First Coffee Bags $1.2 Mn In Seed Round Led By Beenext
The company aims to expand to 35 stores across the country by the second quarter of next fiscal year
First Coffee raised USD 1.2 million in a seed funding round led by Beenext. The round also saw participation from other leading investors such as Ashish Gupta (Helion Venture Partners), AngelList India, Ritesh Malik (Founder, Innov8), Sahil Malik (Founder, Da Milano), Chandini Purnesh (Owner, Harley Coffee Estate), Aman Arora (Co-Founder, Board - Keventers), Agastya Dalmia (Director, Keventers), Aman Bahel (Apex Group), Nakul Dev Chawla (Art Mumbai) and Shriram Nene.
The youth-oriented brand will deploy the funds to drive the company’s expansion and bring its premium speciality coffee experience to more locations across the country, as per a press release. First Coffee aims to expand its store presence in key urban areas across New Delhi and national capital region (NCR) and tier 1 cities in north India. First Coffee will focus mainly on small format quick service restaurant (QSR) outlets in high-footfall areas such as malls, corporate parks, high streets and metros.
The company is set to open 35 stores across the country by the second quarter of next fiscal year. The funds raised will also be used for hiring and amplifying marketing efforts.
“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 speciality coffee market,” commented Anirudh Garg, Partner at Beenext, on First Coffee and its offerings.
To enhance customer experience and streamline operations, First Coffee, founded by Sohrab Sitaram and Shiv Dhawan in 2024, claimed to integrate experiential big data with analysis powered by artificial intelligence, creating a technology-driven retail model. Using shade-grown coffee and eco-friendly methods like man-made lakes for irrigation and traditional insect traps, First Coffee ensured that its coffee is sustainably sourced while providing premium quality.
Shiv Dhawan, Co-founder of First Coffee, Spoke on the brand's distinct positioning, “We are the first brand to bring true speciality coffee scoring 91 per cent on the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) scale to the Indian market. At First Coffee, we’re not just serving coffee; we’re crafting a unique, premium experience while still catering to the fast-paced lifestyle of our customers. We’re committed to delivering exceptional coffee at a competitive price point, making world-class coffee accessible to everyone."
