{"data":{"type":"company_profile","id":72004,"entity_id":"wefunder:company:72004","attributes":{"canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/octane.coffee","generated_at":"2026-07-24T00:41:17Z","updated_at":"2026-07-23T05:00:19Z","entity_ids":{"company":"wefunder:company:72004","slug":"wefunder:company_slug:octane.coffee"},"profile_visibility":{"owner_published":true,"public_search_results":true,"site_search_listed":true,"privacy_mode":"promote","invite_only":false},"provenance":{"source":"wefunder_public_company_profile","as_of":"2026-07-24T00:41:17Z","claims":{"total_amount_raised":{"source":"FrontCompanySummary#amount_raised","last_verified_at":"2026-07-23T05:00:19Z","as_of":"2026-07-24T00:41:17Z","confidence":"high"},"total_investors":{"source":"FrontCompanySummary#number_of_investors","last_verified_at":"2026-07-23T05:00:19Z","as_of":"2026-07-24T00:41:17Z","confidence":"high"},"active_raise_states":{"source":"Fundraise.visible(nil, nil)","last_verified_at":"2026-05-06T18:47:31Z","as_of":"2026-07-24T00:41:17Z","confidence":"high"},"latest_fundraise_state":{"source":"Fundraise.visible(nil, nil).order(funding_started_at)","last_verified_at":"2026-05-06T18:47:31Z","as_of":"2026-07-24T00:41:17Z","confidence":"medium"}}},"company":{"id":72004,"entity_id":"wefunder:company:72004","slug":"octane.coffee","name":"Octane Coffee","tagline":"We're building the world's first Fully Automated Coffee Drive-Thru!","elevator_pitch":"We sell premium coffee, tea, and juice drinks via a fully automated drive-thru lane. All drinks are ordered, customized, prepared, and delivered via software and hardware automation that we developed in house.","story":"At its core, Octane Coffee is focused on reimagining the drive-thru coffee experience using a full suite of advanced software and hardware automation.\u0026nbsp;We've built an amazing team of founders, supplier partners, and advisors to help us launch and grow this business. The COVID-19 pandemic has created huge shifts in customer demand for Quick-Service-Retail (QSR) and Coffee Shops and we're poised to provide a completely contactless drink production and delivery concept that has gotten a lot of good feedback from our early BETA test groups. The drink quality is there and the production automated is proven out, our next step is to scale our unit up into a full size drive-thru location.Our target market is the 18-45 year old commuter who buys a coffee on-the-go as part of their daily routine. They are typically busy professionals, parents with kids in the car, and\u0026nbsp;students with expendable income. The 'away-from-home' coffee industry is huge, FIVE TIMES bigger than the ‘at-home’ market and estimated at $73.9 Billion dollars per year.We've always believed that the romantic view of Starbucks WASN'T how most of\u0026nbsp;their customers actually\u0026nbsp;used the service (\"I could bring my laptop/book down here and sit with my coffee or have a quick informal\u0026nbsp;meeting.\"). Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson came out with a statement in April 2020 when Coronavirus shut most of the companies stores down: \"about 80 percent of orders were placed “on-the-go” even before COVID-19\" showcasing that customers ACTUALLY used Starbucks in a grab-and-go fashion 80% of the time, even before Coronavirus. We sell to that 80% that doesn't care about luxurious interior build-outs or the sights/smells/sounds/ambiance of the coffee shop experience, they just want their coffee and want to get on with their day.Our vision is to franchise our automated drive-thru concept\u0026nbsp;nationwide (employee-free!) and we hope to be the first QSR 'drive-thru' company to achieve automated delivery\u0026nbsp;via drones to moving cars on the freeway, it truly is the pinnacle of convenience (obviously lots of safety, logistical, and regulatory hurdles!).\u0026nbsp;We hope you'll invest in Octane Coffee and we look forward to bringing our concept to your city to be a part of your daily routine!For more info, please contact me via e-mail --\u0026gt;\u0026nbsp;adrian@octanemke.com","location":"Milwaukee, WI","website":"https://www.octanemke.com/pitch","total_amount_raised":78573,"total_investors":116,"is_funded":true,"is_active":true,"quality_score":2,"related_urls":["https://wefunder.com/octane.coffee","https://www.octanemke.com/pitch"]},"media":{"share_image_url":"https://uploads.wefunder.com/uploads/company/custom_card_photo/72004/xxl_cropped_JIPU4651.jpg","logo_url":"https://uploads.wefunder.com/uploads/company/logo/72004/large_cropped_Instagram_Profile_-_Octane_Coffee_4-9-20.png"},"links":{"company_url":"https://www.octanemke.com/pitch","twitter_url":"http://twitter.com/OctaneCoffeeMKE"},"highlights":[],"quick_facts":[{"index":1,"claim_id":"claim-fact-1","value":"Our business will be automated and requires 30 mins of labor per day for projected $1K+ daily profit"},{"index":2,"claim_id":"claim-fact-2","value":"Founders have raised $200k+ and built an amazing technical, business, marketing, and mentoring team"},{"index":3,"claim_id":"claim-fact-3","value":"FoodTech Automation 