Alliance of Angels Names The Coffee Equipment Company 2008 Company of the Year
SEATTLE – May 9, 2008 — The Alliance of Angels (AoA) announced The Coffee Equipment Company, the Seattle-based developer of the innovative Clover coffee brewing system, as the recipient of its 2008 Company of the Year Award. The award was presented to company co-founder Zander Nosler during the Technology Alliance’s State of Technology Luncheon in downtown Seattle.
“As an investor in The Coffee Equipment Company since the very early days, I’m thrilled we have the opportunity to recognize Zander, Randy and their team for the Clover and its success,” said AoA executive committee member Geoff Entress, venture partner at Madrona Venture Group.
The Coffee Equipment Company, founded in 2004, married sophisticated product engineering with a quintessential daily ritual: the cup of coffee. The company’s Clover was the first commercial-grade brewing system that offered baristas independent control over the multiple variables of brewed coffee, including water temperature, grind, coffee-to-water ratio and brew time. The machine enables preparation of single cups of brewed coffee fresh to order.
The company also developed a software-based service, CloverNet, that provides Clover owners with the ability to control their machines online and track brewing and sales activity.
“The AoA has a ten-year history of investing in successful companies,” said program chair Dan Rosen, president and CEO of Dan Rosen & Associates. “We are delighted today to honor The Coffee Equipment Company with the AoA Company of the Year Award for their passion, innovation, tenacity and vision.”
“The elegant engineering of the Clover led to a successful acquisition by another angel-funded success story: Starbucks. Congratulations to The Coffee Equipment Company.”
The company was selected by AoA leadership from among a field of three finalists chosen for their entrepreneurial spirit, traction with investors, progress toward business plan goals, and positive impact on the economy. The other two finalists for this year’s award, both Seattle-based companies, were Buddy TV, creator of a dynamic online community for television fans through a combination of interactive features and original content on more than 500 shows, and CleverSet, developer of e-commerce software tools enabling the delivery of automated, personalized recommendations to site visitors, which has amassed more than 90 commercial customers and was recently acquired by ATG.
Contact
- Rebecca Lovell
- (206) 389-7321
About the Alliance of Angels
The Alliance of Angels is the Pacific Northwest’s premier angel investment organization, comprising more than 100 accredited investors and representatives of investment firms who invest in early-stage technology companies based in Washington state or the vicinity. A program of the Technology Alliance, AoA represents the Northwest’s most experienced and best-networked private investors and helps support the growth of new technology companies in our region by facilitating more efficient access to capital and producing web-based resources and educational events for investors and entrepreneurs. More information can be found at www.allianceofangels.com.