Belgian startup Koppie wants to “future-proof coffee” by reinventing it

A coffee with a great coffee taste, but without coffee. Cheaper and more sustainable. Ghent-based foodtech Koppie is pulling out all the stops to develop a next-generation alternative to the popular beverage. This "product obsession" has just won over specialized investment funds.

Daam Raemdonck and Pascal Mertens. © Koppie

"We’re not here to replace or badmouth coffee. We’re here to future-proof it," says Daan Raemdonck, founder and CEO of Koppie. His young company has just completed a pre-seed fundraising round, the earliest financing phase for a startup, for an amount presented as "significant"... without, however, disclosing it.

With this fresh capital, the company plans to commercialize a new generation of coffee alternatives based on patent-pending fermentation and roasting technology in the first quarter of 2026. The process involves transforming pulses, such as chickpeas, into beans that can be ground and brewed like traditional coffee.

Koppie owes this proprietary technique to its co-founder and CPO, Pascal Mertens, who holds a PhD in bioscience engineering and more than ten patents. In addition to the inventor's credentials, he brings more than fifteen years of experience and expertise gained as a director, advisor, and investor in food and beverage companies.

“The Koppie founding team convinced us with their relentless product obsession, vision and

urgency to act in light of the supply chain issues that coffee is facing amidst climate change. Price stability and decentralized supply chains are key priorities for B2B customers going forward. At the same time consumers benefit from a clean label and exceptional sensory profile,” said Maximilian Schwarz, partner at Nucleus Capital, the German investment fund that led the fundraising round, which also included venture capitalists from Mudcake (Sweden) and Rockstart (Denmark).

The taste and rituals of coffee preserved

In terms of practical implications, Koppie beans are compatible with all standards of equipment or coffee preparation and consumption methods. As for the taste experience, coffee sommeliers (certified Q-graders) currently rate the product as equivalent to commercial coffee. Consumer panels, meanwhile, appreciate the product, noting a "strong resemblance to coffee, a sweeter taste, and less bitterness."

Non roasted and roasted. © Koppie

“For a dietary change to happen, taste and maintaining rituals are essential,” explains Daan Raemdonck, drawing on his experiences as sales director at Picnic, the home grocery delivery operator, and marketing director at Alpro (Danone), a major player in plant-based alternatives. “We focused on creating a true sensory and ritual fit, which doesn’t require companies or consumers to change the way they prepare coffee. At Alpro, I learned that reliable taste and partnerships can make or break an alternative product.”

"We are trying to expand the category."

The coffee supply chain is under pressure, if only because of climate change. Some forecasts predict a 50% reduction in suitable growing areas by 2050, due to rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and soil degradation. This is at a time when global demand for coffee is growing by more than 2% per year.

With a product requiring less arable land and significantly less water, the Ghent-based startup Koppie is positioning itself as a viable solution for brands and consumers. This is especially true as coffee producers, forced by increasingly stringent regulatory standards, must separate their sourcing from deforestation and decarbonize their operations.

“We are taking a forward-looking category view to ensure sustainability,” insists Daan Raemdonck, who is already working with roasters to develop hybrid blends combining conventional coffee with its alternative bean to offer new experiences to consumers.

“There for any business adapting to a more sustainability and health-conscious customer base”

It will be interesting to see how restaurants, caterers, quick service restaurants (QSRs), and other players in the food-for-home sector will respond to this "natural coffee enhancer." When asked about the potential role the foodservice industry could play in Koppie's development, the founder admitted he hasn't actively explored this area yet.

"It's complex because the foodservice sector is very broad, and the players in the sector generally tend not to 'make' their own coffee, except in the case of coffee chains, of course. For now, we're focusing on roasters, retailers, and coffee brands. Of course, some of the partners we're in discussions with could sell significant quantities to the foodservice sector," Daan Raemdonck explains.

In other words, the startup's founders aren't shying away from this segment, and are open to any partner who thinks a collaboration could be relevant. While they haven't yet approached foodservice stakeholders, they nonetheless see significant interest in this segment, particularly in some of its components.

“Because our product can be price-competitive with coffee while maintaining, or even improving, the flavor. Moreover, we are here to help companies looking to adapt to a more sustainability- or health-conscious customer base – Koppie beans are naturally caffeine-free,” adds Daan Raemdonck.