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old!","avatar_url":"https://uploads.wefunder.com/uploads/company_role/custom_photo/1246228/square_cropped_Alec_Chan_Photo.jpg?1606174325","profile_url":"https://wefunder.com/alec.chan","linkedin_url":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/alec-chan/","related_urls":["https://wefunder.com/alec.chan"]}],"featured_investors":[{"id":5138,"entity_id":"wefunder:company_investor_profile:5138","investor_profile_id":736531,"investor_profile_entity_id":"wefunder:investor_profile:736531","subject_entity_id":"wefunder:user:1198643","name":"David Becker","bio":"Lancaster Investments is a family office based in Madison, WI that invests in real estate and early-stage companies.","avatar_url":"http://uploads.wefunder.com/uploads/user/avatar/1198643/medium_cropped_IMG_6768_edit.jpg","profile_url":"https://wefunder.com/davidbecker","investment_total":100000,"investment_info":"Invested $1,000 this round \u0026 $99,000 previously","is_lead_investor":true,"related_urls":["https://wefunder.com/davidbecker"]}],"investor_memos":[],"tab_counts":{"posts":0,"ask_questions":28,"featured_investors":1,"faq_entries":5},"active_fundraises":[{"id":38615,"entity_id":"wefunder:fundraise:38615","state":"successful","offering_type":"4(a)(6)","funding_type":"note","structure":"safe","security_type":"equity","currency":"USD","testing_the_waters":false,"min_purchase":100,"max_purchase":9,"funding_target":55000.0,"funding_started_at":"2020-11-25T00:36:53Z","funding_closed_at":"2021-02-18T05:02:48Z","auto_close_at":"2021-02-18T04:59:59Z"}],"latest_fundraise":{"id":38615,"entity_id":"wefunder:fundraise:38615","state":"successful","offering_type":"4(a)(6)","structure":"safe","testing_the_waters":false,"can_invest_now":false,"funding_started_at":"2020-11-25T00:36:53Z","funding_closed_at":"2021-02-18T05:02:48Z","terms":{"eb":null,"nb":"$2.5M","txt":"valuation cap"}},"recent_posts":[],"q_and_a":[{"id":123490,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:123490","question":"Other Octane Coffee firms exist. Will you be able to trademark or copyright the name? What about all the other coffee firms with the same name out there?","author_name":"Douglas Nelson","votes":2,"created_at":"2021-01-08T00:11:41Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/octane.coffee#question-123490","answers":[{"id":123577,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:123577","answer":"Yes, we've filed the Wisconsin Trademark and Tradename documents for local protection of the 'Octane\u0026nbsp;Coffee' name.\u0026nbsp; We're not 100% in love with the branding so it may change once we take the leap into franchising in 18-24 months\u0026nbsp;as that will be the first time that most new customers ever hear about it.","author_name":"Adrian Deasy","votes":1,"created_at":"2021-01-08T12:23:36Z"}]},{"id":122273,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:122273","question":"I like the idea of the automation and it addresses lots of issues related to having employees including wage increases, taxes, liabilities, and reliability. However, I also have worked in industries that had automation and when automation fails there has to be a backup option. When a unit breaks down or stops production, your revenue stops. How do you intend to address that and what would be your expected mean time between failures?","author_name":"Michael Thayer","votes":2,"created_at":"2020-12-31T00:49:43Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/octane.coffee#question-122273","answers":[{"id":122351,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:122351","answer":"Our founding team has 30+\u0026nbsp;years of\u0026nbsp;design, build, launch, and long term support experience for industrial automation systems that run in some of the worst environments and without maintenance for long stretches of time.Issues with automated systems are inevitable so our solution is to have as much reliability and redundancy as possible built into the system from launch.\u0026nbsp; There are four coffee makers running in parallel and they share recipe info so two can go down before customers are impacted at all.\u0026nbsp; Cup/Lid/Syrup dispensers all have duplicated systems and actively monitor inventory so if a dispenser goes down, we immediately get text/e-mail alerts and status updates (i.e. 100 cups out of service, 600+ remain online, estimated 6-8 hours before service is required).We will be onsite for the first 4-6 months during the launch of our pilot drive-thru.\u0026nbsp; Our HQ and engineering offices are in the same shared space so we can respond immediately if the systems are having issues.\u0026nbsp; By the 6 month mark, we should have all of the hardware and software troubleshooted to allow for unattended production and 24/7/365 drink availability.","author_name":"Adrian Deasy","votes":1,"created_at":"2020-12-31T16:14:59Z"}]},{"id":120383,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:120383","question":"What's the range of coffee drinks that you can cover? Coffee culture has a wide range of recipes.","author_name":"Jerry Tsai","votes":2,"created_at":"2020-12-20T21:46:38Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/octane.coffee#question-120383","answers":[{"id":120551,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:120551","answer":"At launch we will have a broad menu of espresso based premium coffee drinks\u0026nbsp;(latte, cappuccino, mocha, etc), four varieties of\u0026nbsp;bean-to-cup brewed black coffee, as well as bottled teas, cold brew coffees,\u0026nbsp;and cold pressed juices.For user customizations, we'll