What Litha Espresso does

Litha Espresso is a privately held French B2B workplace coffee solutions provider, operating under the legal entity LITHA and headquartered in Rodez. The company delivers an all-inclusive per-cup coffee service (priced at €0.25-€0.40 HT per cup) that bundles professional machines, beans and consumables, maintenance, and on-site support. Its core product stack comprises professional whole bean, capsule, and filter coffee machines from manufacturers including Saeco (Magic, Royal Black, Area Focus, Smarty), Bravilor Bonamat (Sprso), and Animo (OptiBean Touch), together with its own Corner Coffee modular furniture, mains-fed water fountains, healthy snacking, vending machines, and Nespresso-compatible 100% home-compost capsules. All coffee recipes are co-developed with Vincent Ballot, Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF) in roasting.

Litha Espresso's go-to-market is a franchise/concessionnaire model with more than 50 independent local agencies across France, each entrepreneur handling sales, installation, supply, maintenance, and client support within their territory, supplemented by a direct e-commerce shop for consumers. Differentiated technology includes a pellet-fueled coffee roaster (claimed unique in Europe, reducing roasting CO2 emissions by over 70%) and cargo-sail imports of green coffee from Colombia. Nayax cashless payment integration enables pay-per-use, employer billing, and enterprise badge/RFID authentication on machines.

The company targets startups and very small businesses (TPE), small and medium enterprises (PME), large enterprises (Grands Comptes), and the hospitality sector (CHR — Hôtels, Cafés, Restaurants), plus coworking spaces. With more than 5,000 business customers served across France, the customer base spans energy, automotive, hospitality, government, financial services, banking, retail, and technology — including Elmy, Ligier, Taittinger, Ministères Sociaux, FITECO, Caisse d'Epargne, Carrefour, and CEA. Note: source data conflict places founding year at 2015 in firmographics and 2020 in company history; the more recent and specific company-history record (2020) has been treated as authoritative.

Name

Litha Espresso

Legal name

LITHA

Website

https://litha-espresso.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Litha Espresso provides all-inclusive premium workplace coffee solutions across France via a franchise network of 50+ local agencies, combining professional machines, eco-roasted beans co-developed with MOF Vincent Ballot, and per-cup service pricing for businesses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Office Coffee Services

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Special Food Services (7223)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Beverage Service (Coffee/Tea/Juice) & Refreshment Stations (HSACAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Single-Serve Coffee (Pods, Capsules) (CRADAHAH), Coffee, Espresso & Tea Appliances Retail (CRACADAC)

Keywords

• Office coffee service
• Professional coffee machines
• Compostable coffee capsules
• Workplace refreshment solutions
• Eco roasted coffee

Headquarters

HQ city

Rodez

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Per-Cup Coffee Service: All-inclusive per-cup pricing model covering machine provision, coffee beans, consumables, service, and maintenance. Pricing ranges from €0.25 to €0.40 HT per cup depending on volume and service level.
2. Coffee and Consumables Sales: Direct sales of coffee beans, capsules (home compost), ground coffee, teas, and accessories through e-commerce shop and via concessionnaires
3. Machine Sales and Rental: Professional coffee machine sales and rental (grain, capsule, filter machines) with maintenance contracts
4. Payment System Integration: Nayax cashless payment system integration for enterprise machines, enabling companies to charge employees for coffee consumption

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Litha Espresso provides turnkey office and workplace coffee solutions to French businesses: it installs professional Saeco, Bravilor Bonamat, and Animo coffee machines, supplies eco-roasted whole bean, ground, and compostable capsule coffees, organic teas, mains-connected water fountains, and healthy snacks, and charges an all-inclusive per-cup fee (€0.25–0.40 HT) that bundles equipment, coffee, consumables, service, and maintenance. It also retails coffee products, capsules, accessories, machines, and gift boxes directly to consumers through its own e-commerce shop and operates a franchise program for local entrepreneurs.

