First Coffee, a grab-and-go speciality coffee brand, has closed a seed funding round of $1.2 million led by BEENEXT, a venture capital firm focused on South Asia and India. The group of distinguished angel investors included Ashish Gupta (Helion Venture Partners), AngelList India, and Dr. Ritesh Malik (Founder, Innov8), among other influential entrepreneurs. Funding the newly born startup marks a significant milestone for the Co-Founder trio Sohrab Sitaram, Shiv Dhawan, and Chandini D Purnesh, who launched their venture in 2024.
First Coffee spreading across
First Coffee will focus aggressively on expanding its 35 new stores, which are set to open by the second quarter of the next fiscal year, primarily in New Delhi, NCR, and other tier-I cities in North India. The outlets are small-format, quick-service restaurants (QSR) in high-footfall areas like malls, corporate parks, and metro stations.
“Our vision is, in short, to create a singular coffee experience balancing on both ends – quality and convenience”, said co-founder Shiv Dhawan. “We are committed to delivering world-class Coffee at competitive prices and ensuring that quality premium Coffee is available to everyone. In this fast-moving world, we sell not just Coffee; we sell an experience that is aligned with the lifestyle of modern living,” he added.
First Coffee is the brainchild of Sohrab Sitaram, Shiv Dhawan, and Chandini D Purnesh. Every person comes with very different expertise that’s multifaceted yet very specific. Having a very exhaustive history in the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) industry, Sitaram molded the brand’s operational efficiency. Dhawan makes it premium yet humbling at the same time. Purnesh, the owner of Harley Coffee Estate, confirms that the brand retains its quality and sustainability commitments because it buys beans directly from her estate at Chikmagalur.
It has been an eye-opener how critical the balance of speed versus quality is for QSR,” said Sitaram. “With our grab-and-go model, we offer quality coffee quickly, never compromising on sustainability or the customer experience. Our first four stores have seen month-on-month growth of 25%, and every outlet has around 100 cups of specialty coffee served in a day. These levels of loyalty and engagement by customers reveal the niche we are carving out.”
Tech and Sustainability at the Core
One of the defining features of First Coffee is integrating technology and sustainability. The startup uses experiential big data and AI-driven insights to personalize the customer experience. This way, each visit to a First Coffee store feels tailor-made according to individual preferences.
The company, from its sustainability point of view, is comprehensive. Coffee here is shade-grown, and environmentally friendly methods are employed, including artificial irrigation lakes and traditional insect traps that are harmless to the environment.
Chandini Purnesh said it is essential to deliver a great product responsibly. We are proud of the coffee beans we source from Harley Coffee Estate, where sustainability is ingrained in every step of the production process.
Tap into a growing market
The current Indian coffee market is rapidly expanding and is projected to have a market value of $1.2 billion by 2032, according to a Customer Market Insights forecast. What’s fuelling such growth? Demand for premium coffee experiences: Against this backdrop, First Coffee’s expansion has arrived at the perfect time.
“First Coffee is quite literally so much more than a product’s about an experience, says Anirudh Garg, Partner, BEENEXT. “Their innovative use of technology, focus on sustainability, and strong leadership uniquely positioned them to set new standards in India’s speciality coffee market.”.