have 4-6 milk and creamer\u0026nbsp;choices (whole, skim, half-and-half, and almond/oat for non-dairy), and 12 flavoring syrups on tap (vanilla, caramel, hazelnut, etc).We will be adding food items 6-9 months after the initial drive-thru launch, typical grab-and-go fare that is easy to eat while driving.","author_name":"Adrian Deasy","votes":2,"created_at":"2020-12-21T19:57:53Z"}]},{"id":127384,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:127384","question":"Hi Adrian, I invested in your company. I have a suggestion. In the future, what about t-shirts at the 100 dollar level? Why? Because you can get free advertising. Just imagine 4000 investors walking around with your t-shirts. Plus, most investors can only invest 2,400 yearly. Just a thought...Peter","author_name":"Peter Woods","votes":1,"created_at":"2021-01-30T11:00:24Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/octane.coffee#question-127384","answers":[{"id":127391,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:127391","answer":"I\u0026nbsp;love the t-shirts idea and we are planning to hand out vinyl car\u0026nbsp;stickers/swag to our early customers that will be more visible in our local launch area.\u0026nbsp; When we are expanding into new cities, this type of viral \"What's That?\" style marking is critical to growing our brand.","author_name":"Adrian Deasy","votes":1,"created_at":"2021-01-30T12:38:15Z"}]},{"id":123501,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:123501","question":"Automated fast serve coffee is a great concept. Venturing out to drone car delivery seems unneeded and too complex. Would you focus on scaling your core business nationally before funding drone delivery research?","author_name":"Frank Rodgers","votes":1,"created_at":"2021-01-08T01:08:19Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/octane.coffee#question-123501","answers":[{"id":123578,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:123578","answer":"Yes, the focus of the first 12-18 months is really just to dial in the drive-thru model and associated hardware.Regulations and Safety for drone delivery are still 3-5 years off and we won't be placing a huge emphasis on R\u0026amp;D until we've established our core business.","author_name":"Adrian Deasy","votes":1,"created_at":"2021-01-08T12:25:24Z"}]},{"id":120709,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:120709","question":"This looks like a promising idea, but I have a question on the financials presented on your slide deck. On page 23 you present two pie charts to show how you have arrived at 375% more profitable than traditional coffee shops. The question I have is really two-fold: 1) How did you derive the \"material\" cost averages (ex: flavor, lids, milk, etc.)? 2) Do the figures take into account bulk purchasing that a larger chain might be able to leverage to reduce those costs vs. what Octane will need to pay at the start as a smaller business? Thanks! JP","author_name":"Jeremy Phillips","votes":1,"created_at":"2020-12-22T18:21:50Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/octane.coffee#question-120709","answers":[{"id":120722,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:120722","answer":"Answers are below:1)\u0026nbsp;Our material COGS estimates are based on quoted costs from local vendors for beans, cups, and lids.\u0026nbsp; We tend to lean very conservative on our cost estimates\u0026nbsp;and used full retail price for flavoring syrups and milk (those vendors wouldn't quote until we were ramping up to launch and had better volume estimates).2)\u0026nbsp;Yes, we researched cost breakdowns for Starbucks, Dunkin', and Mom \u0026amp; Pop Coffee Shops to derive their COGS estimates.\u0026nbsp; They're definitely utilizing wholesale pricing and have much better per unit costs with their economies of scale.\u0026nbsp; The biggest costs to our competitors are their labor and overhead, which we've fundamentally reduced with our automation and drastic reduction in overhead and\u0026nbsp;operating costs.","author_name":"Adrian Deasy","votes":3,"created_at":"2020-12-22T19:08:40Z"}]},{"id":119563,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:119563","question":"Really interesting stuff here! This is the way the future's going and love that your tackling this opportunity, especially in the time of COVID-19. A few quick questions: 1) Each \"automation cell\" store location is a essentially a shipping container crate? How does this affect your placement of stores vs. the usual physical store location a Starbucks might be (a true building)? Does this give you more location options vs. competitors? Also I don't imagine one would be steal-able but maybe more susceptible to damage..? Thoughts here? 2) Let's assume you are doing 1,000 cups a day. Does your \"automation cell\" location need to be revamped? Would your current model support such demand/capacity? 3) How much would you anticipate a franchise model to cost down the road? Some research shows a Dunkin' Donuts might cost $100k-200k and a Starbucks $300k. I would imagine the cost for an Octane would be more appealing? 4) Did Stone Creek Coffee make an investment? Or are they just partnering with you at the moment? 5) When is the deadline to reach the $100k goal? If you are not successful in fully reaching the goal on WeFunder, how does that affect those who did invest? 