Ratio

Three out of every four Americans drink coffee every day. According to Mordor Intelligence, coffee is a twenty-seven-billion-dollar market in just the U.S.

Perhaps surprisingly, though, the average American will own twelve to fifteen different coffee makers in their lifetime. Ratio wants to trim that number to one.

This beverage company has created the last coffee maker you’ll ever need. According to Ratio, its product is beautiful, designed to last a lifetime, and, most importantly, makes the best coffee of any home brewer.

Let’s start with its design. Most coffee makers are bulky, dark, and made with cheap plastic. Ratio’s, in contrast, uses high-end materials like solid metal, hand-blown glass, and hardwood to create a slim, modern-looking machine.

Then there’s the company’s proprietary brewing technology, the key to creating a superior cup of coffee. Ratio’s machines allow coffee grounds to bloom, saturating them before the brewing process begins. This gives the coffee time to release flavor-killing carbon dioxide before being brewed. The result is a richer, more flavorful cup of coffee.

Since 2015, Ratio has been manufacturing its Ratio Eight, its initial coffee maker. In 2020, the company introduced the Ratio Six, a slightly smaller machine. 2023 U.S. Coffee Roasting Champion Andrew Coe uses this machine to brew coffee at his own shop in Portland, Oregon.

With funds raised, Ratio will release its latest creation: the Ratio Four. This will be the company’s first-ever single-serve coffee maker. When most people think of single-serve coffee, they picture individual pods. But Ratio says its coffee is vastly superior in taste to pod-based coffee.

Once available next year, the Ratio Four will retail for between $250 and $295. The Ratio Eight retails on the company’s website for $645 and the Ratio Six retails for $339.

Importantly, Ratio’s machines not only produce coffee that’s better tasting than Keurig or Starbucks, but cheaper, too. For reference, the average cost of a cup of coffee at a coffee shop is three dollars. And with Keurig it’s eighty cents.

By precisely measuring water flow, Ratio’s machines can deliver coffee at a cost of fifty cents a cup.

Ratio is focused on obtaining patents for its products and brewing technology. Additionally, along with a focus on the home consumer market, the company is working with a group of boutique hotels and inns to provide in-room coffee service.

Since a pilot program with these hotels started earlier this year, orders for the company’s pre-ground packets have jumped seventy percent.

Since inception, Ratio has generated more than nine million dollars in revenue and sold more than 20,000 units. It’s achieved 345% revenue growth since 2019 and projects to reach two million dollars in annual revenue by the end of this year.

Team Background

Mark Hellweg - Co-Founder & CEO

Fifteen years ago, Mark founded Clive Coffee, a company selling coffee and espresso equipment for homes. This business also has a retail store in Portland, Oregon.

He studied at Hillsdale College.

Brad Walhood - Co-Founder & COO

Brad oversees Ratio’s product development and supply-chain operations. He brings more than twenty years of experience in high-end consumer brands and e-commerce sectors.

Prior to Ratio, he was Director of Operations at Clive Coffee, the coffee business started by Mark Hellweg. Before that, he was Director of Retail Development with LaCrosse Footwear.

Earlier in his career, Brad was a sales manager with Straight Line Sports, a company selling sporting goods. Before that, he was a manager with Active Water Sports, a similar sports-retail business.

He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Warner Pacific College.

Co-Investors