Thermoplan AG press release image. The Mikafi machine features a round glass window.
Swiss super-automatic coffee machine maker Thermoplan recently acquired Mikafi, a novel electric coffee roasting machine brand for commercial applications.
Thermoplan, which has produced many thousands of Starbucks store coffee machines over the past 26 years, had previously served as an investor and development partner to the startup.
The acquisition comes as Thermoplan prepares for HostMilano 2025 in October, where the company plans to reintroduce Mikafi’s technology. The roasting system originally debuted as a countertop prototype at HostMilano two years ago.
Mikafi at HostMilano in 2023. Daily Coffee News photo by Nick Brown.
“Now we are continuing the vision with all our strength,” Thermoplan said in an announcement of the acquisition. “Our goal is to take Mikafi to the next level and actively shape the future of coffee preparation.”
Mikafi co-founders Marius Disler and Claudio Vögtli began developing the Mikafi system in 2019. The prototype shown in Milan in 2023 combined convection heat from hot air and conduction heat through a mostly steel drum for all-electric roasting within a relatively small countertop footprint.
Conceptually similar to a Bellwether and other more recent cafe-scale electric-heat roasting solutions, the machine was pitched as a way for individual cafe or hospitality operators to roast small batches onsite. Green coffee services, automatic profiling and device connectivity were all designed to quickly allow users — even those with little to no roasting experience — to turn out consistent, repeatable batches of coffee.
2023 Daily Coffee News photo by Nick Brown.
For Thermoplan, which primarily specializes in the development and manufacturing of super-automatic coffee and milk frothing machines, the Mikafi acquisition represents the first full commitment to roasting equipment.
“With the takeover, we are taking an important step in our corporate strategy,” Thermoplan said. “In [the] future, we will offer our customers the entire bean-to-cup journey from a single source — from green coffee and individual roasting to the perfect cappuccino. Mikafi makes this possible.”
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