Kahawa 1893 Coffee Update | Shark Tank Season 14

Maggy Nyamumbo grew up on her family’s coffee farm in Kenya, where she saw that women did most of the work but owned almost none of the land. To fix this, she started Kahawa 1893, a coffee brand that gives part of the profits to the women who harvest the beans and matches tips from customers to support them. Her business not only offers great coffee but also helps the women behind it. Will she earn a deal? Find out in our Kahawa 1893 update and pitch recap. 

If you’re short on time, here’s a quick overview of what happened to Kahawa 1893 after Shark Tank.

Margaret entered Shark Tank Season 14, seeking $350,000 for 5% equity in Kahawa 1893. Fortunately for her, she was able to secure a deal with guest shark Emma Grede for $350,000 for 8% equity.

In terms of a Kahawa 1893 update, the company expanded its reach, with products now available in major retailers like Trader Joe’s, Target, and Costco. 

Shark	Result
Emma Grede	Accepted offer of $350,000 for 8% equity
Robert Herjavec	$350,000 for 8% equity
Mark Cuban	No offer
Kevin O’Leary	No offer
Lori Greiner	No offer

Shark Tank Kahawa 1893 Pitch

• Entrepreneurs: Margaret Nyamumbo
• Business: Kenyan coffee with a mission to compensate women farmers
• Ask: $350,000 for 5% equity
• Result: $350,000 for 8% equity
• Sharks: Emma Grede

Maggy entered Shark Tank with a deep-rooted obsession with changing the norm in the Kenyan coffee industry and addressing systemic inequalities faced by female farm workers.

She asked for an investment to expand her reach into national grocery chains and empower more women in the coffee supply chain.

Maggy explains that Kenya produces the world’s best coffee and shares that she grew up on her grandfather’s coffee farm. 

However, while Kenyans take pride in their coffee, the women who make up 90% of the labor force often earn very little. 

To tackle this, Maggy sources her coffee from small farms in Kenya and offers a unique tipping system for customers. 

For instance, customers can tip the farmers directly by scanning a QR code on the coffee packaging. The company matches every tip, doubling the impact.

When Robert Herjavec asks about the significance of 1893, Maggy explains it was the year coffee was first commercially grown in Kenya. 

Additionally, she adds that “Kahawa” means coffee in Swahili, further connecting the brand to its roots. However, she highlights a cultural imbalance—men typically own the land while women do the work. 

To date, the tipping system has generated $10,000 for female laborers, with the company matching every dollar.

Maggy’s journey is deeply personal. She grew up in Kenya and earned a scholarship to study in the USA. When she moved, her village raised the money for her plane ticket. 

After completing her MBA at Harvard, she worked on Wall Street. Eventually, she decided to create a business that combined her skills with her passion for improving the lives of women in her home country.

Kahawa 1893 has seen strong sales growth, earning $2 million in revenue over the past year. 

By summer 2022, it reached $1.3 million, and Maggy expects to finish the year with $4 million in sales. She also projects $10 million in sales for the next year.

85% of sales are wholesale, while 15% are direct-to-consumer purchases. Kahawa 1893 is also the first Black woman-owned coffee brand sold at Trader Joe’s.

The products cost $5 to produce and are sold wholesale for $8. On $4 million in sales, Maggy expects a $600,000 profit, up from a $150,000 profit of $2 million the year before.

Kevin O’Leary declined to invest, expressing concerns about the company’s valuation. 

Guest shark Emma Grede offered $350,000 for 12.5% equity, highlighting her interest in the brand’s mission. 

Robert Herjavec proposed partnering with Emma, offering a combined $700,000 for 25% equity. 

Maggy countered by suggesting $150,000 for 8% equity, with a $200,000 loan, aiming to retain more ownership. 

Robert then revised his offer to $350,000 for 8% equity, which Emma matched. 

In the end, Maggy accepted Emma’s offer of $350,000 for 8% equity, aligning with her vision for the company’s growth.

What happened next for her company? Keep reading our Kahawa 1893 update to find out.  

Shark Tank Kahawa 1893 Update

Our Kahawa 1893 update found that the deal with Emma Grede was successfully finalized, providing the company with valuable capital and strategic support. 

Furthermore, shortly after the episode aired, the company was featured on NBC New York. 

The segment highlighted its mission to empower African women coffee producers and its remarkable growth.

Kahawa 1893 products became available in major retailers such as Trader Joe’s, Target, Costco, and on the Kahawa 1893 website.

At the time of writing, the company’s net worth is estimated at approximately $8.75 million, with annual revenues exceeding $3 million.

We’re calling this  Kahawa 1893 update a success.

For more updates from Shark Tank Season 14 Episode 14, be sure to check the links below:

• FunkkOff Update
• Retold Recycling Update
• The Chub Rub Patch Update

Before you go, be sure to check out our list of all the Shark Tank Season 14 products.