# Super Coffee Financial Model

KITU Life makes better-for-you RTD coffee, espresso shots, and coffee creamer - zero sugar, protein-enhanced, MCT oil-fortified - targeting health-conscious consumers dissatisfied with sugary mainstream options.

- Canonical: https://finamodel.com/startups/super-coffee
- Excel download: https://finamodel.com/startup-models/super-coffee.xlsx
- Category: Biotech/Pharma
- Model type: Unit-economics / DTC
- Funding round: Series A
- Funding: $25M
- Founded: 2019
- Geography: United States
- Customer: B2C

## About the company

KITU Life’s Super Coffee range includes zero-sugar protein coffee, creamers, espresso shots, and cold brew. The products combine Colombian coffee, protein, MCT oil, and low calories to offer an alternative to sugar-heavy ready-to-drink coffee; the brand is certified Keto and Non-GMO Project Verified.

Revenue comes from wholesale CPG sales through grocery, mass, pharmacy, club, natural, specialty, and direct-to-consumer channels. Single-serve Super Coffee had retail prices around $2.79–$3.29 and multi-serve bottles $5.99. Retail partners include Target, Costco, Whole Foods, Wegmans, Walgreens, Albertsons, and many regional chains.

Super Coffee led category velocity in four measured channels in 2018, including $97.4K single-serve RTD coffee sales per store per day across Total U.S. Food. It had more than 20 authorised national chains. The model should forecast units, price, retail and DTC mix, COGS, trade spend, distribution, CAC, and gross margin.

## What's included

- 5-year monthly revenue build with stage-appropriate growth assumptions
- Full P&L, headcount plan, and operating-expense schedule
- Cash-flow statement, runway, and burn-rate tracking
- Valuation via exit multiple with a DCF cross-check
- Returns analysis with MOIC and IRR
- Unit economics including CAC, LTV, payback, and cohort retention

## Product & value proposition

Three product lines:
1. **Super Coffee** (12 fl oz single serve, 32 fl oz multi-serve) - 0g sugar, 80 cal, 10g protein, MCT oil, 100% Colombian coffee; flavors: Original, Vanilla, Hazelnut, Mocha
2. **Super Creamer** (25.4 fl oz) - 0g sugar, 50 cal, 3g protein, MCT oil from coconut oil; flavors: Original, Vanilla, Hazelnut
3. **Super Espresso** (6 fl oz shot can) - 0g sugar, 40 cal, 5g protein, MCT oil, 180mg caffeine; flavors: Original, Vanilla, Caramel
4. **Super Cold Brew** (32 fl oz) - 0g sugar, 0 cal, organic Colombian coffee + L-theanine; launching 2019

Value prop: eliminates the sugar/calorie trade-off in RTD coffee (vs. 40–45g sugar and 250+ cal in Starbucks/Dunkin') while adding protein and healthy fat. Certified Keto, Non-GMO Project Verified, no artificial sweeteners, gluten-free, lactose-free.

Brand associations: Under Armour official partner, Shark Tank appearance.

Retail SRP examples:
- Single serve Super Coffee: ~$3.29 at Target; ~$2.79 "cart-stopping price"
- Multi-serve 32 fl oz: $5.99 SRP / $1.49 per serving

## Market

- RTD coffee cited as "fastest growing category" in TD (Take & Drink) coffee - no dollar size quoted
- 83% of Americans seeking healthier options (lower sugar/lower calories)
- No explicit TAM/SAM/SOM figures in deck
- Category benchmarks (Single Serve RTD Coffee, Total US Food, L52 weeks ending 08/12/18, SPINS): KITU #1 at $97.4K $SPPD (sales per point of distribution), vs. Dunkin' $81.8K, La Colombe $51.2K, McCafe $17.5K, Bulletproof $17.3K
- At top US supermarket chain (2018 monthly average): KITU $145.6K $PPDW, La Colombe $74.4K, Starbucks $55.7K, Bulletproof $46.6K, Dunkin' $38.8K
- Natural channel L12 $PPDW: KITU $437, Stumptown $178, Bulletproof $140, La Colombe $130, Forto $35
- Specialty channel L12 $PPDW: KITU $130, Peet's $63, Bulletproof $56, Dunkin' $39, McCafe $15

## Revenue model

- Wholesale CPG model: manufacture and sell branded RTD beverages through retail and DTC channels
- Key retail partners (authorized): H-E-B, Wegmans, Whole Foods, Costco, Target, Meijer, ShopRite, Stop & Shop, Harris Teeter, Wawa, Giant Eagle, Walgreens/Duane Reade, Rite Aid, Albertsons/Safeway, Jewel Osco, Shaw's/Star Market, Fresh Thyme, Earth Fare, Market Basket, Big Y, Lunds & Byerlys, Weis, ACME, Giant
- Channels: natural, specialty, grocery, mass, pharmacy, club (Costco), DTC (drinksupercoffee.com / kitulife.com)
- SRP data points: $2.79–$3.29 (12 fl oz single serve), $5.99 (32 fl oz multi-serve)
- No revenue, COGS, or margin data disclosed in deck

