Overview
Waku Tea | Prebiotic RTD Tea Redefining Functional Beverage
Waku Tea is pioneering a new frontier in functional beverages, offering a first-to-market, prebiotic herbal tea rooted in centuries-old Ecuadorian tradition and reformulated for the modern wellness consumer. Positioned at the convergence of two explosive macro trends—gut health and sugar reduction—Waku delivers a caffeine-free, zero-sugar, clean-label product that is resonating deeply with Gen Z and Millennial buyers seeking better-for-you alternatives to soda and kombucha.
With strong in-market traction—#3 by velocity in Whole Foods Northeast—and a clear path to 50% gross margins through its co-packer transition and canned format, Waku is scaling with operational discipline and brand-led defensibility. Founders Juan Giraldo and Nico Estrella bring a rare mix of grit, adaptability, and impact-driven leadership, supported by a world-class advisory bench including executives from Yasso, KIND, and Unilever.
This $250K–$500K seed investment via convertible note (6% interest, 20% discount, $8M cap) supports national expansion, new distribution wins, and critical sales hires. Exit scenarios align with precedent beverage M&A transactions (Poppi, Olipop, Liquid I.V.), offering credible pathways to 3.5x–5.0x revenue multiples and 50%+ IRRs under base and upside cases.
Waku represents a compelling opportunity to back an authentic brand with category-creating potential, strong unit economics, and early leadership in a whitespace functional segment.