Prefer
Prefer makes bean-free coffee that is delicious, affordable, and sustainable.
Climate change is affecting coffee’s supply and quality; coffee farming is carbon intensive and creates a negative flywheel. Coffee retailers pay a premium for an inconsistent supply and poor quality.
Prefer makes bean-free coffee by fermenting surplus food. Their carbon-neutral process creates a product that mimics the coffee bean but offers a more consistent supply, reliable quality, and stable pricing. Prefer’s end goal is to create a sustainable portfolio of natural flavors that have been threatened by climate change, such as cacao, vanilla, and citrus.
Founders
Jake Berber
CEO
Jake studied Neuroscience at Claremont McKenna College and went on to achieve an MBA in Entrepreneurship from Tel Aviv University and NUS. He was employee #8 at a biotech startup and worked for a food tech VC in Tel Aviv.
Ding Jie Tan
CTO
DJ graduated with a Bachelor’s in Chemistry from University College London, on an A*STAR scholarship. Upon returning to Singapore, he started his research career working in organic synthesis, then went on to create flavors and fragrances from biotransformation. Along the way, he founded Starter Culture, a boutique food consultancy, working with bars and restaurants in Singapore, where he became known as the Prince of Fermentation.
Milestones
Founded at Entrepreneur First
Seed round ($2 million) led by Forge Ventures