A History of Innovation

Francesco Illy, of Hungarian descent, arrived in Trieste from Vienna, the city of coffee, at the end of World War I. In 1933 he founded illycaffè based on a dream: to offer the best coffee to the world.

illycaffè obtains a patent for the revolutionary pressurisation system, still used by the company today to package its products: allowing coffee to travel around the world whilst enhancing its aromas, maturing the flavours, and preserving its freshness.

Illetta, the precursor to modern espresso machines, was created with a patented system of separate heating and water pressure elements.

A new production department allowed illy to create a small can for home consumption while maintaining the coffee's quality and freshness.

illycaffè industrialised, for the first time, pods, single-serving portions of ground and tamped coffee, that allows everyone to create the perfect espresso with ease: a radical innovation in the history of coffee, which paved the way for the internationalisation of the company.

illycaffè entered the US market as the first Italian roaster to export the culture of espresso overseas.

illycaffè patented a digital coffee sorting machine, which analyses the colour and shape of the coffee beans to ensure every single one of them is perfect.

First edition of the Prêmio Ernesto Illy de Qualidade do Café Sustentável para Espresso in Brazil, established by illycaffè to develop sustainable coffee quality.

The illy Art Collection project was born, transforming the everyday coffee cup into a blank canvas, inviting contemporary artists to use it to express their creativity. The iconic illy cup designed by Matteo Thun has been enriched over the years with the works of masters and new talents, becoming the largest collection of everyday art objects in the world.

The launch of the X1 home espresso machine, 60 years after Illetta, which is still a style icon today.

The new illy logo was born from the brush of legendary American pop artist James Rosenquist as an expression of uniqueness.

The Università del Caffè was founded as a pillar of excellence developed to spread the culture of quality coffee around the world through training, research, and innovation.

An encounter with the great photographer Sebastião Salgado led to a journey through coffee paradises to pay tribute to the women and men who grow it. The photography project lasted 14 years in 10 countries, culminating in the exhibition, Scent of a Dream.

illycaffè launched espressamente illy, the authentic Italian café project that evolved into the illy Cafés in 2015.

Introduction of the iperespresso system featuring a unique two-stage infusion and emulsion brewing process, covered by five international patents, to deliver coffee with an intense aroma and velvety texture.

Acquisition of Mitaca, a company specialising in portioned office systems.

Chairman Andrea Illy launched the idea of certifying sustainability. Issued by DNV, the certification assesses the company’s creation of social, environmental and economic value to stakeholders in the supply chain.

illycaffè was included for the first time in the list of the World's Most Ethical Companies, compiled annually by the Ethisphere Institute.

illy served as the official partner of EXPO Milano 2015 and ICO (International Coffee Organisation), the largest celebration of coffee in history, coordinating an extraordinary programme of events and curating the Coffee Cluster, the coffee pavilion visited by more than 13 million people.

In 2016, the Prêmio Ernesto Illy de Qualidade do Café para Espresso expanded globally with the Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award, which pays tribute to the talent and commitment of coffee farmers worldwide for producing sustainable coffee.

illycaffè furthered its commitment to sustainability by creating a Sustainability Committee with propositional and advisory functions for the Board of Directors on social and environmental sustainability issues.

The launch of illy-branded aluminium Nespresso® compatible capsules, thanks to a partnership with JDE (Jacobs Douwe Egberts).

illycaffè adopted the status of a Benefit Corporation and amended its bylaws accordingly.

Rhône Capital, a global private equity firm, entered illycaffè's capital with a 20% stake to contribute to international growth plans.

illycaffè became the first Italian coffee roaster to become B Corp® certified, which identifies those companies that operate according to high standards of social and environmental performance.