Rochester Startup Moka Energy Lands Major Distribution Deal, Expands Into 250 Stores Across the East Coast

The Rochester startup behind an edible coffee energy bar will launch in 250 stores through a new partnership with East Coast distributor Rainforest Distribution beginning July 1.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Rochester-based startup Moka Energy has signed a major distribution agreement with Rainforest Distribution, a move expected to place the company's products in approximately 250 retail locations within the first 90 days and significantly accelerate its expansion across the eastern United States.

The rollout is scheduled to begin July 1.

For founder and CEO Tom Seymour, the milestone represents the latest chapter in a journey that began with a simple but unconventional question: What if coffee wasn't something you drank?

The answer became Moka Energy, a coffee-based energy bar that delivers the caffeine equivalent of a cup of coffee in a convenient, edible format. Made from real coffee beans rather than chocolate, the product sits at the intersection of snacking, convenience, and functional nutrition, a category that continues to experience strong consumer demand.

Rainforest Distribution, one of the fastest-growing specialty food and beverage distributors on the East Coast, serves more than 4,000 retailers across 22 states and specializes in helping emerging consumer brands scale into larger retail markets.

The agreement gives Moka immediate access to a substantial retail network and positions the Rochester company for rapid growth beyond its current footprint.

"This is one of the most important milestones in our company to date," said Seymour. "When we started Moka, the vision was simple: create a completely new way for people to enjoy coffee and get energy. Signing with Rainforest gives us the opportunity to introduce Moka to hundreds of new retailers and thousands of new customers. We're incredibly excited about what this means for our team, our partners, and the future of the brand."

Seymour launched Moka after spending years working in packaging, supply chain, and consumer products, helping food brands bring products to market. That experience ultimately led him to create a product unlike anything else on the shelf, a coffee bar designed to provide sustained energy without many of the additives commonly found in traditional energy products.

The Rainforest partnership comes at a time when consumers are increasingly seeking products that combine convenience, functionality, and clean-label ingredients. Retailers have responded by dedicating more shelf space to emerging brands that offer differentiated products and compelling founder stories.

For Rochester's startup ecosystem, the announcement marks another example of a local founder successfully building a consumer brand capable of competing on a regional and national stage.

While many startups spend years trying to secure meaningful retail distribution, Moka is preparing to enter hundreds of new stores in just three months.

The July launch will serve as the first major test of that growth strategy. If successful, it could position Moka as one of Rochester's fastest-growing consumer packaged goods companies and further validate Seymour's belief that coffee can be much more than a beverage.

For now, the company is focused on execution.

The next 90 days could define what comes next.

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