Kenyan entrepreneur Margaret Nyamumbo, based in the United States, garnered attention last year after delivering an impressive pitch on the hit TV show Shark Tank for her coffee company, Kahawa 1893. During the pitch, Emma Grede, a British businesswoman, offered Nyamumbo Sh. 44 million in exchange for an 8% stake in her company.
Since that pivotal moment, Kahawa 1893, a specialty coffee business headquartered in New York City, has flourished, generating Sh. 387 million in revenue by 2023.
Nyamumbo, 36, was raised in Kisii among coffee farmers before relocating to the U.S. in 2007 to pursue higher education. She earned a degree in Economics from Smith College before advancing to Harvard for an MBA. In 2016, she joined Citigroup, an American multinational investment bank, gaining invaluable experience.
In a CNBC interview, Nyamumbo shared her journey of founding Kahawa 1893 in 2017. The name was inspired by the Swahili word for coffee and the year when coffee was first commercially cultivated in Kenya. What began as a side hustle to complement her investment banking career soon became her full-time passion. After taking a one-year sabbatical from Citi, she chose not to return, resigning in 2018 to dedicate herself entirely to her coffee business.
“The first year was fully self-funded from my savings, and I reinvested all profits. We didn’t raise any external funding or take on debt,” Nyamumbo explained. Reflecting on her early entrepreneurial lessons, she noted, “I learned that even the biggest brands, including Fortune 500 companies, started from humble beginnings. Coffee felt like a natural fit for me, given my upbringing on a coffee farm.”
Kahawa 1893 sources its coffee primarily from women farmers across Africa, with a strong presence in Kenya, as well as Tanzania, Rwanda, and the DRC. The company then roasts and packages the coffee for distribution.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, Kahawa 1893 faced significant challenges. However, the company received a crucial boost when American retailer Trader Joe’s began stocking their products, giving the brand much-needed exposure. This led to further opportunities, with other major U.S. retailers, such as Target, following suit.
In 2023, Kahawa 1893’s revenue reached Sh. 387 million, with the majority—Sh. 282 million—coming from supermarkets and wholesale distributors. Their website contributed Sh. 101.6 million, Amazon added Sh. 13.8 million, and smaller wholesale outlets like cafes and offices accounted for Sh. 3.76 million in sales.