6) The $400k Seed Round already has $200k covered and you are looking to raise $100k on WeFunder. Where is the remaining $100k coming from? Thanks!","author_name":"Nicholas Marino","votes":1,"created_at":"2020-12-15T21:19:19Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/octane.coffee#question-119563","answers":[{"id":119658,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:119658","answer":"A few quick answers:1) Legally, our business is defined as a Vending Machine, but the drive-thru aspect complicates that a little bit as that requires local government approval for zoning and traffic safety.\u0026nbsp; We'll have cameras inside and outside of the unit monitoring everything, and spare parts on the shelf if vandalism does occur.2)\u0026nbsp;Our current layout\u0026nbsp;can be scaled up easily to accommodate 1000+\u0026nbsp;cups per day, the tricky part becomes system throughput (how many coffees per minute) and that's limited by the drive-thru flow.\u0026nbsp; The first big bottleneck is the robotic handling speed, I\u0026nbsp;can only move so fast with cups full of liquid...\u0026nbsp; Adding a second robot would be the first major system upgrade, likely above 1200\u0026nbsp;cups per day.3) We found a contractor who built a few Starbucks drive-thrus in our area, they were $1.3M when completed with a $200k appliance package.\u0026nbsp; Our shipping container cell can be built for under $250k, with a drive-thru build-out (utilities piped in, pavement, curbs, landscaping, signage, lighting, etc) is estimated at $200k, so a total franchise would be ~$450k to open.\u0026nbsp; There are many lenders in the franchise space that will do loans with 25% or less down payment.4) Stone Creek Coffee is just a partner for now, there's some politics in play that limit their investment for now (they don't want it to look like they're trying to replace their human employees with robots at their 12+\u0026nbsp;successful cafes).5\u0026amp;6) We've had some huge recent developments and will be successfully closing the WeFunder campaign in January.\u0026nbsp; I\u0026nbsp;can't speak more about it at this time but will update the WeFunder campaign page once things are set in stone.","author_name":"Adrian Deasy","votes":1,"created_at":"2020-12-16T15:02:45Z"}]},{"id":118712,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:118712","question":"Just want to confirm - I love the idea a ton, but obviously if you're starting off targeting only the Milwaukee area, 10% off coffee for one year won't help me very much, since I'm several thousand miles away... I assume there's no way to delay what year I'd get the investor discount for, until you're in my area? (I'm leaning towards investing anyway, though, it's such a great idea.) Also, any idea how long it might take until you *were* in my area? :) (My area being southern California, or even just California more broadly?) And just out of curiosity, if you're setting up for locations to be truly fully autonomous... Seems like the biggest concern with anything fully autonomous with no humans on the premise, but that's still consumer-facing, would be vandalism (people are jerks!) - just curious your thoughts? Thanks!","author_name":"Adam Field","votes":1,"created_at":"2020-12-11T19:51:03Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/octane.coffee#question-118712","answers":[{"id":118722,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:118722","answer":"If you do invest, we can probably work out a deal for your 10% discount to start once you're actually able to utilize our drive-thrus ; )California is high on our expansion plan list, but we're not likely to make it out there for a few years yet.\u0026nbsp; We need to launch/troubleshoot/refine our automation package and then focus on scaling manufacturing and franchising, which would likely coincide with California location launches.Yes, vandalism is on our radar.\u0026nbsp; We'll have plenty of cameras pointing inside and outside the automated units to get ahead of any issues that arise.","author_name":"Adrian Deasy","votes":1,"created_at":"2020-12-11T20:47:58Z"}]},{"id":290423,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:290423","question":"Any updates or company status for Investors?","author_name":"Ricardo Colon-Mendez","votes":0,"created_at":"2024-08-14T16:18:41Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/octane.coffee#question-290423","answers":[{"id":290744,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:290744","answer":"We're *almost* wrapped up on a $3M Seed Round, should have the big news to share soon. (We've been told to be quiet about by our legal counsel, sorry for the lack of updates).","author_name":"Adrian Deasy","votes":1,"created_at":"2024-08-19T15:34:39Z"}]},{"id":131708,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:131708","question":"If you choose to proceed with the franchise route will early investors, ie folks like us from Wefunder have a leg up on acquiring franchise licensing rights?","author_name":"Dustin Schouten","votes":0,"created_at":"2021-02-20T16:28:47Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/octane.coffee#question-131708","answers":[{"id":131945,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:131945","answer":"Yes, we'll make sure to offer franchising rights to our close circle of investors