The latest upgraded tea brewers are attracting tech funding in the millions for machines selling for $1000+.
Last week
TechCrunch reported a $12-million funding round for Mountain View, Calif.-based Teforia Co., which is selling its internet-connected infuser for $1,499. The “selective infusion process,” developed by XBox 360 creator and Teaforia CEO Allen Han, uses “SIPS” capsules developed with specialty retailers TeaSmith, Samovar, and Mighty Leaf. The app-controlled brewer precisely infuses loose-leaf tea as well, storing water temperature, steeping details, water quantity, history, and personal preferences.
“Systems like Nespresso, Keurig, or even Juicero are closed. You can’t use your own ingredients. Our app and design lets you use your own tea if you wish, which is a breakthrough in the beverage arena,” Han told TechCrunch. The brewer was crowdfunded, raising $300,000 in preorders; it later raised $5.1 million in seed funding.
The $12 million Series A investment was led by Translink Capital, which was joined by Upfront Ventures and Lemnos Labs along with
Correlation Ventures and
Mousse Partners.
Jay Eum, managing director at Translink, told TechCrunch “the focus of the company has to be making sure the product works as specified, consistently. Then building very strategic marketing campaigns. I would like to see Teforia in locations where people will see the product and get to experience it broadly.”
When asked if Teforia’s price will ever change, Chaviva Gordon-Bennett
replied that “Teforia is an investment in quality and in the integrity of the tea you love. It is a no-compromise approach, built to last, with a two-year warranty.
“We’ve spent years crafting the Teforia, making absolutely zero compromises along the road to ensure our infuser is both functional and beautiful. From the custom boiler that heats water on-demand with immense accuracy so the temperature is always right, to the double-walled carafe and Infusion globe that are both beautiful to look at and durable for keeping your tea at the perfect temperature,” she wrote.
Source: Teforia, TechCrunch
