European private equity firm Verdane has acquired a majority stake in Austria-based coffee software platform Cropster.
The investment will enable Cropster to expand its software offering and international expansion, particularly in the specialty coffee markets of the US and Europe, and the fast-growing Asia region.
Founded in 2008, Cropster is known for its IoT (internet of things) software that helps green coffee merchants, roasters and operators improve efficiency and consistency.
It currently works with coffee companies in more than 100 countries and has formed partnerships with international chains such as Starbucks and Blue Bottle.
Verdane’s investment in Cropster marks the eleventh in the DACH region (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) since October 2023, and the fourth in Austria.
Both Verdane and Cropster have achieved B Corp certification (a designation that a company meets high standards of verified performance, accountability and transparency).
Verdane partner Dominik Schwarz said: “Andreas, Norbert and Martin, as well as the entire Cropster team, have demonstrated how to develop a successful software tool for the benefit of their customers and how to adapt it to the needs of more and more market participants. along the value chain in the coffee market.
“From day one, we have been impressed with the customer love, loyalty and community that Cropster has built in the global coffee and coffee ecosystem, as well as the strong value-driven culture within the company.”
Cropster CEO and co-founder Andreas Idl said: “Verdane is outperforming the market. We are confident in their software expertise and ability to work in international markets, as evidenced by their excellent buy-and-build track record. Moreover, they fell in love with coffee very quickly.”
In August 2024, Verdane announced Carl Nauckhoff as a partner and as Chief Commercial Officer.
“Verdane Acquires Majority Stake in Cropster” was originally created and published by Verdict Food Service, a brand owned by GlobalData.
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