Participated · Series B · Sep 2019

Bellwether builds tech-enabled, zero-emission commercial coffee roasters and a connected online marketplace that lets retailers roast beans on-site. Its hardware and software target cafes, grocery stores, college campuses and other retail locations. Roasters are sold for $75,000 or leased for $1,000 per month, and purchase includes access to the company’s online bean marketplace. The company has roughly 140 customers and reported 6x revenue growth in 2019. Bellwether aims to remove wholesale middlemen by enabling shops to roast their own beans and create a connected farm-to-cup experience. With the new funding it plans to expand manufacturing capabilities, grow its customer-facing team, and pursue launches in Southeast Asia and Europe next year. Bellwether builds a ventless, electric, zero-emissions commercial coffee roaster that it leases to cafés, grocers and other businesses. Customers lease the roaster for about $1,000 per month and receive access to Bellwether’s online bean marketplace. The marketplace curates roughly 20 farms and lets retailers order beans filtered by attributes such as organic certification or woman-owned, and enables consumers and retailers to tip farmers directly. Bellwether positions itself at the intersection of hardware and software, combining in‑store roasting equipment with an e-commerce platform for supply transparency. The company emphasizes traceability and sustainability to give retailers and consumers more visibility into bean origin and farmer compensation. Bellwether has begun commercial roll‑outs to cafés and grocers while continuing to expand its marketplace relationships.