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Blue Tokai raises $35 Mn in Series C led by Verlinvest

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Global investment platform Verlinvest has led a $35 million round in specialty coffee and bakery brand Blue Tokai. Existing investors Anicut Capital and A91 Partners also joined the Series C funding. This strategic partnership will enable Blue Tokai to deepen its presence in existing metro markets and expand into new tier I and tier II cities in India over the next three years, the company said in a press release. In January 2023, Blue Tokai raised $30 million in its Series B funding round led by A91 Partners. Led by co-founders Matt Chitharanjan, Namrata Asthana, and Shivam Shahi, Blue Tokai has partnered with several retail outlets, luxury hotels, restaurants, top corporates, and co-working spaces, among others. In the past 12 months, the company claims to have more than doubled its store count to 130 outlets. The funds will also be used to expand to over 350 locations in the next 30-36 months. Blue Tokai’s revenue from operations surged 72% to Rs 127.45 crore in FY23 from Rs 74 crore in FY22. According to startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, its losses also increased nearly 3.5-fold to Rs 43 crore in FY23, compared to Rs 12.3 crore in FY22. The company is yet to file its annual report for FY24. It competes with Rage Coffee, Third Wave Coffee Roasters, Slay Coffee, Sleepy Owl, and Seven Beans Co., among others. Among venture-funded startups, Third Wave Coffee was the largest brand in terms of revenue in FY23. However, the firm also experienced layoffs of more than 100 employees shortly after a $35 million fundraise in September last year. In March this year, Third Wave Coffee’s CEO Sushant Goel was replaced by Rajat Luthra from KFC. Earlier this week, GRM Overseas acquired a 44% equity stake in Rage Coffee through a combination of primary infusion and secondary buyouts.