New Year Greetings from the TYPICA Team

Masashi Goto (Representative Director/Chief Executive Officer), Ayane Yamada (Representative Director/Chief Quality Officer) and Shintaro Asako (Representative Director/Chief Financial Officer)

Happy New Year.

As we welcome the new year, we extend our sincere gratitude for the tremendous support you have shown us throughout the past year. 

It is thanks to your assistance that our team is able to start this year with a sense of rejuvenation.

2023 marked a year of the most significant leaps for TYPICA since our founding. 

Established in the Netherlands and Japan in 2019, TYPICA set out as a global venture company with the goal of democratizing direct trade and creating the world’s best market. With successful expansions into South Korea and Taiwan in 2021, and the United States in 2023, we now operate across five locations globally, serving 71 countries and territories. We have attained direct trade between about 2,000 producers and roasters in 55 countries and territories, and gross merchandise value has seen a compound annual growth rate of 268% over the past four years.

However, due to the high barriers of entry in our market and the ever-changing startup landscape, we have encountered numerous challenges that required tough decisions. But it was precisely in these situations that we reaffirmed our commitment to using our conscience and aspirations as our guide, and that we pursued what is best for all involved. This approach led to an even greater accumulation of collective wisdom and collaborative relationships. As a result, the past year has been one of significant organizational development, marked by a higher decision-making level, stronger unity, and heightened potential for exponential growth.

As we collectively confronted these challenges as a united front, 2023 also brought a shift in our leadership, transitioning to a team of three representative directors and appointing four executive officers. These organizational changes are a manifestation of the “dimensional shift” we set as our central theme in 2023. And now we are at the starting point to take on further challenges with a more robust management structure.

Our theme for 2024 is “New model, New us.” 

This year, we look forward to unveiling our long anticipated new model, alongside the opening of new branches. This model aims to revamp our online platform interface, dramatically enhancing the global direct trade community’s potential and user experience. We also plan to introduce new features that could mark a historic turning point in the coffee market.

Time indeed flies, and TYPICA reaches its 5th anniversary this year. Naturally, humans and organizations tend to view the future through the lens of past experiences, in order to avoid previous mistakes while replicating past successes. This approach is crucial for setting clear goals and enhancing the likelihood of their accomplishment, leading to stable revenue and healthy growth. We acknowledge that the pursuit of these is a fundamental element of business management and it’s an aspect we will continue to focus on as part of our key achievements.

However, the core reason we embrace startup methodologies, along with our fervent aspirations, encompass but also transcend these accomplishments. 

In 2024, under the theme “New model, New us,” we remain committed to actively and consciously embodying “a new us” that will shape the new chapter in the history of coffee. Every member of TYPICA is committed to continuously evolving into this “new us,” driving positive changes in the coffee sector, the broader industry, and the world at large.

Finally, it is your continuous support that fuels our enthusiasm to pursue our mission at the start of this new year. We look forward to your ongoing support in the year ahead.

Akiyo Azuma (Administrative Officer)

Happy New Year.

My sincere thanks go out to you for rallying around TYPICA’s vision and giving us your heartfelt support. 

Last year was a transformative one for TYPICA, which I see as the first step into a new dimension for TYPICA. This was marked by the strengthening of our management structure and the addition of new, experienced members to our team. It was also a time to pause, reassess our focus on the present and future, refine our approach, and gain new perspectives. 

It was also a year where my gratitude to each partner and team member grew immensely. Thank you everyone.

I feel that the past year has set us up for what I believe will be a fruitful year, where stability meets our signature innovative spirit. We’ll dedicate our utmost to making 2024 a year of progress that brings us significantly closer to our 2030 goal. I kindly ask for your unwavering support as we continue our journey. Best wishes for the year ahead.

Kosuke Arisawa (Technology Officer)

Happy New Year everyone, I’m Kosuke Arisawa, in charge of the development team.

As we step into the new year, I want to extend a deep and sincere thank you for the passionate support and cooperation you’ve provided over the last year.

I joined our team in June 2023, and it’s amazing to realize that half a year has already passed. One of the highlights for me this past year has been starting to drink coffee in my everyday life, especially enjoying the coffee that’s a part of your world, which has added so much pleasure to my days.

The new year is shaping up to be one filled with new creations and possibilities. We’ll strive to make improvements every day so that our technology will serve your needs.

I earnestly hope for your continued success and health in the coming year. I look forward to your continued support this year.

Shizuka Funayama (Social Impact Officer)

To all who have always supported and stood by TYPICA, Happy New Year.

Having joined in April last year, this New Year’s Day is my first as a member of the TYPICA team. 

2023 was not by any means a peaceful year globally, with conflicts taking away precious lives and many people facing days without hope. Similarly, for those involved with TYPICA, the past year was probably not just filled with bright moments.

Our team may be small, but at the dawn of this new year, I have a renewed sense of commitment to grow our circle of conscience and bring more smiles to the world, together with those of you who are aligned with our ideals and beliefs.

As we step into this new year, I am rededicating myself to this mission, wishing for a year full of happiness and achievements for you all, and hoping that through our coffee, TYPICA can bring more smiles to your lives. I look forward to your continued support in the coming year.

Takehiro Yasui (Operating Officer)

Happy New Year to all! 