first, then to the broader public.","author_name":"Adrian Deasy","votes":1,"created_at":"2021-02-22T19:47:44Z"}]},{"id":130811,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:130811","question":"Will you be extending this round of funding ?","author_name":"Lyle Notice","votes":0,"created_at":"2021-02-15T20:00:16Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/octane.coffee#question-130811","answers":[{"id":131485,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:131485","answer":"We secured an additional $170k commitment to close this Seed Round out at just above $400k total raised. We will not be extending the WeFunder Campaign.","author_name":"Adrian Deasy","votes":0,"created_at":"2021-02-19T18:04:15Z"}]},{"id":130065,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:130065","question":"The concept sounds great to me, but to express the skeptical side, I would think it would be something Starbucks and Dunkin' have thought about and looked into for quite some time. You mentioned the \"politics\" (the bad optics of replacing employees). Any other thoughts or knowledge on why they haven't pursued this strategy you're now pursuing?","author_name":"David Yokelson","votes":0,"created_at":"2021-02-11T16:32:31Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/octane.coffee#question-130065","answers":[{"id":131946,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:131946","answer":"Automation is expensive and very complicated to design, manufacture, and service. It's a huge risk for existing coffee shops to jump into when their existing business models are working and growing, why risk it? (We heard this a lot early on when we briefly tried to license and sell our systems to existing coffee shops).","author_name":"Adrian Deasy","votes":0,"created_at":"2021-02-22T19:50:14Z"}]},{"id":129791,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:129791","question":"Cleanup ? Fully automated; how will a potential customer feel safe to come to a place that is fully automated during pandemic ?","author_name":"Seth Saltzman","votes":0,"created_at":"2021-02-10T17:10:57Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/octane.coffee#question-129791","answers":[{"id":131947,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:131947","answer":"An Octane Coffee employee (or franchisee) still needs to stop by once per day for around 30 minutes to restock the unit and perform the daily cleaning routines (built into the coffee machines, NSF certified materials and cleaning processes). We're the only coffee shop that can guarantee that a human didn't touch your cup or lid, you never really know how many people are behind the counter at Starbucks.","author_name":"Adrian Deasy","votes":0,"created_at":"2021-02-22T19:52:41Z"}]},{"id":128853,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:128853","question":"What is the status of, and how much time/money do you expect to spend on the mobile app development and related server-side and kiosk software?","author_name":"G. K.","votes":0,"created_at":"2021-02-05T18:54:56Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/octane.coffee#question-128853","answers":[{"id":128858,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:128858","answer":"Our user facing\u0026nbsp;App is 90% complete, still needs some UI/UX cleanup and our new menu items loaded.\u0026nbsp; The backend of the App, database, and communications down to the hardware are proven at a prototype level but need to be scaled up for full drive-thru implementation.We expect to spend 3-5 months and $30-50k to button it all up.\u0026nbsp; There are lots of features that we will add later on, the focus at launch is on the reliability of the hardware\u0026nbsp;and speed of service to customers.","author_name":"Adrian Deasy","votes":1,"created_at":"2021-02-05T19:24:18Z"}]},{"id":127032,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:127032","question":"What day next week are you closing. Normally Wefunder gives a timed count down.","author_name":"Lee Christensen","votes":0,"created_at":"2021-01-28T20:06:37Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/octane.coffee#question-127032","answers":[{"id":127040,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:127040","answer":"I\u0026nbsp;haven't initiated the campaign wind down yet but I will next week.\u0026nbsp; It may run a few days longer with the countdown.","author_name":"Adrian Deasy","votes":0,"created_at":"2021-01-28T20:22:12Z"}]},{"id":126881,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:126881","question":"If I buy a cup of Octane Coffee, how will it make me feel special?","author_name":"Casey Melcher","votes":0,"created_at":"2021-01-28T01:40:28Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/octane.coffee#question-126881","answers":[{"id":126939,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:126939","answer":"We aim to create a better customer experience in a bunch of different ways:1)\u0026nbsp;We've partnered with Stone Creek Coffee as our bean supplier, they're well known in the Milwaukee area for having some of the best quality and taste.\u0026nbsp; They will be helping to tune in all of our brewing equipment.2)\u0026nbsp;Our menu items will be 10-20% cheaper than local competitors, keeping more money in your wallet!3) Our drive-thru is capable of serving each car\u0026nbsp;every 20-30 seconds, which offers a drastic reduction in time spent sitting in line.