Café Circular · Food & Agriculture

Café Circular

Country: Peru · Cusco Category: Food & Agriculture Impact Areas: Circular Economy Stage: Public Beta Team Size: 2 Website: https://cafe-circular.lovable.app/

Elevator Pitch

Café Circular is a regenerative economy startup that transforms specialty coffee grounds from Cusco into Koricha, functional gummies that provide clean, prebiotic energy. Through this circular model, we offer young people and athletes a natural energy.

Climate Problem

We reduce methane emissions caused by the decomposition of coffee grounds in landfills. This is vital because methane is a potent greenhouse gas, and the industry currently wastes thousands of tons of valuable biomass.

Solution

We produce Koricha, natural energy gummies. We operate a circular logistics system: we collect fresh coffee grounds from partner coffee shops in Cusco and process them through micronization into prebiotic fiber for our snacks.

Revenue Model

We generate revenue by selling Koricha gummies in Doypack packaging. We sell through physical locations at partner coffee shops (B2B2C) and digital channels for repeat purchases (B2C). We maximize our profit margin by sourcing the biomass at no cost.

Target Market

Urban youth and working professionals (ages 16–35) in the wellness segment. They seek clean, portable energy for on-the-go use, free of chemicals. Initially focused on Cusco, we target conscious consumers who demand true sustainability.

Social Impact

Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic - Religious and Linguistic Minorities, People Living in Extreme Poverty, Women

Demand Evidence

We interviewed more than 100 potential customers. 78% experience adverse effects (tachycardia, fatigue) from current energy drinks. 85% confirmed their intention to purchase our gummies, seeking a natural, portable, and clean-label energy source.

Competitors

We compete with liquid energy drinks (Volt, Red Bull) and local health bars from Cusco. What sets us apart is that no other brand in the region offers a gummy format, clean label, and circular upcycling of coffee grounds all in the same product.

Founder Expertise

As an industrial engineer, I bring expertise in designing scalable processes and optimizing reverse logistics. My proficiency in data analysis and the principles of the circular economy ensures that the project is executed in a technical, efficient, and m

External Support

We have validated the prototype (TRL 4) with the operational support of specialty coffee shops in Cusco, which provide us with biomass at no cost. We are currently participating in selection processes for incubators and global environmental grants.

Source: ClimateLaunchpad 2026 Application · App ID: 7960 Ingested: 2026-05-25