Last year, I had the privilege of experiencing some truly remarkable coffees. Each cup brought its own unique flavor and depth, not to mention the rich stories behind each bean, making every moment all the more enriching.

With a vision of our producers, roasters, and TYPICA team celebrating together with high-fives, I am determined to upgrade our operations and organization to provide an even better coffee experience this year.

With heartfelt gratitude for your support, I look forward to delving deeper into the amazing world of coffee with you throughout this year.

Yui Fujii (General Manager/ Japan Team)

Happy New Year! 

I want to start by expressing my heartfelt thanks to each of you – the producers, roasters, coffee lovers, and our team members. Your involvement has been the key to TYPICA’s journey so far and will be crucial as we move forward. Your support means everything to us.

As we step into 2024, we’ll cherish our past achievements while striving to create a future where happiness is shared by all, not just a few. 

Looking forward to your continued support.

Yui Fujii

Mao Fujihara (General Manager/ Japan Team)

Happy New Year.

I’m Mao Fujihara from TYPICA’s Japan team. Throughout 2023, I had the privilege of meeting many people. It’s my greatest joy if I have been able to bring even a brief smile to everyone I’ve interacted with each day. 

I’d like to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who shared their time with us.

Witnessing the joy as the thoughts of producers and roasters reach those who enjoy their coffee has filled me with happiness. It’s all about the small joys of sharing a love for coffee and thinking of the people behind it. And those little moments of happiness lead to greater joy.

I am committed to working even harder to realize such a world. I hope 2024 will be an invaluable and wonderful year for all of you. Looking forward to your continued support and collaboration this year.

Shinichiro Nishio (General Manager/ Europe Team)

Happy New Year! I wish you a great 2024 with lots of joy and happiness.

2023 for us was a very tough and challenging one that made me realize how important every single person around me is. I appreciate all the people who are reading this message, who are invaluable to me.

Samuel, our head of QC working together in Amsterdam, has been very supportive, courageous and put lots of effort into our team especially this year. I would love to express my gratitude to him here in this new year letter.

For me, I went to 14 countries last year to meet coffee producers and roasters. Everyone I have met has a great passion for coffee. They are spread around the world but they have the same passion. I hope I can be a great bridge for all the people wishing to create a better world for the coffee industry.

May the New Year bring you and your loved ones joy, prosperity, and success. I am looking forward to seeing you soon!

Shin

Shin Soi (General Manager/ South Korea Team)

Happy New Year!!

This is Soi from TYPICA’s South Korea team.

In 2023, we were thrilled to finally open TYPICA SEOUL HOME, creating a space to enjoy coffee with our roasters. 

Last year also brought increasing opportunities to visit coffee producing regions with roasters, enjoy the coffee at their roasteries, and engage more with coffee traded directly through TYPICA. The increased interactions with our roasters made it a truly joyous year.

I started out as a mere coffee drinker, but now I’ve grown into someone passionate about conveying the producers’ passion, sharing in the joy of coffee with roasters, and continuing my coffee journey. 

This change wasn’t just about me. It was a journey shared with our producers and roasters.

Though we still have many areas to improve, I see them as an opportunity to make things even better. 

I’m committed to continuing to walk this path with you all, doing my utmost to help you in any way I can.

Looking forward to another great year with you all!

Daigo Sekine (General Manager/ Taiwan Team)

Happy New Year to all coffee lovers!

I am Daigo Sekine, the representative of TYPICA’s Taiwan team. 

Our team, filled with passion and colorful charm like a delicious cup of coffee, aspires to fully support roasters throughout Taiwan this year.

After starting all our operations remotely due to the Covid pandemic, 2023 marked the long-awaited beginning of face-to-face interactions.

Together with another co-founding member Piro, I’ve had the honor of representing TYPICA for the past year. I’m deeply thankful to the roasters who have been with us since Day 1, and hoping that we can quickly start supporting those roasters who haven’t yet had the chance to experience direct trade through TYPICA.

Through conversations with everyone who supports and nurtures TYPICA, I’ve come to believe that we all share common ground:

We are all coffee lovers who desire a world where delicious coffee is enjoyed continuously. I believe the community fostered through the language of coffee has the potential to expand further across Taiwan.

I’m committed to making 2024 a year where we break through various differences, cultivating the future aspired by producers, exporters, importers, roasters, baristas, and consumers, and continuously unleashing boundless potential.

May your 2024 be as colorful and warm as a delicious cup of coffee.

I look forward to your continued support in the coming year.

Shuhei Hagimori (General Manager/ The United States Team)

Happy New Year.

Last March marked a significant step for us in the United States, as we launched TYPICA’s fifth team and started distributing coffee from producers across the world.

The service launch in the US, which we celebrated with roasters and producers from around the world, brought with it immense hope for the future and a strong sense of appreciation for those who have supported us along the way. 

A producer who visited New York with me last year said that he had never dreamed his coffee would be sold in Japan or the US before meeting TYPICA.

Now as we enter our second year in the US, there are already roasters eagerly awaiting his coffee.

It’s a great joy to witness TYPICA’s role in unlocking the true potential of coffee worldwide, even if little by little.

We as a team remain committed to supporting you and being a part of your joy.

We look forward to another great year with you all.