Nexe’s Xoma Superfoods lands US$6.3M following e-commerce store launch

08 Apr 2021 --- Canada-based Nexe Innovations has secured CA$8 million (US$6.3 million) in financing from Canaccord Genuity at the heels of launching an e-commerce superfood store via its subsidiary Xoma Superfoods.

The company intends to use the financing’s net proceeds to increase production capacity of its coffee and pods, strategic acquisitions, NPD and general corporate purposes.

Functional coffees
The new e-commerce store features three coffee products containing functional ingredients packaged in Nexe’s fully-compostable, plant-based coffee pods made with bamboo-coated casing.

The three functional coffees on offer are: 

• XOMA Coffee Fortified: Made with medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) from virgin coconut oil. MCT is touted for its ability to boost brain power and aid weight loss. 
• XOMA Mindful Mushroom Coffee: Made with chaga, cordyceps and lion’s mane mushrooms. “A rich, low-calorie source of fiber, protein and antioxidants with a host of health benefits.”
• XOMA Keto Coffee: An energizing beverage made with quality fats and MCT oil, flavored with hints of vanilla, suitable for a ketogenic diet.

“This is a major milestone for Nexe and Xoma. The initial pilot launch of our three-count packages of Xoma Coffee fortified with MCT sold out within 24 hours,” says Ash Guglani, president of Nexe.

Nexe’s MCT coffee.Bamboo-based pods 
Every year, over 40 billion petroleum-based single-serve coffee pods end up in landfills globally, where they take over a thousand years to break down. 

The Nexe pod aims to solve this, says the company. It is a plant-based capsule in a bamboo casing that is fully compostable and meets international standards for certification as a compostable material. 

Scientific trials have shown that the pod can break down within ten weeks and that the Nexe pods had no negative effects on the quality of the resulting compost.

The pods are compatible with Keurig single-serve coffee brewing systems. Each product will be available in 12-count packages. 

Gulgani says Nexe has spent over five years developing the pod. 

Pods from agricultural waste 
Nexe is not alone in its quest to create an environmentally sustainable alternative to plastic coffee pods. 

Biomaterials manufacturer Coda Group recently launched Solinatra, a pod made from agricultural waste products and marketed as a low carbon-emitting alternative that can help coffee companies reach their net-zero sustainability goals. 

“Biodegrading in the same time frame as a banana skin, Solinatra is a revolutionary new material,” says Simon Girdlestone, head of sales and marketing at Coda Group.

“Our innovative new biomaterial is a gamechanger for coffee brands and capsule manufacturers worldwide.”

Recycling infrastructure varies by region, and many people do not have access to proper waste streams to dispose of coffee pods, Girdlestone notes. 

“Currently, consumers face a postcode lottery as to what recycling or composting opportunities are available to them. With Solinatra, customers can be safe in the knowledge that their coffee capsules cause no harm to the environment no matter how they are disposed of.”  

Edited

By Louis Gore-Langton