Indonesia O2O coffee startup bags $8.5m from East Ventures, others

Indonesian online-to-offline specialty coffee startup Fore Coffee has secured US$8.5 million in a funding round led by East Ventures. SMDV, Pavilion Capital, Agaeti Venture Capital, Insignia Ventures Partners, and several angel investors also participated.

The fresh capital will be used to shore up Fore Coffee’s efforts to provide a seamless customer experience. The startup also wants to develop new products and invest in hi-tech machines.

Drivers picking up orders from a Fore Coffee outlet. / Photo credit: Fore Coffee

Founded in August 2018, Fore Coffee aims to revitalize Indonesia’s “coffee glory.”

The company aims to boost the demand for Arabica beans as specialty coffee. “We decided to use only Arabica beans, which translate to higher income for local farmers. [The beans come from] certified organic farms and are certified fair trade,” explained Fore Coffee CEO Robin Boe.

The beans are roasted locally to keep their freshness. They’re also professionally brewed by trained baristas and delivered on demand.

The startup deploys a mix of platforms within its business. Fore Coffee uses its self-developed app to handle orders and “existing technology such as MokaPOS to track and monitor payment, Member.id for loyalty platform, as well as Go-Food, GrabFood, and TravelokaEats as our distribution platforms,” said Boe.

Within five months of operations, Fore Coffee has grown its footprint to 16 physical outlets across Jakarta, delivering over 100,000 cups of coffee monthly.