Pelican Rouge
Pelican Rouge is a 1863-founded premium Belgian coffee brand, now a Selecta Group subsidiary, that roasts, blends, and distributes certified sustainable coffee beans and professional capsules across 16+ European countries via Selecta's vending machine network, serving B2B offices and public-sector accounts.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1863
- Headquarters—
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Pelican Rouge does
Pelican Rouge is a premium coffee brand with heritage dating to 1863 in Belgium, now headquartered in Dordrecht, Netherlands, and operated as a brand within Selecta Group. The company sources, roasts, blends, and distributes coffee beans and professional capsules, with machine-calibration expertise supplied through its in-house coffee professionals. Its core technology is traditional coffee roasting and blending craft accumulated over 160 years, supplemented by a recyclable packaging system and machine tuning calibrated per blend. The portfolio carries Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade certifications and is targeted to be 100% climate compensated by 2025 via the Selecta Coffee Fund.
Pelican Rouge serves business and corporate clients (offices, commercial establishments) and public-sector organizations (government, healthcare facilities) across Europe. It sells whole bean, ground coffee, and professional capsules, and has won a Great Taste Award from the Guild of Fine Food for flavor quality. The brand is positioned in the premium tier with sustainability credentials as a key procurement criterion, particularly for ESG-conscious enterprise and public-sector buyers.
The business model is B2B distribution through Selecta Group's pan-European vending machine network, which covers 16+ countries including the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Spain, and the Nordics. Pelican Rouge has no independent sales channel; all customer relationships and pricing inquiries are routed through Selecta. Revenue is generated through sale of coffee products (beans, blends, professional capsules) consumed via Selecta's installed vending machines and office coffee equipment at end-customer sites. The brand operates as one of five coffee brands in Selecta's portfolio, alongside Starbucks, Segafredo, Miofino, and Fineleaf.
Pelican Rouge firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Pelican Rouge
- Legal name
- Selecta Group
- Website
- https://pelicanrouge.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1863
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Pelican Rouge is a 1863-founded premium Belgian coffee brand, now a Selecta Group subsidiary, that roasts, blends, and distributes certified sustainable coffee beans and professional capsules across 16+ European countries via Selecta's vending machine network, serving B2B offices and public-sector accounts.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Pelican Rouge industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Office Coffee Solutions
- NAICS
- Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)
- SIC
- Beverages (2080)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Coffee (Roasted, Ground, Whole Bean) (CRADAHAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Single-Serve Coffee (Pods, Capsules) (CRADAHAH), Coffee Blending & Flavoring (AFAFADAC)
Keywords
Pelican Rouge business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Professional Coffee Products: Sale of premium roasted coffee beans, blends, and professional capsules to businesses through Selecta's vending machine network and direct B2B relationships.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Pelican Rouge product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Pelican Rouge sources, roasts, and blends premium coffee beans from around the world, supplying roasted coffee and professional capsules for office and commercial vending machines. The brand offers carefully composed blends tailored to local taste preferences, with machine settings precisely calibrated by professionals, and certified sustainable coffee packaged in recyclable materials with a target of 100% climate compensation by 2025. Distribution is conducted exclusively through Selecta Group's pan-European vending and office coffee service network across 16+ countries.
Product overview
Pelican Rouge is a premium coffee brand under Selecta Nederland offering a comprehensive portfolio of coffee products and solutions. The brand traces its roots to 19th-century Belgium and specializes in sourcing, roasting, blending, and exporting quality coffee beans from around the world. Its product lineup includes Professional Capsules for vending and office coffee machines. Pelican Rouge positions itself as both a traditional coffee heritage brand (since 1863) and an innovative sustainability-focused provider, offering certified sustainable coffee with recyclable packaging.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Pelican Rouge: A premium Belgian coffee brand dating back to 1863, specializing in sustainably sourced, Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade certified coffee beans, roasts, blends, and professional capsules.
Products and services
- Professional Capsules
Quantifiable outcome
- 100% climate compensated coffee targeted by 2025 through Selecta Coffee Fund
Companies that use Pelican Rouge
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Pelican Rouge technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Pelican Rouge partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Rainforest AlliancecoreRainforest Alliance certification ensures coffee is sourced from farms meeting rigorous environmental, social, and economic standards. This partnership verifies sustainable farming practices and biodiversity protection in Pelican Rouge's supply chain.
- FairtradecoreFairtrade certification ensures fair prices and decent working conditions for coffee farmers and workers in the supply chain. This partnership provides ethical sourcing verification for Pelican Rouge coffee products.
