs
• Coffee cupping evaluation

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: ACE sells annual memberships (Enthusiast $75, Community $375, Allied $1,900, and Benefactor tiers) that grant access to sample sets, auction registration, and member-only pricing. All memberships are valid from January 1 through December 31 of the current year.
2. Sample Set Sales: ACE sells sample sets (containing top-scoring COE and National Winner coffees) to members and non-members. Sample Set + Auction packages are priced at $850 per country; Auction-only registration is $250 per country. Limits are imposed: one sample set per company, with additional sets available for public cupping events by contacting the auction manager.
3. Auction Commission: A commission (Organizing Country Commission) is collected from auction proceeds, returned to the COE host country to offset competition operational costs. For Peru 2017, commissions totaled approximately $68,721 on $319,588 in total auction value.
4. Jury Application Fees: International jury applicants pay a one-time jury fee upon placement, with the fee amount based on ACE membership status. The fee is non-refundable and valid for one jury or observer spot; additional juries require additional fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Alliance for Coffee Excellence (ACE) operates the Cup of Excellence (COE) program — a rigorous, juried coffee quality competition held annually across 10+ coffee-producing countries — combined with global online auctions that sell winning micro-lots to specialty buyers at premium prices. The organization also runs the National Winners program for high-scoring non-auition lots, Private Collection Auctions for curated specialty lots, and tiered memberships plus sample-set sales that gate buyer access to award-winning coffees.

Product overview

Cup of Excellence / Alliance for Coffee Excellence (ACE) operates a platform-plus-program architecture centered on its flagship Cup of Excellence (COE) Competition Program and National Winners (NW) Program, which identify exceptional coffees through juried cupping and sell them via global online auctions. The platform is supplemented by ACE Private Collection Auctions (PCA) for curated special lots, Sample Sets with auction registration for buyers, and a tiered membership structure (Community, Allied, Benefactor, Enthusiast) providing varying levels of access to sample sets and auctions. Additional offerings include the International Jury Program for qualified cuppers, Legends of Excellence recognition for multiple-time winners, Education & Training programs with a certified coffee lab, and pilot programs like Gems of Yunnan. The ecosystem is completed by a Farm Directory for traceability and buyer-seller connections.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• National Winners: Program for coffees scoring 85+ that did not qualify for COE auction, evaluated in 3 rounds by National Jury.
• Private Collection Auctions
• Legends of Excellence

Products and services

• Cup of Excellence (COE) Competition Program Flagship annual competition held in 10+ coffee-producing countries that identifies exceptional quality coffee through a three-stage blind cupping protocol (National Jury, International Jury, awards ceremony) and sells winning lots via global online auctions at premium prices.
• National Winners (NW) Program Companion program to Cup of Excellence that evaluates and auctions high-scoring coffees (86+) that did not qualify for the COE auction; provides additional market access for producers and expanded sourcing options for buyers.
• ACE Private Collection Auctions (PCA)

