Indian café chain Nothing Before Coffee (NBC) has raised $400,000 (around ₹3.7 crore) after appearing on startup reality show Bharat Ke Super Founders, strengthening its expansion plans as it grows its franchise network across the country.
The Jaipur-based brand secured the investment during Episode 11 of the show from a group of investors including entrepreneur Dr. A. Velumani, Nazara Technologies founder Nitish Mittersain and LetsVenture co-founder Shanti Mohan. The deal included a mix of equity and structured funding aimed at supporting the company’s next phase of growth.
Founded in 2017 by Akshay Kedia, Ankesh Jain, Anand Jain and Shubham Bhandari, Nothing Before Coffee has built a value-driven café model that focuses on affordable specialty beverages for India’s young consumers. The brand has expanded rapidly through franchising and now operates more than 100 outlets across over 35 cities, with a strong presence in Tier II and Tier III markets.
The company said it plans to scale its footprint to 160 outlets by the end of 2026 as it continues to deepen its franchise-led growth strategy across emerging urban markets in India.
Nothing Before Coffee’s outlets are typically compact café formats located in high-footfall areas such as college hubs, high streets and neighbourhood retail clusters, making them suitable for franchise operators looking at lower investment café models.
The funding is expected to support new store openings, strengthen brand visibility and introduce new initiatives such as its recently launched “Super Coffee Pass,” a subscription program aimed at increasing repeat visits and customer loyalty.
India’s café segment has been expanding quickly beyond metropolitan markets, with younger consumers driving demand for affordable coffee and quick-service café experiences. Brands like Nothing Before Coffee are increasingly tapping franchising to accelerate growth in smaller cities where organized café chains still have significant room to expand.
