Chamberlain Coffee, founded by YouTube star Emma Chamberlain, just announced it raised another $7 million in venture capital.
The funding round included participation from Blazar Capital; the founders of New York bakery Ole & Steen, Ole Kristoffersen and Steen Skallebaek; Grin founder Brandon Brown; marketing expert Nik Sharma; and beverage industry veteran Ken Sadowsky.
Chamberlain Coffee has quickly become a cult favorite among coffee drinkers, especially with Generation Z, given the brand’s wide variety of coffee and non-coffee products. Buyers can get everything from coffee beans of unique flavors and cold brew blends to instant coffee packets (a clutch choice for traveling) that actually taste good as well as instant matcha and hot chocolate.
Chamberlain recently shared more with Fortune about the company’s growth since launch and upcoming plans for expansion.
- Startup: Chamberlain Coffee
- Location: Los Angeles
- Year founded: 2019
- Valuation: Declined to disclose
- Investment level: Series A
- Number of employees: 10
Why she invested, in her own words
Some of my fondest memories as a child took place in coffee shops. My parents are coffee lovers, and it was something I got to appreciate at a young age (even though I couldn’t drink it yet). The moment I became old enough to drink coffee, I was drinking a lot of it. Naturally, one of my dream jobs was to be a barista or a coffee shop owner. I wanted to be a part of the magic that coffee provides for people.
A few years ago, I started making videos on YouTube and became known for drinking and loving coffee. Through my career on the internet, I have acquired resources and connections that allowed me to make my dream come true, which was to create something meaningful in the coffee world. It was such a natural and obvious choice for me. I’m so passionate about coffee and everything that comes with it. From the community, to the daily ritual, I adore it from every angle.
Chamberlain Coffee feels like an extension of myself, and investing in myself is always a no-brainer. I wouldn’t allow myself to start a venture unless I was excited to invest in it. I truly love Chamberlain Coffee and everything it has become. I was very eager to invest in it and help it grow even more.
I think the fundraising will allow us more room to have fun. We will have the support to create even more interesting products and campaigns, giving us the ability to push the boundaries in ways that weren’t possible before. It will also allow us to invest more in expansion, so we can put our coffee into as many hands as possible, and become a part of even more people’s daily routines. There’s so much we are ecstatic to do.
This is an installment of Why I Invested, a series featuring famous investors from all different backgrounds and industries, revealing what inspired them to invest their own money in a new business.
