Munich startup Koorvi has partnered with retail company Tchibo. Together, the two partners are launching a fully digital take-back and resale system for used automatic coffee machines on the market. Customers can now exchange their old machines for vouchers in the Tchibo online shop. The devices are then refurbished and resold.
The entire process runs through Koorvi’s software platform. It provides Tchibo with a scalable solution for processing and tracking returns as well as refurbishing and reselling devices. The system includes a white-label take-back portal, a resale shop, and a central dashboard for controlling all processes.
The take-back initiative aims to establish a circular product flow that avoids additional new production. This extends the lifecycle of the coffee machines and simultaneously opens up new marketing opportunities for Tchibo in the circular economy sector.
Scalable solution with long-term perspective
Tchibo sees the program as a strategic tool for sustainable value creation. Kristina Kölling, head of environment and circular economy at Tchibo, says:
“With this program, we demonstrate that sustainability doesn’t have to be a cost factor – it can be a lever for new circular business models and thus long-term value creation. By giving our coffee machines a second life, we close the loop – to the benefit of both the environment and our business.”
The partnership is also a milestone for Koorvi. The startup has specialized in digital solutions for the circular economy and provides brands with an infrastructure that allows them to maintain control over the secondary market for their products.
“We founded Koorvi to make the circular economy simple, scalable, and economically attractive. Our partnership with Tchibo shows what’s possible when sustainability meets digital infrastructure,”
explains Andrea Schneller, CEO of Koorvi.
In the long term, the two companies plan to expand the program to additional product categories. For Koorvi, this means further positioning as a solution provider in circular commerce – and for Tchibo, it represents a concrete step toward greater resource conservation in their core business.
