Jaipur-based QSR coffee chain Nothing Before Coffee (NBC) has secured Rs 3.7 crore in on-air funding commitments following its appearance on Bharat Ke Super Founders, streamed on Amazon Prime Video and MX Player. The capital infusion comes as the company sharpens its focus on scaling across Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets, where it sees the next phase of India’s consumption growth.
The funding includes Rs 50 lakh for 0.27 percent equity from Aditya Singh, Founder of All In Capital, along with a structured debt offer of Rs 3.2 crore carrying a 12 percent revenue share. Investors cited the brand’s disciplined unit economics, consistent store-level profitability, and clearly defined national expansion roadmap as key strengths.
Founded in 2017 by Akshay Kedia, Ankesh Jain, Anand Jain and Shubham Bhandari, Nothing Before Coffee has built a mass-premium coffee retail model focused on non-metro India. The company currently operates over 100 outlets across 39+ cities in 12 states and plans to expand to 160 stores by December 2026. It has outlined a long-term target of 400 stores by 2029, primarily under a COCO (Company Owned Company Operated) structure to retain operational control and margins.
NBC reports 65 percent gross margins at the store level and 28 percent EBITDA margins at mature outlets, with 100 percent of stores operating EBITDA positive. Its vertically integrated supply chain — sourcing beans from Chikmagalur, roasting in-house at its Jaipur facility, and distributing through a centralized warehouse model — underpins cost efficiencies and quality consistency across locations.
“Our journey has always been about taking premium coffee to the heart of India, beyond metros, into the cities where young India is discovering its love for quality brews,” said Akshay Kedia, Co-founder, Nothing Before Coffee. “The response on Bharat Ke Super Founders validates what we’ve built: a brand with strong unit economics, deep consumer connects, and a clear vision for profitable scale. We’re building more than a coffee chain; we’re building a community hub for aspirational India. With a clear roadmap to 400 stores by 2029. We’re excited to accelerate from here and emerge as India’s ‘Most Loved Coffee Café Brand’.”
Positioned at approximately $1 price points for hot coffee, NBC competes on affordability against larger domestic and international coffee chains while targeting value-conscious young consumers in emerging cities. The company’s signature ‘Shrappe’ (Shake + Frappe) and youth-centric café formats have helped it differentiate within the competitive QSR coffee segment.
In addition to physical expansion, the company has launched the Super Coffee Pass subscription, priced at Rs 1,799 with benefits worth Rs 3,600, as part of a broader strategy to drive recurring revenue, digital engagement, and customer retention. It is also investing in app-led loyalty programs, product innovation, and backend supply chain optimization to support scalable growth.
“Our appearance on Bharat Ke Super Founders was a pivotal moment for us, not just for the investment validation, but for affirming that our thesis of building for Bharat is exactly where the future of consumption lies. At Nothing Before Coffee, we’ve always believed that great coffee shouldn’t be a metro-only luxury. The response from the investors and the viewership reinforces that our disciplined approach, profitable unit economics, 100 percent EBITDA-positive stores, and a deep connect with young India is the right formula for sustainable national scale. Said Ankesh Jain, Co-Founder, Nothing Before Coffee.”
As India’s organised coffee retail market expands beyond metropolitan hubs, Nothing Before Coffee is positioning itself to capture demand in high-growth Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities through a profitability-led expansion strategy in the QSR segment.
