Explorer produces concentrated coffee and cold-brew products—roasted, brewed and bottled via a third-party manufacturer in Texas—using organic, fair-trade, specialty-grade beans and a proprietary process that yields shelf-stable bottles. Its core SKUs span four caffeine levels from decaf to an "extra" that the company says is equivalent to 3.5 shots of espresso; recent additions include a cold-brew four-pack gift box, functional elixirs, and a 16-ounce chai concentrate. The brand was created by mountaineer and former Bain consultant Cason Crane during the pandemic and touts strong direct-to-consumer unit economics because concentrates pack more servings per bottle and ship with lower carbon footprints. Explorer reports e-commerce revenue growth of more than 1,400% last year and currently derives roughly 70% of sales from e-commerce and 30% from hospitality, wholesale and B2B, including a distribution partnership with Delta Air Lines on coast-to-coast and long-haul Honolulu flights. The company plans to strengthen its Delta partnership, launch a refreshed retail look to coincide with a retail rollout, and grow natural and specialty retail so its growth rate matches e-commerce by the end of next year. Management positions the product to stand out against larger and newer competitors by emphasizing top-shelf ingredients, the concentrated format, and multiple caffeine-level SKUs.

Total raised

$3M

Funding rounds

1

Latest round

Seed

Latest activity

Jan 2023