\u0026nbsp; The average Starbucks wait is 4.5 minutes, not including time spent waiting in line BEFORE you even get to the menu board.\u0026nbsp; We're aiming for 60 seconds or less from arrival to cup in your hand for most customers.\u0026nbsp; Our goal is to have someone use the service for the first time and be blown away (How does it work?!?!\u0026nbsp; How did it know I\u0026nbsp;was here?!?!\u0026nbsp; WHAT?!?!).4)\u0026nbsp;Our customer experience is completely human-free and touch-free which helps to alleviate COVID transmission concerns.5)\u0026nbsp;Each cup has a unique ink jet printed label on it that can be used for cute or informative interactions with customers (ex: 'Jill's Double Vanilla Latte, Have a great day!').\u0026nbsp; We're planning to partner with other businesses in our launch area to provide reciprocal deals/perks to help everyone ramp their businesses\u0026nbsp;back up after the lockdowns.\u0026nbsp; User data adds to the customized experience in ways that a human barista could never replicate, but you have to be careful about how deep you go with the interactions (could get creepy very fast...).6)\u0026nbsp;You can use our mobile app to schedule your daily orders which provides a completely hands-free experience of our services.\u0026nbsp; Just hop in your car and pull into the drive-thru, your customized coffee will always be there waiting for you.7)\u0026nbsp;We've got a handful of other features that will roll out in the App and Drive-Thru hardware over time to help increase the customer interaction while remaining completely automated.","author_name":"Adrian Deasy","votes":0,"created_at":"2021-01-28T14:58:27Z"}]},{"id":125769,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:125769","question":"With the potential name change later. How does that affect investors.","author_name":"Lee Christensen","votes":0,"created_at":"2021-01-21T18:20:34Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/octane.coffee#question-125769","answers":[{"id":125774,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:125774","answer":"It will not affect investors at all. Doing a name change is as simple as filing a ‘Doing Business As’ (“DBA”) form, all of the legal paperwork is still valid under the original business name.","author_name":"Adrian Deasy","votes":0,"created_at":"2021-01-21T18:31:19Z"}]},{"id":125546,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:125546","question":"Will the investors that get in now get preferred stock?","author_name":"Charles Wade","votes":0,"created_at":"2021-01-20T11:32:26Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/octane.coffee#question-125546","answers":[{"id":125653,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:125653","answer":"Yes, all investors through this WeFunder Campaign receive preferred stock when the SAFE note converts.","author_name":"Adrian Deasy","votes":0,"created_at":"2021-01-20T21:14:33Z"}]},{"id":125097,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:125097","question":"I know this might be early days, but do you have estimated franchisee costs?","author_name":"Samir Mahmood","votes":0,"created_at":"2021-01-18T01:19:24Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/octane.coffee#question-125097","answers":[{"id":125156,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:125156","answer":"Based on our cost estimates, we can build a turn-key shipping container unit for $250k that can be transported anywhere and installed easily.Building out a grass/gravel pad site to add electric/water/sewer/paving/curbs/lighting/signage/etc has been estimated by a local contractor at $200-250k.\u0026nbsp; So total estimated franchise cost is under $500k.We found a local contractor who built a few\u0026nbsp;Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts in our area.\u0026nbsp; His last SB drive-thru was $1.3M, the appliance package alone was $200k.","author_name":"Adrian Deasy","votes":1,"created_at":"2021-01-18T13:17:28Z"}]},{"id":124975,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:124975","question":"Creating a robotic coffee production system is great. Perfecting and commercializing that equipment and process is a daunting feat. Why add the additional layer of trying to create a retail chain at the same time? I would be more interested if you patented and marketed the equipment and process to already existing coffee chains. If it works like you hope, you will have trouble building them fast enough. You wouldn't have the growing pains of onboarding new customers, finding locations, staffing, etc. To me, your approach is like inventing a better copier, then trying to start a chain to compete with Kinkos. Why not just sell the machines to the existing chain? Easier, faster and less risky. Am I missing something?","author_name":"Richard Brown","votes":0,"created_at":"2021-01-16T23:05:38Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/octane.coffee#question-124975","answers":[{"id":125172,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:125172","answer":"Early on, we went down the route of trying to be an automation solutions provider (i.e. licensing/patenting and selling our systems to existing coffee shops).