The Belgian start-up founded by a former Alpro exec is gearing up for a commercial launch in 2026
A Belgium-based start-up has thrown its hat into the nascent market for coffee alternatives after closing a pre-seed funding round.
Founded by former Alpro Marketing Director Daan Raemdonck in 2022, Koppie’s patent-pending formula utilises fermentation and roasting to turn pulses into what it describes as the first ‘coffee bean’ alternative that can be ground and brewed.
The investment round was led by sustainable tech venture capital firm, Nucleus Capital, and backed by agrifood funds, Mudcake and Rockstart, alongside several ‘high-impact’ angel investors.
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Like US-based Atomo and Voyage Foods and Singapore’s Prefer, Koppie is promoted as a solution to counter supply chain volatility, soaring prices and regulatory hurdles, such as EUDR, facing the commodity coffee industry.
The product is intended as a full replacement or additive for a range of coffee formats, including roast and ground blends, capsules and RTD. Like many of its competitors in the coffee alternative space, Koppie also highlights its sustainability credentials, which include an estimated 90% reduction in water use, 70% lower CO2 footprint and a 60% reduction in land requirements.
“We see strong interest from coffee companies looking for low-risk ways to increase supply and price stability. Hybrid blends, where our products are introduced up to 50% offer a way to reduce pressure while appealing to evolving consumer needs,” said Daan Raemdonck in a press release.
Koppie intends to use its new investment to scale up production, pilot collaborations with coffee roasters and explore partnerships with European retailers ahead of a planned commercial launch in 2026. The start-up previously secured a €400,000 grant from the Flemish Institute of Innovation & Entrepreneurship and has established R&D partnerships with the ZHAW (Zurich Applied Sciences University) Coffee Excellence Center in Zurich and the VIB-KUL Center for Microbiology.
