Singapore-based food tech start-up, Prefer, has announced securing $4.2 million in a Pre-Series A funding round. This capital injection coincides with the commercial launch of its innovative soluble coffee and cocoa powders, designed to replicate the flavour and functionality of traditional products but with a significantly reduced carbon footprint and cost.
Founded in 2022 by Jake Berber and Ding Jie Tan, Prefer is committed to offering climate-resilient alternatives by transforming upcycled ingredients. The company employs a fermentation process to convert food manufacturing byproducts, such as rice and soy, into flavours and ingredients that mimic coffee and cocoa. This method reportedly reduces emissions by up to 85% compared to conventional Arabica coffee, while halving the cost.
Prefer’s ingredients are supplied to FMCG brands, food manufacturers, private label retailers, and flavour houses, providing advantages such as cost savings, enhanced supply chain resilience, and sustainable sourcing.
The company has also announced its first international commercial partnerships. In Thailand, Prefer is collaborating with Ajinomoto to develop sustainable coffee beverage innovations that align with the “Eat Well, Live Well” lifestyle. In Australia and New Zealand, Prefer has partnered with The Coffee Ferm, which will license Prefer’s flavour intellectual property to scale local manufacturing and distribution.
Looking ahead, Prefer plans to scale its pilot production facility through toll manufacturers in key markets, advance research on cocoa flavour development, and expand its global partnerships, with a continued focus on Asia.
Jake Berber, Co-Founder and CEO of Prefer, stated, “With the support of our new partners, the quality of our new products, and the grit of this team, we’re in a unique position to ensure coffee and cocoa are accessible to the masses while respecting our planet.”
The funding round was co-led by At One Ventures and Chancery Hill Capital, with continued participation from Forge Ventures, bringing Prefer’s total equity raised to $6.2 million. Helen Lin, Partner at At One Ventures and board member at Prefer, remarked, “We’re in the early stages of a food system transformation, one that decouples beloved consumer products from environmentally harmful supply chains.”
