First Coffee Raises $1.2 Million in Seed Round Led by BEENEXT

First Coffee, an Indian specialty coffee brand that is perfect for on-the-go, announced today that BEENEXT lead a $1.2 million seed fundraising round for the company. Other prominent investors included Ashish Gupta (Helion Venture Partners), AngelList India, Dr. Ritesh Malik (Founder, Innov8), Sahil Malik (Founder, Da Milano), Chandini Purnesh (Owner, Harley Coffee Estate), Aman Bahel (Apex Group), Nakul Dev Chawla (Art Mumbai), Aman Arora (Co-Founder, Board - Keventers), and Dr. Shriram Nene participated in the round as well.

First Coffee wants to increase the number of its stores in strategic locations throughout New Delhi, the National Capital Region, and Tier 1 cities in North India. First Coffee's primary concentration will be on small format QSR locations in busy locations including shopping centers, corporate parks, main streets, and metro districts.

By the second quarter of the following fiscal year, the company plans to open 35 locations nationwide. The money raised will also go toward expanding marketing initiatives and recruiting new staff.

“First Coffee is uniquely placed where they are not just selling a product but rather a coffee experience, blending tech, sustainability and coffee. Under the abled leadership of Sohrab and Shiv, industry veterans in the space of quick service restaurants, the brand is creating a new standard in India's specialty coffee market,” commented Anirudh Garg, Partner at BEENEXT, on First Coffee and its offerings. 

Sohrab Sitaram, Co-founder of First Coffee and CEO of Keventers said, “My background in the Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) has taught me the importance of efficiency without compromising on quality. Our grab-and-go model, combined with a focus on sustainability and tech-driven customer engagement, is enabling us to carve a strong niche. Our current four stores have seen 25% month-on-month growth,” who added that each outlet serves around 100 cups of specialty coffee every day, showcasing consistent customer loyalty and engagement.