Tokyo (SCCIJ) – Mikafi from Switzerland is customizing coffee roasting with the help of a digital platform. Now, the Swiss start-up collaborated with the Swissnex office in Osaka on a series of projects and events for Japanese audiences.
Swissnex in Osaka and Mikafi collaborated in Japan (© Swissnex).
Seamless experience
In its own words, Mikafi is “on a mission to refine the coffee industry by delivering the ultimate coffee experience to consumers worldwide”. To achieve this goal, the company was looking for a roasting solution that could create small-batch roasts, and personalized outcomes at scale in both retail and local shops, all while keeping the experience affordable.
Despite best efforts, Mikafi was unable to find such a solution. Instead of giving up, the team decided to rethink coffee roasting altogether. It created a cutting-edge digital Internet of Things (IoT) platform to customize roasting to each individual’s needs, while simultaneously providing a seamless and easy-to-use experience for shop owners and individuals alike.
To ensure that the coffee experience stays world-class, Mikafi developed an artificial intelligence model that predicts the right green coffee with the ideal roasting profile to create a truly customized coffee experience. The company curated a library of green coffee partners, guaranteeing direct trade, sustainability, and quality in every cup.
Mikafi showed its roasting technology in Kyoto and Osaka (© Swissnex).
Presentations in Japan
The Swissnex office in Osaka and Mikafi organized a series of events in Japan to showcase this innovative coffee solution. First, the Swiss technology was presented alongside designers, artists, and fair trade coffee merchants at FabCafe Kyoto, a creative space that fosters collaboration and innovation. More than 40 visitors were eager to learn more about Mikafi’s vision and values, as well as taste its personalized coffee.
The second event was a cupping workshop alongside FabCafe’s barista. The workshop was an opportunity for coffee enthusiasts to learn more about the different types of green coffee beans that Mikafi sources directly from farmers, as well as the roasting profiles that Mikafi’s AI model predicts based on individual taste preferences. Participants could compare and contrast Mikafi’s coffee with other conventional roasts.
“Coffee ceremony”
The third event was a tea ceremony with a twist because coffee was the center of attention. The location was the tea room “Tairitsuseki” in Shosei Garden near Kyoto station. The owner is a certified tea master. In this unique fusion of Japanese and Swiss cultures, participants experienced the ritual and etiquette of a tea ceremony, but with coffee.
The final project took place at Osaka Food Lab, an innovation hub for startups and entrepreneurs in the food industry. The exclusive presentation of Mikafi’s technology was geared at roasting professionals who were interested in learning more about this Swisss solution and how it could benefit their businesses. Mikafi held a live demonstration of the roasting machine as well as a tasting session of its customized coffee.
Text: Swissnex (Editing by SCCIJ)
