Plant-based meat may be the biggest thing in sustainable food trends, but one Seattle-based company hopes to make coffee part of the conversation by eliminating one key ingredient: the beans.

Local startup Atomo has developed a lab-based concoction it refers to as “molecular coffee,” in place of traditional grounds. By doing this, Atomo aims to alleviate some of the negative environmental impacts of growing beans.

According to the Rainforest Alliance, the increasing demand for coffee will likely be a large driver of deforestation over the coming decade, with climate change forcing many farms to shift to high-altitude, heavily forested regions. Similar research suggests that the expansion of coffee farming is now responsible for nearly 250,000 acres of deforestation a year. In that vein, a brand that attempts to reduce the reliance on coffee farming could open up a discussion in the industry about better practices.

“The coffee landscape is changing and people are looking for more sustainable options,” says Jarret Stopforth, one of the co-founders of Atomo. “We see ourselves as the Tesla of coffee.”

 Courtesy of Atomo

Origin story

Good intentions are one thing; execution is another. Using his Ph.D. in food science and microbiology, along with more than 20 years of experience in the food industry at companies such as Chobani and Campbell, Stopforth and his Atomo business partner Andy Kleitsch (who was a product manager at Amazon) figured there had to be a way to break down what makes good coffee and hack it.

Stopforth declined to reveal the exact process or any of the ingredients. The company is still finalizing their patents and IP protection, so they continue to play things close to the vest for now. “We will be releasing ingredients and be totally transparent when we release product to market, but at this time we have to be opaque,” says an Atomo rep. More generally, Stopforth says, the coffee is driven by the concept of “create, don’t destroy,” making use of natural, plant-based byproducts. Color, aroma, flavor, body, and bioactives (such as caffeine and antioxidants) are the five main components of each cup.

After months of experimenting in a garage, Stopforth and Kleitsch decided to take samples of their first brews to the University of Washington, where they conducted a taste test with 30-plus students. About 70 percent of the students chose Atomo over Starbucks, Stopforth claims, serving as a springboard for them to take the next step.

The company launched its Kickstarter in February 2019 and gauged interest from multiple investors, including Horizon Ventures, one of the initial investors for Impossible Foods. Not long after that effort, Atomo had secured $2.6 million in funding.