Energy tea brand Mission has closed a £1.6m seed funding round to fuel expansion.
The business plans to use the investment to grow the size of its team and increase marketing to build brand awareness of the DTC channel.
The funding round was led by former and current executives at BrewDog, Cadbury, HelloFresh, Allplants, Graze, KP Snacks and Tails.com, alongside England cricketers Michael Vaughan and Heather Knight.
Founder Tom Whittle launched the business in 2018 as the Athletic Tea Co after taking part in a charity cycle ride covering the length of South America. Whittle discovered the energy-enhancing properties of yerba maté tea in Argentina before exploring other ingredients such as matcha and rooibos upon returning to England.
The company rebranded as Mission in 2019 to reflect ambitions to bring its range to a wider market.
Sales at the business soared ten-fold in the past year as its focused on the DTC model, with ambitions to generate revenues of more than £1m this year.
Missions plans to continue to focus online in the UK before expanding into the retail channel and overseas.
Whittle, who also hold a Guinness World Record for the fastest crossing of Iceland on foot, said: “After a year of huge growth, we’re incredibly excited for the next stage of our journey.
“More and more people are wanting to achieve something meaningful in their lives, but when looking at options to fuel it they are faced with high caffeine, sugar-based options that create spikes and slumps. That’s why our slow, sustainable approach to energy is perfectly placed to change the way the world fuels.”
No comments yet