What Coffee Lab does

Coffee Lab is a São Paulo-based specialty coffee roastery, café operator, and education center founded by Isabela Raposeiras, Brazil's first national barista champion (2002). The business was established as Academia de Barismo in 2004 and relaunched under the Coffee Lab brand in August 2009; it operates as the sole proprietorship ISABELA RAPOSEIRAS CANTO ME (CNPJ 06.352.406/0001-10) with approximately 50 employees. Its core operations combine micro-lot coffee sourcing and roasting (using a Diedrich IR-12 roaster with per-lot profile development), sensory evaluation aligned to Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) protocols, a proprietary quality-based producer remuneration table paying R$700-R$1,200 per 60kg sack versus a R$350 market rate, and two physical café locations in São Paulo's Vila Madalena and Pinheiros neighborhoods. Coffee Lab monetizes through five revenue streams: on-site café and iFood delivery retail, e-commerce (Nespresso-compatible named-producer capsules, whole-bean blends, equipment, accessories, food items) via loja.coffeelab.com.br, barista and roasting education (Café em Casa at R$450, Barista Junior/Senior/Master, Torra – Desenvolvimento de Perfis at R$3,540, bundled packages up to Barista Total at R$5,020), consulting under the "Terapia Empresarial" brand (branding, menu, financial viability, HR, and architecture), and corporate/private events with Isabela Raposeiras as host. The school has trained 4,000+ alumni (1,600+ in 2017, 2,000+ in 2018), creating a community that drives repeat course enrollment, B2B consulting demand, and brand advocacy. Direct-trade producer relationships (e.g., Genildo Benincá, Joselino Meneguete, Fazenda Braúna) supply single-origin capsules marketed under named-producer SKUs, and recognition includes "Best Coffee" by Revista Época and Guia Folha de S.Paulo in 2009 and second place in Veja São Paulo's Comer e Beber 2010. Distribution is omnichannel but domestic-Brazil only, combining physical cafés, iFood, WhatsApp, online live courses, and a self-operated e-commerce store built on Iluria's platform.

Name

Coffee Lab

Legal name

ISABELA RAPOSEIRAS CANTO ME

Website

https://coffeelab.com.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Coffee Lab is a São Paulo-based specialty coffee roaster, café operator, and barista school founded by Isabela Raposeiras, serving Brazilian consumers, baristas, and café owners through micro-lot coffees, Nespresso-compatible capsules, in-person and online courses, and B2B consulting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Roastery & Barista Education

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Beverages (2080), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee Roasters with Cafe (Roastery Cafes) (THAFADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Coffee Shops (Single-Origin, Third-Wave) (THAFADAA), Single-Serve Coffee (Pods, Capsules) (CRADAHAH), Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee roastery
• Barista training courses
• Micro-lot coffee sourcing
• Café management consulting
• Specialty coffee retail

Headquarters

HQ city

São Paulo

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Café and food retail (on-site and delivery): Coffee Lab operates as a specialty café and cafeteria, selling coffee beverages, 'cacarecos' (gourmet snacks and accessories), and packaged coffee products on-site and via iFood delivery. The delivery channel serves the broader São Paulo market.
2. E-commerce (packaged coffee, capsules, equipment, courses): The online store (loja.coffeelab.com.br) sells branded coffee capsules (R$39–R$52 per box), whole-bean blends (R$42), coffee equipment (grinders, cupping spoons), accessories, and honey. Courses and consulting services are also sold through this platform.
3. Barista and café management education: The school offers in-person and online courses ranging from Café em Casa (R$450) to Barista Total (R$5,020), including Junior, Senior, and Master barista levels, roasting development, café management, and financial management. Revenues are one-time course fees with options for bundled packages.
4. Consulting services: Terapia Empresarial (Enterprise Therapy) consulting services address branding, menu design, financial viability, HR, and architecture for café owners. Pricing is per session or in discounted multi-session packages. Also includes Gestión de Cafeterias with Raposeiras (R$680).
5. Corporate events and lectures: Corporate events, weddings, birthday parties, and lectures are booked through the company, with Isabela Raposeiras as the primary speaker/host. Revenue is per event.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Coffee Lab is a specialty coffee roastery, café operator, and barista education center in São Paulo. It roasts micro-lot Brazilian specialty coffees with full farm-to-cup traceability, sells single-origin capsules, signature blends, and whole beans via two physical cafés and an e-commerce store, and delivers barista training from beginner (Barista Júnior) to master level alongside café management and financial management courses. It also provides Terapia Empresarial consulting services (branding, menu, financial viability, HR, and architecture) to café owners, and hosts corporate events and lectures featuring founder Isabela Raposeiras.

