Diamond Brew, a US coffee start-up specialising in shelf-stable, machine-free coffee pods, has closed an oversubscribed pre-seed funding round.

Investors in the round include G/7 Venture Studio, Filipp Chebotarev of Cambridge Companies SPG, Beckett Industries, SGL Acquisitions, music executive and strategic advisor Charlie Walk, Kingsland Capital Group, Nobel Partners, Daniel Faierman of Habitat Partners and a group of NFL players including Sean Clifford and DeAndre Hopkins.

The round also attracted participation from consumer packaged goods operators Alex Sourry, Lily Rogath and Dom Purpura, whose brand Mela Watermelon Water was recently acquired.

Diamond Brew's hexagon-shaped pods use a proprietary flash-freezing process with liquid nitrogen, designed to preserve the flavour profile of freshly brewed espresso. The pods are sealed in 100% recyclable aluminium and contain coffee crystals that dissolve instantly in hot or cold water.

According to the company, the pods are third-party lab tested for mould and toxins, while spent coffee grounds from production are upcycled into furniture as part of the brand's zero-waste approach.

Since launching, Diamond Brew said its Single Serve Craft Espresso product has sold out three times. The company has since expanded its range with Decaf Bliss and Magic Highland Midnight Roast, which it said were developed in response to direct consumer feedback.

Founder and CEO Douglas Yu said he spent more than 2,000 hours on TikTok Live in 2025, using customer interactions to guide product development and better understand shopping behaviours.

“Those 2,000 hours aren’t just a content strategy, they’re our R&D. Our customers don’t just buy Diamond Brew, they help build it,” said Yu. “Diamond Brew debunks decades of stigma around instant coffee and reinvents convenient gourmet coffee entirely. One sip, you’ll never go back. This is just the beginning of the Brewless revolution, one hexagon pod at a time.”

G/7 Venture Studio has joined the company as both an investor and embedded strategic partner, supporting Diamond Brew across brand, creative and growth strategy.

Diamond Brew said the new capital will support product innovation and expansion into new channels, including the military channel through the Army and Air Force Exchange Service.

Diamond Brew, formally Onward N Upward, sells its products through its own website, TikTok Shop and Amazon.