\u0026nbsp; There are a few significant problems to this approach:1)\u0026nbsp;We are now classified as a 'kitchen appliance' that has much stricter human safety and food safety\u0026nbsp;regulations when being placed in an existing coffee shop and people are still walking around in an already cramped space.\u0026nbsp; Currently, we fall under 'vending machine' regulations, which are much easier to design, build, and scale within.2) Coffeeshops would likely have to get all new coffeemakers that we can control with our automation, which is a huge upfront cost that we can't avoid.3)\u0026nbsp;Automating around existing equipment and kitchen layouts means that we can't be an off-the-shelf solution, which kills our profitability as we would then have to do everything custom for each location and customer.4)\u0026nbsp;We also faced significant challenges in finding someone to buy into the vision with an unproven machine, there was lots of interest but no buyers that would step up to be the guinea pig for unit #1.Our focus is on launching location one as a corporate owned drive-thru\u0026nbsp;to prove the technology out and\u0026nbsp;showcase the customer value proposition in a tangible way.\u0026nbsp; Starbucks has an average wait time of 4.5 minutes and that doesn't include time spent BEFORE you get to the order board.\u0026nbsp; We can serve a customer every 30 seconds (or less).\u0026nbsp; Wendy's spent millions of dollars to shave off 7 seconds of their drive-thru time which captured them 1% market share, we're in a whole different league of convenience and efficiency.Down the line, we see many opportunities to partner and/or be acquired by one of the larger players.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;We're prepared to shift into the manufacturing/launch/long-term\u0026nbsp;support role as a solutions provider.\u0026nbsp; We need to get the technology out in to the customer's hands and launching our own location is the best way to accomplish that.","author_name":"Adrian Deasy","votes":1,"created_at":"2021-01-18T14:50:58Z"}]},{"id":123505,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:123505","question":"What happens if there’s a malfunction on drive thru machine. Does that close The drive thru down tIll some one comes to repair it???","author_name":"Alex Munoz","votes":0,"created_at":"2021-01-08T01:29:09Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/octane.coffee#question-123505","answers":[{"id":123579,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:123579","answer":"Most of the hardware systems have dedicated backups and the ability to run with reduced capacity.\u0026nbsp; We'll have active inventory management capable of sending alerts to the operators if things start to fail so they can address them before stoppages would occur (i.e. \"200 lids are out of service but 600+ remain available, attention required in 4-8 hours\").\u0026nbsp; The goal is to have the system run for 24 hours at a time and only require ~30 minutes for\u0026nbsp;restocking and cleaning once per day.\u0026nbsp; We'll have trained technicians performing these daily routines and we're able to track downtime and address specific issues in a proactive manner.All of this inventory is also linked to the customer facing\u0026nbsp;app so they'll get an alert to modify their order if problems arise (i.e. \"Caramel syrup is out of stock, would you like to swap it for Vanilla instead at a discount?\").","author_name":"Adrian Deasy","votes":0,"created_at":"2021-01-08T12:31:16Z"}]},{"id":122989,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:122989","question":"I would like to invest but am waiting on some funds to come in before i do. I see you are about to go over the $55,000 goal do you have a close date set? I’m afraid you are going to close the round before i get in","author_name":"Lee Christensen","votes":0,"created_at":"2021-01-05T05:31:11Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/octane.coffee#question-122989","answers":[{"id":123012,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:123012","answer":"We're planning to close the WeFunder campaign in late January or early February.\u0026nbsp; I've got some exciting news to share in the next couple of weeks and we're quickly formalizing lots of details to get ready for a Q2 2021 launch of Octane Coffee.","author_name":"Adrian Deasy","votes":1,"created_at":"2021-01-05T12:20:15Z"}]},{"id":121816,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:121816","question":"Hi. I was wondering if you will still launch your first coffee shop this year as stated on your website. I hope you are doing well.","author_name":"Hale Inanoglu","votes":0,"created_at":"2020-12-29T01:22:14Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/octane.coffee#question-121816","answers":[{"id":121941,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:121941","answer":"We're currently working on website updates and will be launching our first location during Q2 2021.