Fellow Stagg EKG Kettle

Key numbers

The product

The Stagg EKG is a gooseneck electric kettle for precision pour-over coffee. A PID controller holds water within about one degree of the target temperature, a counterweighted handle and narrow spout deliver a slow, steady pour, and the matte stainless design makes it an object people keep on the counter. It filled a real gap: specialty drinkers had great beans and clumsy kettles.

How they did it

Fellow began as a Stanford d.school class project. A 2013 Kickstarter for a hybrid brewer raised $200,000 but flopped technically, costing founder Jake Miller about $130,000 to fulfil. He kept going through 73 investor rejections before a $250,000 angel cheque saved the company. A second Kickstarter for the Stagg EKG raised roughly $500,000. Fellow deliberately seeded top cafes so curious customers would seek out the brand, entered Williams-Sonoma in year two, and grew roughly 100% a year for a decade before raising a $30M Series B in 2022.

Why it worked

• A design-first identity: products people display, later stocked by MoMA
• Kickstarter used repeatedly to validate demand and fund tooling
• Cafe seeding created consumer pull before retail distribution
• Capital discipline: about 100% annual growth before a large round