First Coffee raises impressive amount in seed funding

First Coffee has announced that it has raised $1.2 million in seed funding round led by Beenext. The round also saw participation from other leading investors such as Ashish Gupta (Helion Venture Partners), AngelList India, and Dr. Ritesh Malik (Founder, Innov8) and more.

The youth-oriented and tech-enabled brand will deploy the funds to drive the company’s expansion and bring its premium specialty coffee experience to more locations across the country.

First Coffee aims to expand its store presence in key urban areas across New Delhi and NCR and tier I cities in North India. First Coffee will focus mainly on small format QSR outlets in high-footfall areas such as malls, corporate parks, high streets and metros. The company is set to open in 35 stores across the country by the second quarter of the 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 specialty coffee market,” commented Anirudh Garg, Partner at Beenext, on First Coffee and its offerings.

Founded by Sohrab Sitaram and Shiv Dhawan in 2024, First Coffee combines design, culture and a new customer experience, with premium coffee. To enhance customer experience and streamline operations, the company integrates experiential big data with analysis powered by AI, 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 ensures that its coffee is sustainably sourced while providing premium quality.