SAN MATEO, Calif., June 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Cuzen Matcha announced the successful completion of its first closing of a Series A funding round, raising $3.6 million from investors, including lead investor Digital Garage Group, a prominent Japanese company known for its expertise in technology and venture capital investments, as well as Joyance Partners, and over twenty angel investors. Since launching in 2020, Cuzen Matcha has emerged as a frontrunner in the matcha tea market, revolutionizing the way matcha is prepared and consumed with its innovative and award-winning at-home Cuzen Matcha Maker and matcha leaf system, which produces freshly ground matcha from organic shade-grown leaves from Japan. As demand for matcha continues to accelerate at a CAGR of 8.7% by 2030**, this round of funding will help to expand Cuzen Matcha's market presence while furthering the company's commitment to excellence and sustainability while honoring Japanese matcha tea culture.
"Cuzen Matcha has demonstrated a remarkable ability to combine technology, quality, and tradition in a way that captivates consumers," said Masahito Okuma, Member, Board of Directors, Senior Managing Executive Officer, and CSO at Digital Garage. "We are excited to support their vision and contribute to their journey of reshaping the matcha tea industry."
With the premium green tea market projected to reach $26.16 billion dollars in the US by 2028*, Cuzen Matcha caters to this growing demand by enabling the effortless preparation of authentic matcha with the touch of a button.
"This round of funding represents an exciting opportunity for Cuzen Matcha to expand its market presence. Digital Garage Group as our lead investor further strengthens our position and enhances our prospects, especially as we move into the B2B market with the recent launch of the Cuzen Matcha Maker for Business," said Eijiro ("Ey-jee-roh") Tsukada, Founder and CEO of Cuzen Matcha. "Their extensive experience and strong presence in the tech and start-up investment space will provide invaluable support as we continue to disrupt the traditional Japanese matcha tea industry and broaden our reach beyond the successful at-home Cuzen Matcha Maker system."
Today's news comes on the heels of the recent launch of the Cuzen Matcha Maker for Business, which blends the superb quality and convenience of the Cuzen Matcha at-home Maker with the added capacity, reliability, and value required for a restaurant or cafe. The prototype of the Cuzen Matcha Maker for Business was unveiled in April at the Specialty Coffee Expo in Portland, Oregon. Over 500 industry professionals encountered the Cuzen Matcha Maker for Business system that ensures both high-quality matcha and is easy-to-make, qualities which typically cannot co-exist when it comes to commercial matcha solutions. Over 30 cafe owners have already started conversations with Cuzen Matcha to collaborate toward the official launch of the commercial-use machine, and popular establishments like Dean + Deluca Hawaii, Bottega Louie, and Michelin-star chefs like SingleThread's Kyle Connaughton already use the original Cuzen Matcha System in their establishments and love it.
"I've had the honor of carrying the at-home Cuzen Matcha Maker at our cafe and restaurant," said Yohei Takahashi, president of Dean and Deluca Hawaii. "There are many cafes and restaurants that serve matcha drinks, but they do not come close to capturing the authentic flavor that this machine creates. Its simple operation requires easy staff training. Because of the high demand for matcha, Cuzen Matcha Maker for Business would be beneficial for my restaurant. I can't wait to try the Cuzen Matcha Maker for Business and create more matcha recipes."
Cuzen's award-winning freshly ground matcha-making at-home system is available to order at www.cuzenmatcha.com and on Amazon. The new Cuzen Matcha Maker for Business will roll out in 2024. Cafes and restaurants can sign up to beta test a limited number of Cuzen Matcha Maker for Business prototypes at Collaborate with Cuzen Matcha.
About Cuzen Matcha
Cuzen Matcha produces remarkably fresh matcha from organic, shade-grown leaves and innovative technology. The freshly-ground matcha has a smooth, balanced flavor and gives the drinker a mellow, focused energy that lasts. It also doesn’t come with a wasteful plastic pod system like many coffee machines. Cuzen’s goal is to share freshly-ground matcha with as many people as possible while encouraging the adoption of sustainable systems, whether that’s by partnering with high-quality organic Japanese tea farmers or by minimizing packaging and reducing single-use plastics.
Since launching in 2020, Cuzen Matcha was named one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2020. Cuzen also won the 2021 iF Design Award (Germany); 2021 Good Design Award (Japan); 2020 San Francisco Design Week, Future of Foods Award, and was a CES 2020 Innovation Awards Honoree. Also, Cuzen has been featured in leading publications, including Forbes, Real Simple, Esquire and many more.
About World Matcha Inc.
World Matcha Inc., the creator of Cuzen Matcha, is a California-based tea company and food-tech startup founded by two Japanese tea enthusiasts, Eijiro Tsukada and Oki Hatta, in January 2019. World Matcha’s mission is to bring authentic matcha into people’s daily lives with ease and an open mind.
Sources:
** Matcha Market By Source, By Grade Type (Ceremonial, Classic, Café, Culinary), By Application (Regular Tea, Matcha Beverages, Food, Personal Care), By Sales Channel (Direct Sales, Indirect Sales), and By Region Forecast to 2030
*Green Tea Market Size and Share to Exceed US$26.16 Billion by 2028.
Contact:
Shauna Stephenson
Dadascope Communications
(503 ) 351-8330
cuzen@dadascope.com
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b952a7f4-1b50-4220-803c-8fc08ea895ed
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/425ce78b-1117-498f-99be-962bb582d6e4
