Cometeer Coffee is an American coffee technology and manufacturing company based in Gloucester, Massachusetts. The brand uses brewing technology and flash-freezes it using liquid nitrogen for preservation.[3]

Cometeer, Inc.
Company typePrivate
IndustryFood and beverage industry, technology, specialty coffee
GenreCoffee
PredecessorBevrada, Meltz
Founded2015 in Massachusetts
FounderMatthew Roberts and Douglas Hoon
FateActive
HeadquartersGloucester, Massachusetts
Number of locations
1 (2023)
Area served
United States, lower 48 states
ProductsFlash frozen coffee capsules
BrandsCometeer Coffee
ServicesCoffee subscription service
Number of employees
160 (2022)
Websitecometeercoffee.com
Footnotes / references
[1][2]
The headquarters of Cometeer coffee company in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

The company's primary product is single-serve flash-frozen coffee capsules, but it also offers a subscription service that delivers frozen capsules to customers regularly.

History

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Founding

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Cometeer was co-founded in 2015 by CEO Matthew Roberts after developing the initial concept while studying abroad in Spain while attending Bentley University.[2] He developed the idea for Cometeer after struggling to make a consistent coffee profile at home. His workaround of freezing coffee in ice trays inspired him, and he began experimenting with improving this method.[1] George Howell, a specialty coffee expert, was an early collaborator for the business after Roberts proved his ability to flash-freeze and preserve the freshness of espresso shots using blocks of dry ice.

Shortly after Howell's endorsement, Douglas Hoon, the company's CTO, co-founder, and an MIT-trained engineer, partnered with Roberts and other engineers and chemists to develop precision coffee brewing systems and flash-freezing.[2]

Launch

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In 2019, the company launched its line of flash-frozen coffee capsules at the Specialty Coffee Association of America expo and won best new product.[4]

In 2021, the company built and scaled its manufacturing from a renovated seafood processing factory.[2]

The company is known for using its cryogenic[5] patented coffee processing methods[6] as a platform to partner with roasters considered part of the third-wave coffee movement, including Counter Culture Coffee, Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea, and Square Mile, the roasting company of James Hoffmann.[2]

In February 2024, Houseplant, a home goods and lifestyle company co-founded by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, partnered with Cometeer to launch a new line of coffee. Houseplant wants to expand into new product categories beyond cannabis-related items while highlighting the co-founders' connection to coffee culture.[7]

Name of company

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Cometeer derives its name from the portmanteau of the words comet and pioneer. Comets are balls of frozen liquids and gasses hurtling through space.[2]

Investors

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The company has raised over $100M from investors, including founders of tech companies and institutional investors.[8]

Awards

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  • Cometeer was named one of TIME Magazine's best inventions in 2022.[9]
  • Cometeer was voted the best coffee subscription service in the United States for 2023 from USA Today 10Best.[10]

References

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  1. ^ a b Verma, Pranshu (2021-10-19). "In Gloucester, a tech startup plots the future of coffee". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Gibson, Maggie (2022-04-01). "Cometeer Coffee Review: The Easy, Sustainable Wake Up Capsules". The Fascination. Retrieved 2023-10-10.
  3. ^ Logan Mahan (2021-10-19). "Review: Cometeer Is the Best at-Home Iced Coffee We've Tried". InsideHook. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
  4. ^ Staff Writer (2019-04-15). "Specialty Coffee Expo announces 2019 New Product and Design Lab winners". Global Coffee Report. Retrieved 2023-11-01.
  5. ^ Hagan, Stephan (2024-02-20). "Gloucester company helps actor debut coffees". Gloucester Daily Times. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
  6. ^ "Beverage Supplement and Method for Making the Same". Google Patents. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
  7. ^ Potter, Nicole (2024-02-12). "Houseplant Coffee Offers Non-Infused Roasts with Cometeer". High Times. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
  8. ^ Jan Kamps, Haje (2021-10-19). "Frozen coffee startup Cometeer raises $35M Series B and launches its product in earnest". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2023-11-01.
  9. ^ Parsi, Novid (2022-11-10). "Flash-Frozen Coffee to Go". Time. Retrieved 2023-11-01.
  10. ^ Staff Writer (2023-11-03). "Get the best coffee delivered to your door: 10 subscription services to try". USA Today. Retrieved 2023-11-03.