Cropster Acquires South Korean Coffee Tech Company
Dubai – Qahwa World
Austria-based Cropster, a leading developer of smart software solutions for the coffee industry, has announced the acquisition of Firescope, a South Korean technology company specializing in coffee roasting software. The move marks a key step in Cropster’s expansion strategy across Asia and its broader plan to strengthen its position in global coffee technology.
Firescope, founded in 2020 in Seoul, provides cloud-based roasting software used by more than 3,000 independent coffee roasters in South Korea and Japan. The acquisition will enable Cropster to expand its footprint in East Asia’s rapidly growing specialty coffee market. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Founded in 2008 by Andreas Idl, Norbert Niederhauser, and Martin Wiesinger, Cropster creates digital tools that improve efficiency, consistency, and traceability across the entire coffee value chain — from green coffee trading and roasting to retail operations and cafés.
In 2024, Cropster sold a majority stake to the Oslo-based investment firm Verdane, providing the company with a strong financial foundation to pursue mergers and acquisitions aimed at building an integrated digital ecosystem for the coffee industry.
Under the new agreement, Firescope will continue operating as a standalone platform until the second half of 2026, after which it will be integrated into Cropster’s ecosystem. This integration will allow Firescope’s services to reach new markets beyond East Asia for the first time.
Cropster also plans to use Firescope’s Seoul headquarters as its new regional hub for sales and technical support in Asia, further strengthening its presence in the region.
“Asia plays a central role in the growth of the global specialty coffee sector, and this acquisition positions Cropster as a leader in providing comprehensive digital solutions across the region,” said Ralph Karg, Director at Verdane.
Andreas Idl, Co-Founder and CEO of Cropster, emphasized that this acquisition is the beginning of a larger strategy:
“Our vision is to digitalize the entire coffee journey — from cultivation and production to roasting, distribution, and cafés. Firescope represents a key part of this vision, and we plan to pursue additional acquisitions to achieve our ‘crop-to-cup’ mission.”
Today, Cropster works with thousands of coffee companies in more than 100 countries, including well-known specialty coffee brands such as Blue Bottle Coffee, WatchHouse, Five Elephant, Verve Coffee Roasters, and Bunista. Firescope’s clients include HOWW Coffee, Your Home Coffee Roasters, Koffee Sniffer, and Indigo Coffee Roasters.
With this acquisition, Cropster reinforces its role as a global leader in coffee technology, advancing its goal of creating a connected, data-driven ecosystem that supports innovation across the entire coffee supply chain.
