NEW YORK, N.Y., USA — Nguyen Coffee Supply announced the closure of a $2.6 million seed round of funding. The funds will advance the company’s mission to bring Vietnamese coffee–and the resilient robusta bean–to the masses and support the company’s expanding distribution and product innovation. The seed round will help transform the coffee industry through diversity, sustainability, and cultural integrity.
Nguyen Coffee Supply Founder Sahra Nguyen said, “We’re excited to further our mission to expand the awareness and enjoyment of robusta coffee. As part of that mission, we’re committed to elevating the undervalued but significant coffee industry in Vietnam–the world’s largest producer of robusta. As a first-generation Vietnamese American, building a brand rooted in cultural diversity & inclusion is a major part of my business plan.”
The diverse group of funders in the seed round comprises 40% women, 69% Asian-Americans, and 77% people of color. Individual investors include Wen Zhou (CEO/Founder, 3.1 Phillip Lim), Hyphen Capital, Charles Huang (Co-Founder, Guitar Hero), Aaron Samuels (Co-Founder, Blavity), John Resnick (Pure Imagination Brands), Carol Lim (Co-Founder/Co-Creative Director, Opening Ceremony), Michael Karnjanaprakorn (Founder, Skillshare), Johnnie Yu (Managing Partner, Classic Ventures), Akuna Capital, Lisa Lee (VP of Culture & Belonging, DoorDash), Sheila Lirio Marcelo (Founder, Care.com), Aerica Shimizu Banks (Founder, Shiso), Michelle MiJung Banks (Author, The Wake Up), Theresa Vu (Tech entrepreneur & Artist), Julia Gouw (retired banking executive), Bao Nguyen (Film director), GFR Fund, Gutter Capital, and Gaingels, with no single lead investor.
“Having been a founder myself, I understand the kind of passion and resilience needed to grow a brand,” shares investor Carol Lim. “Within the first five minutes of listening to Sahra, I knew that she has what it takes to not only build a business – but also a community to shape the future of coffee together.”
Vietnam is the second largest producer of coffee in the world (and the leading producer of robusta beans) and yet the nation has not played a significant role in specialty coffee culture–a sector estimated at $25 billion in the U.S. Its robusta bean, until recently less accessible in the U.S. than arabica, is forecast by The New York Times to gain prominence and consumer popularity in 2022. In addition to being a relatively unknown but delicious brew, robusta’s farming practices are more sustainable and utilize fewer pesticides. Its beans, higher in caffeine content, are lower in fats and sugars.
Nguyen Coffee Supply ships to customers in all 50 states and internationally to Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Singapore, UK and is available in restaurants and cafés in New York City, Washington D.C., Seattle, Kansas City and more. Nguyen Coffee Supply can be enjoyed in a wide array of styles including—including the traditional cà phê s?a dá (Vietnamese coffee with sweetened condensed milk & ice) as well as the pour over, chemex, french press, drip, espresso and more.
About Sahra Nguyen
Sahra Nguyen is the founder & CEO of Nguyen Coffee Supply, America’s first specialty Vietnamese coffee company and proud champion of the resilient robusta bean. Importing directly from the source and roasting in Brooklyn, New York, their mission is to transform the coffee industry through diversity, sustainability & cultural integrity. Nguyen Coffee Supply has been featured on Good Morning America, Bloomberg TV, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and CBS Saturday Morning. Early January 2020,Imbibe Magazine featured Sahra Nguyen as one of the #Imbibe75 — people, places, and directions that will shape the way you drink in 2020. She is a Gold House Collective Founder for the Spring 2020 cohort, a leading network to celebrate and elevate the Asian American community. In 2021, Nguyen graced the July cover of Food & Wine as one of their 25 Game Changers.
About Nguyen Coffee Supply
Nguyen Coffee Supply is the leading authority for Vietnamese coffee culture in America importing via direct trade relationships and roasting in Brooklyn, New York. Founded in 2018 by 1st generation entrepreneur-activist Sahra Nguyen, the company’s mission is to increase economic advancement for Vietnamese farmers through specialty coffee production, while building a diverse and inclusive coffee culture for all. Though primarily Direct-To-Consumer, the brand’s unique coffees can be found in numerous restaurants and cafés in New York City, Washington D.C., Seattle, Kansas City and more. Expanding upon the secular trend of Asian beverages in America, like matcha and boba tea, Nguyen Coffee Supply is pioneering the next wave of beverage culture with Vietnamese coffee.