Product overview

Litha Espresso is a B2B premium and responsible coffee solutions provider for businesses in France, operating on a franchise/dealer model with over 50 local agencies nationwide. The core offering is a comprehensive, turnkey coffee and workplace refreshment service encompassing: (1) Professional coffee machines — whole bean grinders (Saeco Magic, Saeco Royal Black, Animo OptiBean Touch), capsule machines (Saeco Area Focus, Smarty), and filter coffee makers (Bravilor Bonamat Sprso); (2) Corner Coffee modular furniture units in 3 sizes and 3 finishes; (3) Coffee and tea product lines — whole bean coffees, ground coffees, and Nespresso-compatible home-compost capsules co-developed with MOF Torréfacteur Vincent Ballot; (4) Water fountains connected to the mains supply; (5) Healthy snacking; (6) Cashless payment systems (Nayax) for vending; (7) Franchise/dealership program for local entrepreneurs. Supplementary eco-innovations include pellet-fueled roasting (70% CO₂ reduction) and cargo sailboat coffee imports. The service is priced per cup (starting at €0.25 HT) and targets startups, SMEs, large enterprises, and the CHR (hospitality) sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• All-inclusive managed office coffee service (per-cup) Full-service managed coffee service for French businesses covering machine installation, coffee supply, consumables, preventive maintenance, and on-demand support, billed per cup. Targeted at SMEs, large enterprises, startups, CHR, and coworking spaces and delivered via Litha's 50+ local concessionnaires.
• Corner Coffee (modular coffee corner furniture) Modular, custom-design coffee corner furniture combining a professional coffee machine with a branded unit. Available in three sizes (Small, Medium, Large), three finishes (matte black, white, wood/noyer), with optional credenza or back panel and customizable company logo. Designed to create a complete branded coffee space for businesses.
• Compostable Nespresso-compatible coffee capsules Single-serve coffee capsules compatible with Nespresso machines, made from 100% home-compost plant-based materials without aluminum. Available in multiple flavors including Espresso Noisette and Espresso Caramel. Sold individually or as part of the gift-box range, with 1% of revenue from this range donated to 1% for the Planet.
• Whole bean coffee range (Cafés en grains) Premium whole bean coffees co-developed with Vincent Ballot, MOF Torréfacteur. Range includes blends such as Blend Italien (Arabica/Robusta) and Bio Centro América (100% Arabica organic) plus single-origin coffees. Roasted in France using the company's pellet roaster that reduces CO2 emissions by more than 70%.
• Ground coffee range (Cafés moulus) Pre-ground coffee offerings in various roast profiles, sourced from the same responsible supply chains as the whole bean products, sold via the Litha e-commerce shop.
• Organic teas and infusions (Thés et infusions bio) Selection of organic teas and infusions sourced from small-scale producers, sold individually or as gift boxes. Designed to complement the coffee offering for non-coffee drinkers in the workplace and available via the e-commerce shop.
• Mains-connected water fountains Network-connected water dispensers providing chilled, ambient, sparkling, and hot water directly from the building's water supply with integrated filtration. Eco-friendly alternative to bottled water, accompanied by reusable bottle/mug kits for new employees.
• Professional coffee machine sales and rental (Saeco, Animo, Bravilor Bonamat range) Sales and rental of professional coffee machines — including Saeco Magic, Saeco Royal Black, Saeco Area Focus, Saeco Smarty, Animo OptiBean Touch, Bravilor Bonamat Sprso, and professional filter machines — accompanied by maintenance contracts. Machines can be sold standalone or as part of the managed per-cup service.
• Automatic vending machines for hot beverages and snacks Automatic vending machines offering hot beverages and snacks as part of Litha's comprehensive workplace refreshment solution for larger sites and 24/7 environments.
• Cashless payment solutions for coffee machines (Nayax integration) Integrated Nayax VPOS Touch cashless payment systems supporting contactless cards (VISA, Mastercard, AmEx), NFC mobile wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay), QR-code payments, and RFID/enterprise-badge authentication. Enables per-use billing, consumption limits, and pay-per-use models on Litha machines.
• Christmas coffee gift boxes (Coffrets café de Noël) Ready-to-gift coffee and tea gift boxes for businesses to give to employees and clients at Christmas. Available in capsule, whole bean, ground coffee, bulk tea, premium tea, and infusette tea formats, with optional sweet treats and branded cups/mugs. Fully customizable.
• Litha Espresso franchise / concession program Operated franchise program inviting entrepreneurs to become local Litha coffee concessionnaires. Franchisees run their regional business providing installation, coffee delivery, maintenance, and support to B2B clients within their territory; covers 50+ agencies across France.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 5,000 companies served across France
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• Vincent BallotcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Vincent Ballot, Best Craftsman of France (MOF) in roasting, for co-development of all Litha coffee recipes. From origin selection to aromatic profile definition, every recipe is developed through meticulous collaboration, ensuring constant, elegant, and perfectly balanced coffee in every cup.
• NayaxsupportingTechnology or IntegrationCashless payment system provider enabling contactless payment (credit cards, mobile wallets, RFID badges) on Litha coffee machines for enterprises that want to charge employees for coffee consumption.
• 1% for the PlanetminorOthersEnvironmental commitment: Litha donates 1% of revenue from its home compost capsule range to the 1% for the Planet association.
• elmyminorOthersGreen electricity supplier partner mentioned in RSE article for sustainable energy sourcing recommendations to clients.
• SaecosupportingTechnology or IntegrationMachine manufacturer partner for professional coffee equipment. Litha offers Saeco machines including the Magic, Royal Black, Area Focus, and Smarty models for various business needs.
• Bravilor BonamatsupportingTechnology or IntegrationMachine manufacturer partner offering professional coffee equipment including the Sprso model suitable for small teams.
• AnimosupportingTechnology or IntegrationMachine manufacturer partner providing professional coffee equipment including OptiBean models.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Legal Le Café: French coffee roaster operating a B2B workplace coffee service with installation, maintenance and per-cup contracts across France. Overlaps directly with Litha's franchise-driven, machine-inclusive office coffee proposition in the same geography.
• Cafés Richard: French premium coffee brand supplying roasted coffee, capsules and professional equipment to offices, hotels and restaurants. Comparable to Litha in targeting French B2B clients with a premium, brand-led workplace coffee offering.
• Nespresso Professional: Nestlé's B2B arm offering Nespresso capsule systems and professional machines to workplaces and hospitality. Directly competes with Litha's Nespresso-compatible capsules and professional coffee machine offering in the same French office customer base.
• Lavazza Professional: Italy-based global coffee group with a dedicated Lavazza Professional division selling beans, machines and managed coffee services to offices and HoReCa across Europe. Closely mirrors Litha's B2B office coffee model at much larger scale, and is the most direct head-to-head competitor in France.
• Malongo: French roaster with a strong fair-trade and sustainability positioning, selling coffee beans, capsules, and professional solutions to businesses. Highly comparable to Litha on the eco-responsible B2B narrative and on capsule/bean product breadth.