- Selecta GroupcoreSelecta Group is the parent company and exclusive distributor of Pelican Rouge coffee products through its European vending machine network spanning 16+ countries. Selecta provides the infrastructure, service, and customer relationships for Pelican Rouge's B2B coffee distribution.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Pelican Rouge competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- JDE Peet's (Jacobs Douwe Egberts): World's largest pure-play coffee & tea group, with leading European brands including Jacobs, Douwe Egberts, L'OR, and Senseo. Comparable as a broad incumbent competing across retail, capsules, and OOH channels in the same European geographies.
- Keurig Dr Pepper: Owner of the Keurig brewing platform and major North American coffee/tea brands. Comparable as a broad incumbent in capsule/pod-based B2B coffee systems and OOH brewing, though primarily North American footprint.
- Lavazza: One of Italy's largest coffee roasters with deep presence in foodservice, OOH, and at-home segments across Europe. Comparable as a broad incumbent competing for the same workplace and HoReCa coffee contracts Pelican Rouge targets.
- Nestlé Nespresso: Global leader in single-serve capsule coffee with a Professional (B2B) division serving offices, hotels, and restaurants. Comparable on capsule format, sustainability messaging (AAA Sustainable Quality Program), and premium office coffee positioning.
- Massimo Zanetti Beverage Group: Global coffee group owning brands such as Segafredo Zanetti, Boncafé, and others, serving retail and foodservice. Comparable as a multi-brand coffee operator with European B2B/OOH distribution similar to Pelican Rouge's model.
Others
- Selecta Group: Pelican Rouge's parent company and exclusive distribution channel; the pan-European vending and office coffee services operator that owns multiple coffee brands. Included as a channel/infrastructure peer because Pelican Rouge's commercial fate is inseparable from Selecta's network economics and strategy.
Direct peers
- illycaffè: Premium Italian coffee brand built around espresso blends, ESE pods, and a strong B2B presence in offices, hotels, and restaurants. Comparable on premium positioning, blend-led differentiation, and capsule/pod format.
- Autobar Group: European vending, coffee services, and OOH operator historically active across multiple countries. Comparable as a direct competitor in the European workplace and public vending coffee services market Pelican Rouge operates in.
- Segafredo Zanetti: Italian espresso brand with a global B2B and OOH coffee presence, also distributed through Selecta vending machines in Europe. Direct comparable on product (roasted coffee, capsules), customer base (workplaces, HoReCa), and route-to-market (Selecta network).
Regional players
- Starbucks Coffee Company: Global coffee brand licensed through Selecta in Europe for the OOH channel. Comparable on premium positioning and coffee quality, but is both a parent-portfolio sibling (inside Selecta) and a competitive threat inside the same machines Pelican Rouge sits in.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks3 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Pelican Rouge social profiles
Digital presencePelican Rouge compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Pelican Rouge financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Pelican Rouge leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Pelican Rouge funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Pelican Rouge 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 Pelican Rouge
What does Pelican Rouge do?
Pelican Rouge sources, roasts, and blends premium coffee beans from around the world, supplying roasted coffee and professional capsules for office and commercial vending machines. The brand offers carefully composed blends tailored to local taste preferences, with machine settings precisely calibrated by professionals, and certified sustainable coffee packaged in recyclable materials with a target of 100% climate compensation by 2025. Distribution is conducted exclusively through Selecta Group's pan-European vending and office coffee service network across 16+ countries.
Is Pelican Rouge a public or private company?
Pelican Rouge is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Pelican Rouge founded?
Pelican Rouge was founded in 1863. It employs 101 to 250 people.
How does Pelican Rouge make money?
One revenue line is on record: professional Coffee Products.
Who are Pelican Rouge's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are JDE Peet's (Jacobs Douwe Egberts), Keurig Dr Pepper, Lavazza, Nestlé Nespresso and Massimo Zanetti Beverage Group. Selecta Group is listed as an others. Direct peers are illycaffè, Autobar Group and Segafredo Zanetti. Starbucks Coffee Company is listed as a regional player.
Does Pelican Rouge have an API?
No public API is recorded for Pelican Rouge.
What industry is Pelican Rouge in?
Pelican Rouge's product category is Office Coffee Solutions. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADAHAG, Coffee (Roasted, Ground, Whole Bean), with a secondary code of CRADAHAH, Single-Serve Coffee (Pods, Capsules). Its NAICS code is 311920 and its SIC code is 2080.