A Vietnamese-style coffee company run by a Vietnamese-American woman is making waves in the United States.
According to the PR newswire Cision, California-based Copper Cow Coffee raised US$8.5 million in its Series A funding round earlier this month. The money will go towards expanded distribution and product innovation.
"We are thrilled to invest in our innovation to continue to 'wow' our customers and support our sustainable coffee partners in Vietnam," Debbie Wei Mullin, Copper Cow Coffee's CEO and founder, told the website. "We are excited that our investors and newly formed all-female board are just as dedicated to our eco-friendly mission as we are."
Mullin's mother is Vietnamese and moved to the US as a refugee.
Copper Cow's website explains that they focus on providing kits for customers to make Vietnamese-style coffee at home, with a variety of naturally flavored coffees sourced from Vietnam. Mullin, who studied sustainability in college and worked at the World Bank before launching Copper Cow, focuses on being ethical and sustainable.
Their site adds that partner farmers are paid twice the market rate in order to ensure quality, and they only work with farms that use organic agricultural practices.
Cision adds that since launching four years ago, Copper Cow has grown its network to 3,000 retailers in the US, including Whole Foods and Walmart, in addition to offering subscription delivery plans.
In addition to the Series A funding mentioned above, Mullin recently appeared on the US version of Shark Tank, in which one of the host "sharks" invested US$600,000 for a 5.5% share in Copper Cow despite thinking the coffee was too sweet.
The US Chamber of Commerce notes that Copper Cow is operating in the world's largest coffee market, valued at US$88 billion, with interest in specialty coffee rising particularly fast among Americans.
[Image via Copper Cow Coffee]