\u0026nbsp; I'll have a big update to share on WeFunder in early January with lots of extra details and timelines.","author_name":"Adrian Deasy","votes":1,"created_at":"2020-12-29T14:27:35Z"}]},{"id":120316,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:120316","question":"Thanks for the answer below. So re: 5\u0026amp;6) does that mean if I invest but say we do not reach the $55k goal here by January my investment in Octane will not go through?","author_name":"Nicholas Marino","votes":0,"created_at":"2020-12-19T21:06:23Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/octane.coffee#question-120316","answers":[{"id":120320,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:120320","answer":"If we do not reach the $55k minimum goal, your investment will be returned to you.I have a few other friends and family groups joining the WeFunder campaign soon and I am confident we will close this campaign successfully by the end of January 2021.","author_name":"Adrian Deasy","votes":1,"created_at":"2020-12-19T21:52:41Z"}]},{"id":119929,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:119929","question":"Where can I see demonstration of the hardware/software?","author_name":"Matthew Ogbuehi","votes":0,"created_at":"2020-12-17T19:57:37Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/octane.coffee#question-119929","answers":[{"id":119977,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:119977","answer":"Here's a quick demo video of our proof-of-concept system in action: https://www.octanemke.com/demo I don't have a recording of the App user flow to share, but we can add you to the BETA test group if you're interested (iOS and Android).\u0026nbsp; E-mail me for more info:\u0026nbsp;adrian (at)\u0026nbsp;octanemke.com","author_name":"Adrian Deasy","votes":0,"created_at":"2020-12-17T22:04:10Z"}]}],"faq":[{"question":"Hi. I have some questions: -What are your revenue goals for the first 5 years? -Can the drive through be left unattended or does it require someone in the facilities at all times? -Do you have your own brand of coffee and tea?","answer":"We're looking to grow each location to $500k+/yr in revenue with ~60% profit margin.\u0026nbsp; We're planning to\u0026nbsp;launch 5-10 corporate locations within the first 5 years and\u0026nbsp;also looking at 20+\u0026nbsp;franchise locations within that timeline.Each location requires ~30 minutes of labor per day for restocking and cleaning but otherwise runs completely unattended.\u0026nbsp; We have a lot of experience building industrial automation that needs to\u0026nbsp;run 24/7/365 without issues.\u0026nbsp; Customer s..."},{"question":"HI, How does it work? Do you need a building with a drive-thru to setup the machine? How customers can make payments? Is it possible to setup the machine inside a building?","answer":"I\u0026nbsp;can't share proprietary details, but basically imagine a Starbucks drive-thru with robots inside making all of the drinks.\u0026nbsp; We utilize GPS and other geolocating strategies to prepare customer's drinks BEFORE they arrive at the pick-up window for drink delivery in 30 seconds or less per car.All customer orders, drink customizations, and payments are processed through our mobile ordering app.\u0026nbsp; Later on, we may add an iPad style kiosk out in the parking lot to allow people to or..."},{"question":"Just want to confirm - I love the idea a ton, but obviously if you're starting off targeting only the Milwaukee area, 10% off coffee for one year won't help me very much, since I'm several thousand miles away... I assume there's no way to delay what year I'd get the investor d...","answer":"If you do invest, we can probably work out a deal for your 10% discount to start once you're actually able to utilize our drive-thrus ; )California is high on our expansion plan list, but we're not likely to make it out there for a few years yet.\u0026nbsp; We need to launch/troubleshoot/refine our automation package and then focus on scaling manufacturing and franchising, which would likely coincide with California location launches.Yes, vandalism is on our radar.\u0026nbsp; We'll have plenty of camer..."},{"question":"I really like the business model here, but I have to ask is there any IP or patents with this system? If this model were to work, what would stop the big brand coffee chains who already have large dedicated customer bases from simply deploying capital to make automated kiosks?","answer":"We plan to file 2-3 Provisionary Patents before we publicly launch the system that will protect certain Process related IP.\u0026nbsp; We've dug into the patents of our competitors and found that there's a big lack of Product related patents, which confirms our early hypothesis:\u0026nbsp;it's better NOT to file product patents that show exploded views of everything we've developed internally (basically showing off our secret sauce.While yes, the To-Go Coffee space is huge, we\u0026nbsp;see this space divid..."},{"question":"Really interesting stuff here! This is the way the future's going and love that your tackling this opportunity, especially in the time of COVID-19. A few quick questions: 1) Each \"automation cell\" store location is a essentially a shipping container crate? How does this affect...","answer":"A few quick answers:1) Legally, our business is defined as a Vending Machine, but the drive-thru aspect complicates that a little bit as that requires local government approval for zoning and traffic safety.\u0026nbsp; We'll have cameras inside and outside of the unit monitoring everything, and spare parts on the shelf if vandalism does occur.2)\u0026nbsp;Our current layout\u0026nbsp;can be scaled up easily to accommodate 1000+\u0026nbsp;cups per day, the tricky part becomes system throughput (how many coffees p..."}]}}}