WatchHouse, the London-based premium coffee chain, has reportedly received an investment of over $6 million (£4.4 million) from a private equity fund co-founded by Jeff Bezos’ brother.
According to The Times, the funding came as part of a Series B round led by HighPost Capital, which raised £10.9 million and increased WatchHouse’s valuation to £76.1 million.
HighPost Capital invests in the service, sports, media and technology sectors and was founded by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos’ brother, Mark, and David Moross, who is chief executive.
WatchHouse made its North American debut in 2024, opening its first cafés in New York on Fifth Avenue and later in the Chrysler Building.
This spring, a new WatchHouse is set to open on Park Avenue, with additional locations planned for London’s Millennium Bridge and Northcote Road, as well as Saadiyat Grove and the Equestrian Club in Abu Dhabi.
Roland Horne, founder and chief executive of WatchHouse, said: “This injection of capital comes at a pivotal point for WatchHouse, as we kickstart the next phase in our global expansion and strengthen our foothold in the US market. Alongside new openings, this investment enables us to scale our ambitions, evolving WatchHouse’s refined coffee-led approach to transition into a holistic lifestyle brand with international relevance.
“We are partnering with HighPost to accelerate this vision, and leverage its significant strategic capital, network and extensive experience in building leading consumer-focused companies, to help us achieve our next phase of growth.”
Moross added: “Roland and his visionary team have built an impressive business with a strong international following and broken through in what is a fragmented and competitive sector. We look forward to supporting their expansion efforts.”
Irish entrepreneur Horne founded WatchHouse at London Bridge in 2014. Since then, the brand has expanded into a portfolio of 25 coffeehouses across London, Bath, New York, and the UAE.