 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Food and beverage industry, technology, specialty coffee |
| Genre | Coffee |
| Predecessor | Bevrada, Meltz |
| Founded | 2015 in Massachusetts |
| Founder | Matthew Roberts and Douglas Hoon |
| Fate | Active |
| Headquarters | Gloucester, Massachusetts |
Number of locations | 1 (2023) |
Area served | United States, lower 48 states |
| Products | Flash frozen coffee capsules |
| Brands | Cometeer Coffee |
| Services | Coffee subscription service |
Number of employees | 160 (2022) |
| Website |
cometeercoffee |
| Footnotes / references [1] [2] | |
Cometeer Coffee is an American coffee technology and manufacturing company based in Gloucester, Massachusetts. The brand uses brewing technology and flash-freezes it using liquid nitrogen for preservation. [3]
The company's primary product is single-serve flash-frozen coffee capsules, but it also offers a subscription service that delivers frozen capsules to customers regularly.
History
Founding
Cometeer was co-founded in 2015 by CEO Matthew Roberts after developing the initial concept while studying abroad in Spain while attending Bentley University. [2] He developed the idea for Cometeer after struggling to make a consistent coffee profile at home. His workaround of freezing coffee in ice trays inspired him, and he began experimenting with improving this method. [1] George Howell, a specialty coffee expert, was an early collaborator for the business after Roberts proved his ability to flash-freeze and preserve the freshness of espresso shots using blocks of dry ice.
Shortly after Howell's endorsement, Douglas Hoon, the company's CTO, co-founder, and an MIT-trained engineer, partnered with Roberts and other engineers and chemists to develop precision coffee brewing systems and flash-freezing. [2]
Launch
In 2019, the company launched its line of flash-frozen coffee capsules at the Specialty Coffee Association of America expo and won best new product. [4]
In 2021, the company built and scaled its manufacturing from a renovated seafood processing factory. [2]
The company is known for using its cryogenic [5] patented coffee processing methods [6] as a platform to partner with roasters considered part of the third-wave coffee movement, including Counter Culture Coffee, Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea, and Square Mile, the roasting company of James Hoffmann. [2]
In February 2024, Houseplant, a home goods and lifestyle company co-founded by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, partnered with Cometeer to launch a new line of coffee. Houseplant wants to expand into new product categories beyond cannabis-related items while highlighting the co-founders' connection to coffee culture. [7]
Name of company
Cometeer derives its name from the portmanteau of the words comet and pioneer. Comets are balls of frozen liquids and gasses hurtling through space. [2]
Investors
The company has raised over $100M from investors, including founders of tech companies and institutional investors. [8]
Awards
- Cometeer was named one of TIME Magazine's best inventions in 2022. [9]
- Cometeer was voted the best coffee subscription service in the United States for 2023 from USA Today 10Best. [10]
References
- ^ a b Verma, Pranshu (2021-10-19). "In Gloucester, a tech startup plots the future of coffee". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
- ^ a b c d e f Gibson, Maggie (2022-04-01). "Cometeer Coffee Review: The Easy, Sustainable Wake Up Capsules". The Fascination. Retrieved 2023-10-10.
- ^ Logan Mahan (2021-10-19). "Review: Cometeer Is the Best at-Home Iced Coffee We've Tried". InsideHook. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
- ^ Staff Writer (2019-04-15). "Specialty Coffee Expo announces 2019 New Product and Design Lab winners". Global Coffee Report. Retrieved 2023-11-01.
- ^ Hagan, Stephan (2024-02-20). "Gloucester company helps actor debut coffees". Gloucester Daily Times. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
- ^ "Beverage Supplement and Method for Making the Same". Google Patents. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
- ^ Potter, Nicole (2024-02-12). "Houseplant Coffee Offers Non-Infused Roasts with Cometeer". High Times. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
- ^ Jan Kamps, Haje (2021-10-19). "Frozen coffee startup Cometeer raises $35M Series B and launches its product in earnest". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2023-11-01.
- ^ Parsi, Novid (2022-11-10). "Flash-Frozen Coffee to Go". Time. Retrieved 2023-11-01.
- ^ Staff Writer (2023-11-03). "Get the best coffee delivered to your door: 10 subscription services to try". USA Today. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
