TrueStart Coffee, the UK’s fastest-growing challenger coffee brand, has secured a significant Series A investment led by JamJar Investments, the consumer brand builders behind Innocent Drinks. DLF Venture and a group of strategic angel investors also joined the round.
On a mission to make people feel amazing with delicious, better-for-you coffee, the funding will support TrueStart’s next phase of growth, accelerating retail expansion of its core range, launching innovation across a traditionally static category, scaling brand & sampling activations proven to drive incremental growth, and investing further in its fast-growing direct to consumer (D2C) channel.
Founded in 2015 by husband-and-wife duo Helena Hills and Simon Hills, TrueStart was created while triathlon training to challenge the status quo in coffee by combining speciality grade quality with a caffeine-conscious, healthy lifestyle proposition. The brand uses selective sourcing, starting from where Helena used to live in Colombia, as well as rigorous testing to ensure every cup delivers a clean, consistent energy boost.
TrueStart is now the fastest growing challenger coffee brand in the UK, delivering 620% growth over the past two years and achieving 140% year on year growth in 2025, while remaining EBITDA positive. The brand is listed with Asda, Morrisons, Co-op, Costco & Ocado, has over 5,000 UK distribution points, and has built a highly engaged D2C customer base alongside its strong retail & out-of-home momentum.
Helena Hills, Co-Founder of TrueStart Coffee, said:
“After 10 years of diligently building our brand bootstrapped, we have fantastic product-market fit and the demand for TrueStart has never been higher. This strategic investment will enable us to rapidly accelerate our already explosive growth, to build a category defining brand that always delivers on taste, health & energy for our customers. The future is super bright and we are just getting started!”
Adam Balon, Co-Founder of JamJar Investments, said:
“TrueStart is exactly the kind of brand and team we love to back… one that brings excitement, optimism and a bit of fun to people’s everyday routines. Coffee is a huge category that’s been crying out for a shake-up, and TrueStart is doing exactly that with brilliant products, a clear point of view and founders with the ambition to build something genuinely special.
TrueStart has already proven they can unlock growth in a way most challengers can’t. We see massive potential and are excited to be part of the journey as TrueStart builds one of the next great consumer brands.”
Clément Helinckx, Principal at DLF Venture, said:
“TrueStart has shown it can deliver real, incremental & profitable growth through exceptional products and a meaningful brand. This next stage is about scaling across retail, out of home and D2C, by launching innovation that grows the category and activating the brand in ways that recruit new consumers and build long-term brand value.”
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