October 2026
Athletes are not a line item to be cut. They are the entire point. If we cannot treat them like VIPs, we will not run the championship.
We are choosing disciplined execution over rushed compromise.
But we are not standing still.
Today we are releasing our blind-judging Espresso Throwdown software — free for any cafe, roaster, or barista. Two competitors or eight. A promotion decider or a dial-in calibration. Blind scores, trustworthy results, no paywall. If you want to find the best coffee in the room — objectively — the cup decides.
We are also opening partner applications to run National Espresso Championships in every country. Our platform is live and ready for hosts who believe competitors should be paid, not charged.
And when the industry gathers in Tokyo for the World Barista Championship final, we will run a live open-scoring demonstration on our platform — built to the standard competition format — so anyone can see what transparent judging looks like in real time.
This is WEC: independent, athlete-first, and built in public.
The cup still decides.
Tristan Creswick
Founder, World Espresso Championship
The championship is ready to run — gated by funding. When the fund hits its target, you'll hear it here first.