The recognition came two years after Kinani Ahmed, born in Ethiopia, founded Sextant in 2014. He first roasted on a Probat L-12 at Chromatic Coffee in San Jose, and a refurbished Probat UG-22 replaced an L-12 at the SoMa roastery in summer 2016.
The company says, as of October 2026, that it works directly with farmers in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Colombia and roasts all its beans in San Francisco. Its shop sells Ethiopian coffees including Black Lion, a Yirgacheffe heirloom, and Ogsadey's Horse from Harrar, along with a Colombian coffee and a Brazilian one.