Product overview

Coffee Lab operates as a specialty coffee laboratory, roastery, café, and education center in São Paulo, Brazil. The company offers a multi-faceted portfolio combining specialty coffee products (single-origin capsules, blends, and whole beans), professional barista and coffee education (courses ranging from beginner to master levels), business consulting services (branding, menu, financial, and architectural therapy), and café accessories. The product ecosystem centers on specialty coffee with named producer capsules and signature blends, complemented by a comprehensive school offering barista training at multiple levels, professional roasting courses, and café management education, alongside specialized business consulting services and café equipment/accessories.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Blend especial Coffeelab
• Café da Raimunda

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,000+ students trained across barista, roasting, and café management courses
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• iFoodcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCoffee Lab is listed on iFood's delivery platform, offering coffee, food, and accessories for delivery across São Paulo. The iFood link is featured prominently across the website and social media profiles as the primary delivery channel.
• NespressocoreTechnology or IntegrationCoffee Lab's capsule products are branded as 'compatível com Nespresso' (Nespresso-compatible), meaning their capsule format and system are technically compatible with Nespresso machines. This enables sales to the large installed base of Nespresso machine owners in Brazil.
• Genildo Benincá (Sítio/producer)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirect-trade relationship with small-scale producer Genildo Benincá from Espírito Santo, Brazil. Coffee Lab pays 2–4x market rate, provides sensory training and support, and exclusively features his micro-lot coffees. His coffee was selected for international specialty coffee symposiums.
• Joselino Meneguete (producer)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirect-trade relationship with producer Joselino Meneguete from Espírito Santo, known for producing highly elegant specialty coffees. Coffee Lab provides quality feedback and premium pricing, and features his coffee as a consistent portfolio highlight.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Octavio Café: Brazilian specialty coffee brand and café chain in São Paulo with a strong single-origin, micro-lot focus and direct producer relationships. Directly comparable to Coffee Lab in target customer (premium São Paulo consumers), product mix (single-origin beans, capsules), and café retail format.
• Suplicy Cafés: Brazilian specialty coffee chain founded in 1959, operating multiple cafés in São Paulo with its own roasting and a long history in third-wave single-origin coffee. Directly comparable to Coffee Lab as a São Paulo-based specialty roaster-café with retail and wholesale coffee programs.
• Santo Grão: Brazilian specialty coffee chain with multiple São Paulo cafés, in-house roasting, and a curated single-origin portfolio. Closely comparable to Coffee Lab as a São Paulo-headquartered specialty roaster-café serving premium urban consumers.

Regional players

• Lucca Cafés Especiais: Brazilian specialty coffee roaster and café based in southern Brazil with a similar third-wave, micro-lot, direct-trade positioning. Comparable to Coffee Lab in product philosophy and target customer, but operating primarily in a different regional market.

Broad incumbents

• Starbucks Reserve: Specialty extension of Starbucks featuring single-origin micro-lots, premium roasting, and barista craft (Reserve bars, Roastery locations). Comparable as a broader specialty roaster-café with an educational/luxury positioning, though operating at vastly greater scale.
• Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Specialty roaster with cafés, direct-trade sourcing, and a well-known training/education program. Comparable to Coffee Lab in business model (roastery + café + producer relationships + education), with much larger US distribution.
• Intelligentsia Coffee: US specialty roaster with cafés, direct-trade producer program, and barista training programs. Highly comparable to Coffee Lab on the roastery-plus-education-plus-direct-trade axis, though at significantly larger scale and with broader wholesale distribution.
• Counter Culture Coffee: US specialty roaster known for direct-trade sourcing, sustainability programs, and a robust barista education/certification offering. Comparable to Coffee Lab on producer relationships, educational content, and quality-focused positioning.
• Blue Bottle Coffee: US-origin specialty roaster-café chain with flagship cafés, in-house roasting, single-origin sourcing, and strong brand identity. Comparable to Coffee Lab as a specialty roaster-café business model with café-as-classroom and educational content (brew guides, origin stories) at a much larger global scale.

Others

• Nespresso (Nestlé): Global capsule coffee brand whose machine ecosystem Coffee Lab's capsules are explicitly designed to be compatible with. Related as a partner/platform dependency rather than direct competitor — Coffee Lab's R$39–R$52 capsule boxes sell into the Nespresso installed base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/coffeelab
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coffee-lab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Coffee Lab