BUFFALO, NY. — Rarebird Inc., a coffee startup founded in 2020 by Jeffrey Dietrich, PhD, that makes coffee formulated with the caffeine alternative called paraxanthine (Px), is brewing its business by continuing its R&D efforts, scaling its e-commerce and business-to-business (B2B) sales efforts after receiving a $1 million investment from accelerator program 43North.

"We invested in RareBird because of its organic fit to grow in Buffalo and Jeffrey's caliber as a multi-time founder with deep industry expertise and a strong passion for creating an entirely new beverage category in a fast-growing market,” said Colleen E. Heidinger, president of 43North. 

Rarebird was recently selected to join 43North’s accelerator cohort, which invests into high growth companies in Buffalo.

The accelerator program offers selected startups one year of incubator space, mentorship and other business incentives to scale.

Rarebird has relocated its headquarters to Buffalo and will later move its R&D teams. The company said it is planning to launch a coffee roastery in the area.

"We couldn't be more excited for all that's to come for the business in 2025,” Dietrich said. “With the recent news of our latest capital infusion, corporate relocation and planned startup of our first coffee roastery being just the tip of the iceberg.”

The coffee startup received a patent for its coffee formulation, which may help consumers feel less jittery, anxious or over caffeinated, in April 2024.

The Px Coffee also is aimed at helping consumers limit their caffeine intake.

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