Blue Tokai raises $25 Mn in a bridge funding round from existing investors

Speciality coffee chain Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters has raised $25 million (around Rs 220 crore) in a bridge funding round from existing investors A91 Partners, Anicut, Verlinvest, and 12 Flags.

The proceeds will be used to scale retail operations, strengthen back-end infrastructure, and expand into international markets such as Dubai and Japan. In India, the funds will also support new store launches and the expansion of its roasteries and bakery facilities in Bengaluru and Gurugram.

Blue Tokai currently operates cafes across multiple Indian cities and has positioned itself as a premium coffee brand. 

The founders said they are revising their growth targets upwards. Earlier, the plan was to achieve Rs 1,000 crore in revenue and Rs 100 crore EBITDA by 2027. Now, the company aims for over 800 stores and Rs 2,000 crore revenue within the next four years.

Blue Tokai has raised over $105 million to date including its $30 million Series C round led by Verlinvest in August last year. According to the startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, A91 Partners was the largest external stakeholder with 22.77% followed by Verlinvest.

As per TheKredible, Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters achieved over five-fold growth in the past four fiscal years. The brand's revenue grew from Rs 41 crore in FY21 to Rs 75 crore in FY22, Rs 127 crore in FY23, and Rs 216 crore in FY24.

It competes with Rage Coffee, Third Wave Coffee Roasters, Slay Coffee, Sleepy Owl, and  Seven Beans Co., among others.