BRAND HISTORY

INTRODUCING THE JOURNEY

The thinking behind our Nano is 10 years old. Yip, we’ve been around for a while, an elder statesman of the coffee roasting set I guess! Chris Hilder, our founder and the powerhouse behind Kaffelogic was on a mission to find the perfect roasted bean, the foundation of a good coffee. The missing link to his daily ritual. The final frontier. Curious, he starting experimenting with software to work out the formula behind the perfect roasted bean. Thats how the Nano was born.

STARTUP COMMUNITY & NETWORKS

We all have great ideas every now and then but executing them is another whole ball game. This is where Startup Dunedin comes into the story. Startup Dunedin, is a Dunedin startup facilitation and collaboration hub that provided the perfect opportunity for Chris to meet likeminded entrepreneurs who were also on creative journeys. It was at one of their start up events that lead Chris to his 'angel advisors' David Cohen and Rachel Elder. They believed in what Chris was doing, and backed him with their time and expertise, and Kaffelogic was incorporated in 2017.This kicked off Kaffelogic’s first 'PledgeMe' campaign back in 2018.

PLEDGEME CAMPAIGN & BUSINESS GROWTH

It was this PlegeMe campaign that caught the eye of John Robson. John saw a gap in the market and knew he could help Chris execute the business side of this venture. John brought with him an impressive amount of knowledge and networks from his years in the coffee industry. To realise their dream, they engaged experts across different disciplines to ensure they could produce a machine with beautiful roasting results inside, and refined by designers to be stylish on the outside. With its sleek timeless design, the nano coffee roaster disrupted the coffee industry, in a good way of course.  

THE FIRST 100

Our early adopters have been critical to the Kaffelogic story. We are always eternally grateful to those first 100 who had faith in our vision, who trusted us, who backed us. Such is the nature of coffee, this original '100' spawned a Kaffelogic user community, now numbering in the thousands around the globe, all with a quest to find that perfect coffee using their home roaster. We wouldn’t be where we are today without their backing and support.

BUILDING THE TEAM, AND REALISING THE DREAM

Chris & John hand selected the best team to bring their vision not only into the kitchens of everyday coffee drinkers, but also cafes, roasteries, and to the world stage. Initially the production was outsourced to contract manufacturers, but as Kaffelogic scaled up Chris & John built up a highly qualified team to make the Nano right here in Dunedin, many graduates from Otago University. We opened the doors to number 53 Castle Street back in 2021 and have never looked back.

BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED INSIDE AND OUT, WITH NZ SUPPLY CHAIN PARTNERS

Holding such high regard for the expertise of NZ innovators, the team where possible have sourced the Nano components right here in New Zealand. In fact, over 65% of our unit cost is from parts sourced from our New Zealand supply chain partners. In Dunedin, we collaborate closely with several local businesses Farra Engineering, Kamahi Electronics, Uptown Art and Cargill Enterprises, and in Christchurch with NZ Cartons, Paperbox Creative and Design Sense. These relationships mean a lot to us. But good relationships go further than our supply chain. We also work collaboratively with other New Zealand companies, whether we are showcasing their product in content we create or just doing a good old-fashioned shout out!

OUR PILLARS- CONTROL, CONSISTENCY, QUALITY AND SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainability was at the forefront of our design team, we want to create a product that was sustainable on many levels, including giving our customers the 'right of repair'. The Nano is designed as a 'legacy appliance' which will keep on going, roast after roast. We have a dedicated global service network on hand to action any servicing. And of course, for kiwis, any servicing requirements are done right here in our Dunedin factory. But it doesn't stop there. Our packaging contains no plastic or polystyrene. And by roasting at home, there is a significant amount of waste saved with regards to packaging and handling that comes with the pre roasted beans. 

THE RESULTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES

We have now produced over 8,000 units and have distributors in over 21 countries. We have been grateful for the support available to small startups in New Zealand, particularly the government's research and development funding assistance, and invaluable help that we have received from NZTE and their partners across the globe. Our banking partners have also played a huge role in our ability to be able to scale up, and ANZ have been incredibly supportive to work with here.

OUR COUNTRY, OUR PEOPLE

Establishing an appliance manufacturing business in New Zealand has had its challenges. Whilst at times being tempted to take this offshore, it has always been our philosophy to be a truly NZ brand built by kiwis. From very small beginnings we now have a diverse and highly skilled team that we are proud to have grown and kept right here in New Zealand. We also have an active Board of Directors with Rob Farrell (SIO) as the Board Chairperson, and Dean Boston as our General Manager.
Chris & Johns continued passion, and dedication is why it is still going strong today. Chris still works in our Dunedin factory today and has no plans of slowing down, while John is based in Christchurch managing emerging market onboarding. We feel we are now at a good space for the next chapter of Kaffelogics journey. We have a dedicated team who are passionate about, and proud of what we have collectively achieved.

TARGET AUDIENCE

CUSTOMER PERSONAS

CONTACT SECTION

This is a 'living' document that will be updated periodically, so check in to find the latest brand assets, and guides on how to use them.

If you land up with any uncertainties or any additions that you think the brand would benefit from, please reach out to me at the following;

sean.ellis@kaffelogic.com