The Ventures Invests in Wake, a Pre-Series A Round for "Beanless Alternative Coffee"

Alternative Coffee Without Beans Emerges as a Climate Crisis Solution
Wake's "SANS" Recreates Coffee Flavor Without Beans Through Proprietary Fermentation Technology

The Ventures, an early-stage startup-focused investment firm, announced on January 12 that it has made a pre-Series A investment in Wake, a food tech startup operating the alternative coffee brand "SANS," which uses no coffee beans. This pre-Series A round also saw participation from Shinsegae Group's corporate venture capital arm, Signite Partners, among other co-investors.

The Ventures noted that the coffee industry is facing a structural crisis. Over the past five years, coffee belt production has declined by 31% due to climate change, and coffee bean prices have reached their highest levels in 50 years.

The alternative coffee "SANS," developed by Wake, utilizes 12 sustainable natural ingredients, including jujube seeds and chicory roots. By analyzing coffee flavors at the molecular level and reproducing them identically through "molecular hacking" technology, combined with traditional Korean fermentation methods, Wake has addressed both the flavor loss and residual caffeine issues that conventional decaffeinated coffee could not solve.

SANS has been recognized by world-renowned barista champions for "perfectly replicating not only the taste of coffee but also its rich body," proving its specialty coffee-level flavor profile.

The brand has also set itself apart in terms of environmental impact and operations. By establishing a system that allows extraction in just three seconds without relying on barista expertise, SANS has reduced ingredient and labor costs by more than 30% compared to traditional coffee shops, addressing the industry's chronic cost risks. In addition, compared to conventional coffee, SANS reduces carbon emissions by over 60% and water usage by up to 76%. Wake currently operates pop-up stores at locations including its Ikseon-dong flagship store, Shinsegae Gangnam Suite Park, and Starfield Goyang.

Hwang Sunghyun, the investment manager (and concurrently tech lead) at The Ventures who led this investment, stated, "Wake is a rare team that not only possesses precise flavor replication technology but also a mass production system that meets the strict quality control standards of large corporations. In a global coffee market where alternative coffee is becoming a necessity rather than a choice due to the climate crisis, SANS, with its proprietary fermentation technology, is set to become a next-generation key player, establishing a new standard for alternative coffee."

Wake CEO Kim Kyunghoon said, "Leveraging The Ventures' expertise in early-stage company development, Wake will accelerate its entry into global markets. This year, we aim to achieve 20 billion KRW (approximately 20 billion won) in sales through North American online direct-to-consumer channels such as Amazon, and to open a local store in New York, introducing sustainable alternative coffee to the world."