Every week we feature a new startup at Fundsup that forces a radical breakthrough. This time we chat with Christian van Deursen, Founder of Personal Blend.
Christian, what exactly are you doing?
I’m a coffee lover and the founder of Personal Blend. We are an independent company to which various local coffee roasting companies are affiliated. Our services help people access and explore high-quality coffee from different local coffee roasters.
We are a small but diverse team. I (in the middle of the picture) have a background in web development, Yvonne (right) is an experienced acquisitor and project manager, and my father Peter (left) has run a successful business in the past. Together we are working hard to make freshly roasted speciality coffee accessible to a much larger audience.
What are the problems you solve?
Fresh and good quality coffee is relatively expensive and hard to find. It’s not something you will normally find in your local supermarket and even online it can be quite a challenge to find and compare what is available. For every supplier you will have to find a website, go through a checkout process and pay shipping costs. By uniting the best local coffee roasters on our platform we are making it easier and more affordable to find, compare and order freshly roasted coffee from local roasters. Personal Blend is part of a trend in which there is a growing demand for online marketplaces. This trend is likely to continue in the future.
“By uniting the best local coffee roasters on our platform we are making it easier and more affordable to find, compare and order freshly roasted coffee from local roasters.”
Where do you see its main application?
Studies show that an increasing amount of people are upgrading from coffee pads and pre-ground coffee to coffee beans and cups. This development, together with an increasing demand for more sustainable and special coffees, creates a fertile ground for us.
While consumers have a lot to gain we also see companies benefitting from our service. We offer companies more options, freedom and quality than traditional coffee service. With a single point of contact, the companies are able to choose from multiple high-quality suppliers and are free to change coffee or roasting company at any time. They are no longer tied to any supplier. This opens up possibilities for a new coffee experience in the workplace with room to explore different types of high-quality coffee together with your colleagues.
Companies with multiple business locations are able to serve coffee from roasting companies that are located near each location whilst only having to deal with a single point of contact. They can really set themselves apart in terms of quality and support local companies.
What is the impact of your business?
Ultimately our impact is a contribution to a healthy future for the coffee industry and a better life for coffee producers. At the moment the global coffee chain faces challenges like climate change and exploitation of farmers. By making high-quality coffee available to a larger audience we enable more people to enjoy better coffee and, as a result, more money will reach the coffee producers. Our affiliated roasters often have a personal relationship with coffee farmers and buy from them directly without other parties involved.
Where do you stand right now?
The initial phase consisted of finding the right partners with whom we feel comfortable working. We currently have seven local coffee roasters affiliated with us and a business partner that has lots of expertise in installing and maintaining coffee machines. Last year we soft-launched our digital platforms – we have separate digital platforms for B2C and B2B. These initial platforms are the foundation for growing our customer base and proving our case which is now our focus. By handling bigger volumes we are planning to demonstrate stable growth.
“Our aim is to provide people with a comprehensive overview of speciality coffee and local roasters in the Netherlands, and also with the tools to make optimal use of it.”
What are your plans for the future?
Our aim is to provide people with a comprehensive overview of speciality coffee and local roasters in the Netherlands, and also with the tools to make optimal use of it. We are planning to add more coffees to our platform, expand our cooperation with local coffee roasters and develop new ways for companies to explore beautiful coffees in the office. Our ambition is to be the go-to platform for high-quality coffee. If the format proves itself we will be looking to expand to other countries.
Who has invested in you and what kind of investors are you looking for?
Up to this point, we were able to develop our products without any external funding. Now, as we move on to growing our customer base, we are looking for investors that have experience in our field, knowledge and network that could help us achieve stable growth.
What would be the ideal investor match?
Our ideal investor is someone who has an affinity with e-commerce and the development of digital products, that has a big network and is able to open doors that will help us grow.
Best of luck with everything!
Thanks, check out our pitch deck in the Fundsup app: https://api.fundsup.co/go/N28Fox6Iq8R