Caroline and Anna-Sophie's story began as strangers on a Kiwi Experience bus in New Zealand. Little did they know they'd cross paths again ten years later, at their CrossFit gym in London, both with a burning passion for nutrition, health, and growing a business.
Caroline, a former researcher at Kings College London, is a nutritionist come entrepreneur with a wealth of experience scaling consumer-led FMCG brands. Meanwhile, Anna-Sophie, a former private equity manager and sales professional, has spent the past 8 months as part of the ZINC venture builder program, focused on understanding the industries with the biggest impact on our environment.
Why Coffee?
Their love for coffee led them to discover some shocking statistics - did you know that it takes over 140 litres of water to produce just one cup of coffee? And it's not just the water - the top 10 coffee producers are emitting a staggering 21 million tonnes of CO2 due to invasive and aggressive cultivation methods, which cause deforestation, soil degradation and loss of natural ecosystems. A kilogram of green coffee produces close to 16 kg of CO2. To put that into perspective, globally we consumed 167 million 60-kilogram bags last year.
But that's not all..
Coffee is not only a contributor to the climate crisis, it is also vulnerable to the effects of climate change. By 2050, a staggering 60% of the land currently used to produce coffee will become unproductive, and with yearly demand growth projected to require an additional 4-14 million tonnes of coffee, this is a serious cause for concern.
Plans for nihilo
With their combined expertise and passion for creating a better future for food, Anna-Sophie and Caroline are working to perfect the flavour, taste, and sensory profile of their re-invented coffee bean. They're collaborating with amazing partners to support research and development, and they're excited to bring you the best coffee experience yet!