## Traction & metrics

- Category velocity leadership across all four measured channels (Total US Food, top US supermarket, natural, specialty) as of 2018
  - #1 in single-serve RTD coffee $SPPD (Total US Food L52W ending 08/12/18): $97.4K
  - #1 at unnamed top US supermarket chain (2018 monthly avg): $145.6K $PPDW
  - #1 natural channel L12 $PPDW: $437
  - #1 specialty channel L12 $PPDW: $130
- Retail: 20+ national retail chains authorized
- No revenue figures, unit volume, or year-over-year growth numbers disclosed

## Competition / moat

Competitors named:
- RTD coffee: Starbucks Frappuccino (45g sugar, 260+ cal), Dunkin' Donuts (45g sugar, 250+ cal), La Colombe (20g sugar, 190 cal), High Brew (21g sugar, 135 cal), Bulletproof (15g sugar alcohols, 210 cal)
- Creamer: International Delight, Coffee Mate, Califia Farms, Natural Bliss, So Delicious (all 8–20g sugar, 0g protein, no MCT)
- Espresso shots: Dunkin' Shot in the Dark, Starbucks Double Shot, Forto Energy, 5-Hour Energy, Red Bull

Moat claims:
- Unique nutritional profile: only brand combining 0g sugar + protein + MCT oil in RTD coffee and creamer
- Velocity leadership across all major channels as of 2018
- Brand: Shark Tank appearance, Under Armour official partnership, celebrity/athlete endorsement positioning
- Quote: "KITU is the Halo Top of coffee" - Doug Bouton, founder of Halo Top

## Team & funding ask / use of funds

- Founded by three brothers (all collegiate student-athletes); youngest brother Jordan created the original product
- Company name: KITU Life, Inc.; brands: Super Coffee, Super Creamer, Super Espresso, Super Cold Brew
- Origin: Jordan's dorm room; initially targeted college and corporate campuses
- No funding ask, round size, valuation, or use of funds in deck - this is a retailer/trade sell-in deck, not an investor pitch

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## Recommended financial model

- **Archetype + why:** DTC + Retail CPG Revenue & P&L model (3-statement). The business is a multi-SKU, multi-channel CPG brand selling through both wholesale retail and direct-to-consumer. The appropriate model is a channel-split revenue build (retail wholesale vs. DTC) flowing into a P&L with gross margin by channel, brand-building OPEX, and cash/debt tracking. Standard 3-statement with a working capital schedule is appropriate given inventory-heavy operations.
- **Forecast horizon & granularity:** 3–5 years annual (monthly Year 1 if cash planning is needed); given the 2018–2019 era context, this appears to be an early-growth stage model.
- **Key drivers & assumptions:**

  *Revenue*
  - Number of retail doors (points of distribution)
  - Velocity per point of distribution ($/door/week)
  - DTC revenue
  - SKU mix: Super Coffee single-serve vs. multi-serve vs. Super Creamer vs. Super Espresso vs. Super Cold Brew
  - SRP: $2.79–$3.29 (single serve), $5.99 (32 fl oz)
  - Retail margin to wholesaler:

  *COGS*
  - COGS per unit / gross margin
  - Contract manufacturing or in-house
  - Freight & logistics as % of revenue

  *OPEX*
  - Sales & trade spend (slotting fees, promotional allowances)
  - Marketing / brand-building
  - G&A

  *Working capital*
  - Inventory days
  - Receivables days
  - Payables days

- **Scenarios (Base / Bull / Bear - which variables flex):**
  - Base: door count grows ~25%/yr; velocity stable; product mix weighted to single-serve; gross margin ~40%
  - Bull: Costco/club channel scales fast, multi-serve drives ASP up; gross margin improvement to 45%+ at scale; Cold Brew launch boosts DTC
  - Bear: Retail velocity disappoints (trade spend drag, competitive pressure from Starbucks/Dunkin' reformulation); gross margin compressed to 35%; slower door adds

- **Required sheets / outputs:**
  1. Assumptions - all drivers in one place
  2. Revenue Build - channel split (retail natural/specialty/grocery/mass/club + DTC) × SKU × door count × velocity
  3. P&L - gross margin by channel, trade spend, marketing OPEX, EBITDA
  4. Working Capital Schedule - AR/inventory/AP days
  5. Balance Sheet & Cash Flow Statement
  6. KPI Dashboard - doors, velocity, revenue per SKU, gross margin %, net burn

## Frequently asked questions

### Is the Super Coffee financial model free?

Yes. The Super Coffee model is a free Excel download with live formulas.

### Can I change the assumptions?

Yes. The workbook is editable and its live formulas recalculate when assumptions change.