Australian-owned and operated craft-tea brand East Forged was awarded AU$119,000 as part of the Australian government’s Boosting Female Founders Initiative - Round 2, with their innovative and ambitious proposal to incorporate augmented reality (AR) technology onto their packaging, improve manufacturing and distribution efficiencies, and expand globally in 2022.
Co-founders Tania Stacey (in Victoria) and Kym Cooper (in Queensland) – who already run successful tea businesses and first met at a Melbourne expo in 2017 – said they’re thrilled about their successful grant application, which will support the scale-up of their production capacity and make a bigger impact in the fast-growing low and no-alcohol beverage market – both locally and overseas.
“East Forged has grown 250 percent in our first two years and received a number of international industry awards, so we know there’s an interest and demand for our cold-brew tea drinks, but it’s not easy for a small business like ours to compete with big brands and mass-produced products,” said Cooper. “This grant will allow us to enter the next phase of business growth several years ahead of schedule.”
Cooper oversees the financial and operations side of the business at East Forged.
Stacey noted: “Our goal has always been to disrupt and challenge the traditional iced-tea market with a quirky, modern and healthy alternative that appeals to independent thinkers and early adopters. Using the latest technology in both the brewing and packaging is an important part of our vision, and we want to use AR as a way to connect and engage with our younger consumers.”
Stacey’s role is focussed on the product development and marketing for the company.
Only 38 Businesses Were Selected for This Program
Run by Australia’s Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources, the competitive Boosting Female Founders program aims to bolster established start-up organizations by helping female entrepreneurs overcome barriers to accessing finance and supporting projects. The goal is to provide a boost to the economy by helping businesses grow and break into new domestic and global markets.
Over 2,500 expressions of interest were received in this round of the program, with only 38 selected by an Independent Assessment Committee. The comprehensive two-part application process required business owners to not only demonstrate their creative ideas but their capability to deliver and achieve success, including a 50 percent co-contribution agreement. A total of AU$11.6 million in grant funding was made available to companies and entrepreneurs.
It Took More Than 18 Months Experimenting with Quality Tea Leaves
Loose-leaf tea lovers Stacey and Cooper created East Forged with the intention of challenging old ideas of cold tea drinks, which have traditionally been loaded with sugar. It took more than 18 months of experimenting with quality tea leaves from their favorite suppliers and working with an independent craft brewer to bring the beverages to effervescent life with an injection of nitrogen, before they were ready to launch in January 2020.
Featuring a hint of exotic fruits, tea remains the hero ingredient in the East Forged drinks – yet the beer-like look and texture and a complexity of subtle flavors have seen the drinks be compared to and sit comfortably alongside wine and other alcoholic beverages, in a variety of social occasions and settings. They’re also low in calories with no added sugar, artificial flavors or colors.
To learn more about East Forged, visit EastForged.com.
Plan to Attend or Participate in the
World Tea Conference + Expo, March 21-23, 2022
To learn about other key developments, trends, issues, hot topics and products within the global tea community, plan to attend the World Tea Conference + Expo, March 21-23, 2022. The event will be celebrating its 20th anniversary, in addition to being co-located with Bar & Restaurant Expo. Visit WorldTeaExpo.com.
To book your sponsorship or exhibit space at the World Tea Conference + Expo, contact:
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