Interview with Sergey Baburov

Market analytics firm Coffee Navigator has launched a predictive tool using artificial intelligence (AI) to forecast growth trends in urban coffee markets, the company said on Monday.

The tool analyzes hundreds of urban markets to identify those with high growth potential that are not yet saturated with competitors. Its purpose is to help businesses avoid costly mistakes when selecting new locations and to uncover non-obvious opportunities for growth. To achieve this, its machine learning model processes economic indicators, demographic shifts, and commercial real estate data.

"It's about replacing intuition-based bets with a data-driven strategy when planning new market entries," said Sergey Baburov, founder of Coffee Navigator.

The tool generates 'Market Potential Scores' for metropolitan areas, with growth projections over 18- and 36-month horizons. The service provides subscribers with reports on the data driving the forecasts and is designed for investment funds, coffee chains, and equipment suppliers looking to optimize their growth strategies.

A beta version of the AI tool will be available to select partners in the first quarter of 2026, with a full commercial launch anticipated in the second half of 2026.

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