BROOKLYN CENTER, MINN. — Bizzy Coffee, maker of organic cold-brew coffee products, has raised $7.1 million in funding to support new retail distribution, manufacturing expansion and continued team growth.
Founded in 2015, Bizzy Coffee manufactures and markets a line of coarse ground coffee, cold-brew bags and ready-to-drink cold-brew coffee in multi-serve bottles. The brand is set to triple its store count this quarter with national expansion into Target, Publix and Kroger stores. Alex French, co-founder and chief executive officer of Bizzy Coffee, said part of the new funding will be invested in building a new production space in the Twin Cities.
“The refrigerated coffee category grew 42.3% year-over-year in 2021 over 2020,” Mr. French said. “The next generation is driving this massive industry change: they don’t want their parents’ hot coffee, they’re craving craft cold coffee. The category is growing so fast, demonstrating that the future of coffee is cold, and I think we will be one of the largest players.”
The funding was largely debt-based with equity participation led by Sidekick Partners. Other participants in the round include Gaingels, Bluestein Ventures and other existing investors.
“Alex and the team have done a great job bringing innovation to the category to find product-market fit,” said Dylan Schuler, principal of Sidekick Partners. “Consumer preference, especially among young consumers, is shifting from hot coffee to cold coffee. Bizzy offers delicious cold-brew products in multiple formats and is building an authentic brand that connects with the next generation of consumers.”