Broad incumbents

• illy: Italian premium coffee company with an illy Issimo and professional espresso system business serving offices, hotels and HoReCa in Europe. Comparable on premium positioning and on workplace/HoReca channels, but operates at significantly larger scale.
• Keurig Dr Pepper: North American leader in single-serve office coffee (Keurig) with adjacent beverage portfolio. Not a direct French competitor, but the most relevant structural analogue for an asset-light workplace coffee service model.
• JDE Professional (Douwe Egberts / Jacobs): Global coffee major (Douwe Egberts, Jacobs, L'OR) with a B2B office coffee business spanning beans, capsules, and machines across Europe. Larger and broader portfolio than Litha, but competes directly in the French workplace refreshment segment.

Emerging players

• Caffe Vergnano: Italian coffee roaster expanding into B2B and capsule segments across Europe. Comparable to Litha as a smaller, premium-positioned coffee brand building a workplace/HoReCa business, though with a less developed French presence.

Regional players

• Maison Fossier / Pago France: Pago is a European beverage solutions provider focused on workplace vending and HoReCa in select markets. Comparable to Litha on the workplace refreshment service layer (water, juice, coffee) but with a more vending-centric model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/lithaespresso
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/litha-espresso
• Instagraminstagram.com/lithaespresso

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Litha Espresso