London tea start-up Offblak has completed a six-figure funding round to break into the US market.
The seed cash from US ecommerce business Pharmapacks values the health and wellness tea brand at $10m (£7.6m).
Offblak has expanded rapidly overseas since launching in the UK just more than a year ago and is now available in China, Russia, Philippines and South Korea.
The brand offers a variety of 12 varieties, including caffeine-free, various herbal, flavoured black and green teas, and markets itself in the ‘functional wellness’ category.
It has its own direct-to-consumer business online and is available on ecommerce marketplaces such as Amazon and Tmall in China. Its products are also available in a growing number of retail stores including Holland & Barrett in the UK and Azbuka Vkusa in Russia.
The business plans to use the funding to enter the US market in partnership with Pharmapacks.
“We aim to offer a new generation of tea to health and style-conscious customers through the convenience of ecommerce and retail channels,” said Offblack founder and CEO Dmitry Klochkov.
“Our mission is to make tea cool and healthy again.”
Pharmapacks COO Adam Berkowitz added he was “excited” to partner with Offblak and planned to introduce the brand to North American consumers later this year.
Klochkov said the investment was a significant milestone for the business. “It will allow us to strategically build brand presence in the US where demand for healthy drinks and functional wellness tea continues to grow rapidly,” added.
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