Quantifiable outcome

• Winning producers consistently receive prices 10–50x commodity rates through COE auctions
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• SiipminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Cup of Excellence and Siip announced a collaboration for better coffee discovery. The partnership aims to help buyers better understand — not just score — the world's best coffees, enhancing the auction and tasting experience beyond numerical scoring.
• V-Auction Limited (Vollers Group)coreTechnology or IntegrationV-Auction Limited, a member of Vollers Group GmbH headquartered in Bury St Edmunds, UK, operates the official COE auction platform (auction.allianceforcoffeeexcellence.org). The platform handles all auction activities including buyer registration, pre-bidding, live bidding, payment processing (via Stripe and PayPal), and data management. The partnership is integral to the COE auction model and enables global participation in real-time online auctions.
• Specialty Coffee Association (SCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCA is featured as a key sponsor on the ACE website alongside other specialty coffee brands. SCA and ACE/COE share the mission of advancing specialty coffee quality and have collaborated on industry initiatives. SCA is also referenced as the parent organization of Coffee Quality Institute (CQI), which ASECC (Colombia partner) is affiliated with.
• Inmobiliaria e Inversiones Dos Mil S.A. (Bicafe) — GuatemalacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBicafe is the official COE exporter for Guatemala. Founded in 1992 by Mariano Ventura and Alberto Chinchilla, it is a third-generation Guatemalan coffee family business that processes, markets, and exports high-quality beans. They have been exporting CoE coffee for 2 years and hold certifications including Rainforest Alliance, Fair Trade, and UTZ.
• Procesadores de Café Choacapa — HondurascoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChoacapa is a small company of 12 coffee producer partners and has been the official exporter for Cup of Excellence Honduras program for the last seven editions. They benefit more than 400 small producers who sell their coffees directly to roasters and importers. Installed capacity of 10,000 quintals of green coffee with special preparation. More than 50 people work with Choacapa.
• Cooperativa de Cafetaleros Los Ausoles (COAUSOLES) — El SalvadorcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFounded in 1979, COAUSOLES is a cooperative of coffee-producing families in western El Salvador with over 40 years of experience. They operate one of the largest and most modern processing facilities in El Salvador, with capacity to process up to 180,000 quintals of green coffee per season (equivalent to 120,000 69kg bags). They have been exporting CoE coffee for 2 years.
• Sancoffee Coop. dos Produtores de Cafés Especiais Ltda — BrazilcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSancoffee is a cooperative gathering 20 farms that share warehousing and dry milling facilities and common quality control. Founded in 1991, Sancoffee is at the roots of specialty in Brazil and has been a major driving force for quality in the Campo das Vertentes region. Their team includes Q-graders and CoE judges. Sancoffee has been exporting CoE coffee for 2 years.
• WW Trading — BrazilcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWW Trading, headquartered in Varginha in the South of Minas Gerais, operates in both domestic and international markets, supporting companies in import and export operations within the specialty coffee sector. They maintain a dedicated warehouse for microlots and provide full logistical support for export operations, serving clients in several countries with agile and reliable service.
• Asociación Cafés Finos de Costa Rica (SCACR)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSCACR is the coordinator for CoE in Costa Rica and takes care of the entire process to ensure fast and efficient movement of amazing coffees from Costa Rican producers. As a small group, the Association includes members from all parts of the Costa Rican coffee industry. SCACR has been exporting CoE coffee for 8 years — the longest-standing exporter partner.
• Asociación Colombiana para la Excelencia del Café (ASECC)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorASECC is a non-profit association promoting Colombian coffees of excellence. Since 2017, they have been the coordinators of the Cup of Excellence contest in Colombia and are the in-country partners of Coffee Quality Institute (CQI). They promote good practices from farm to cup through ASECC and CQI training programs. Emilio Bonnet serves as contact.
• Exportadora de Café California (ECC) — MexicocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorECC, a leading service company in Mexico's coffee value chain with almost 80 years of experience, is dedicated to promoting sustainable coffee production while transforming the lives of coffee farmers. In 1993, ECC partnered with Neumann Kaffee Gruppe (NKG), the world's leading coffee service group, operating within a partner network spanning 28 countries. Andreas Kussmaul serves as contact.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Cropster: Coffee-specific software/SaaS provider for roasters and producers. Cropster is both a COE sponsor and a technology enabler in the specialty coffee ecosystem, with indirect overlap in competition quality management.
• Long Miles Coffee: Specialty coffee producer and PCA auction participant. Long Miles has featured in ACE's Private Collection Auctions, representing the producer-side ecosystem that ACE enables — comparable as a participant in the premium coffee auction ecosystem.
• World Coffee Research (WCR): Non-profit agricultural research organization advancing coffee variety and quality science. WCR is thematically aligned with ACE's mission of elevating specialty coffee, though WCR focuses upstream on agronomy while ACE focuses on evaluation and price discovery.

Broad incumbents

• Royal Coffee: Major specialty green coffee importer and auctioneer operating The Crown: Royal Coffee's Marketplace. Comparable to ACE as a premium coffee marketplace, but Royal focuses on commercial sourcing while ACE is non-profit and quality-competition driven.
• Café Imports: Leading specialty green coffee importer that actively participates in COE auctions (e.g., winning Finca Ecológica Agua Colorada in Peru 2017). Comparable as a specialty coffee buyer/sourcer with overlapping customer base.
• International Coffee Organization (ICO): Intergovernmental body for global coffee trade. Compares to ACE as a broader institutional player in the coffee ecosystem, though ICO focuses on commodity-level trade policy rather than specialty quality competition.
• Specialty Coffee Association (SCA): Largest broad-based specialty coffee trade association; both SCA and ACE serve specialty coffee professionals through education, events, and standards. ACE is a featured sponsor of SCA, and the organizations share overlapping mission and membership constituencies.

Emerging players

• Project Origin: Specialty coffee platform running competitions (Best of) and auctions across origins. Comparable as a direct competitor in the cupping-competition-to-auction model, though with a smaller scale and more recent track record than ACE.
• Specialty Coffee Transactions (SCT): Online auction platform for specialty green coffee. Directly comparable to ACE's V-Auction platform in providing online auction infrastructure for premium coffee lots.

Direct peers

• Coffee Quality Institute (CQI): Non-profit focused on coffee quality standards, Q-grader certification, and producer training. CQI is highly comparable to ACE — both operate quality-focused programs, and ACE's Colombian partner ASECC is explicitly a CQI affiliate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cupofexcellence
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCJFO3t1mSj9cU-OhBRO5mPw
• Facebookfacebook.com/CupOfExcellence
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alliance-for-coffee-excellence-inc.-ace-
• Instagraminstagram.com/cupofexcellence

Compliance1 record

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 Cup of Excellence / Alliance for Coffee Excellence, Inc. (ACE)