Key facts:
- Atomo, the molecular coffee startup raises $9M in seed funding from various investors including Horizons Ventures, Bessemer Ventures and AgFunder
- Basically, Atomo’s goal is to create coffee without the bean. As leading plant-based startups have done with eggs, dairy and meat products, the team has mapped coffee’s taste and recreated using upcycled plant ingredients.
- The final product, a cold brew coffee (for now) includes the same level of caffeine (a substance that can be found in many plants actually, not only in coffee beans).
- The motive behind this achievement is the reduce the environmental impact of coffee, notably on the rainforest.
- The first products should reach the market in early 2021 and will use the funding to grow its production by building its own “roastery”.
Why it matters – DigitalFoodLab’s opinion:
Coffee production takes a toll on the environment. It also could be seriously affected by climate change which could threaten the regions where it is produced and increase its price (as demand is expected to keep surging globally). Hence, the interest for a molecular, more environmentally-friendly equivalent.
Maybe not fitted for all contexts, this new product could find its place in many ways (including instant coffee and cold brew). However, naming will be key to customers reaction, as we can’t expect regulators to let Atomo label its product “coffee”.
