Guayaki Yerba Mate
Yerba Madre (formerly Guayaki) produces and sells certified organic, fair-trade yerba mate beverages in cans, bottles, and loose-leaf formats, distributing through 40,000+ U.S. retail outlets, Canada, and DTC e-commerce to health-conscious and mainstream beverage consumers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersSebastopol, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Guayaki Yerba Mate does
Yerba Madre (formerly Guayaki Yerba Mate, founded 1996 and rebranded in May 2025) produces and sells organic, fair-trade yerba mate beverages derived from the naturally caffeinated leaves of Ilex paraguariensis, combined with organic fruit juices and complementary herbs. The portfolio spans three core formats: ready-to-drink canned beverages in still and sparkling varieties (e.g., Revel Berry, Mango Fuego limited edition, Brewed Peach), bottled brewed yerba mate infusions, and traditional loose leaf and mate bag products for home brewing. Underlying technical differentiation is centered on the bioactive profile of yerba mate (caffeine, theobromine, and polyphenols) rather than on proprietary manufacturing technology, paired with a vertically oriented regenerative and fair-trade supply chain in the Atlantic Rainforest that supports Regenerative Organic, USDA Organic, Fair Trade, B Corp, and Kosher certifications.
The company makes money through consumer packaged goods transactions across a multi-channel go-to-market motion: a predominantly third-party retail distribution model delivering full U.S. coverage across 40,000+ outlets (including Whole Foods and major supermarket chains), an expanding Canadian wholesale footprint, and a direct-to-consumer e-commerce channel at yerbamadre.com offering promotional discounts (e.g., 15% off) and subscriptions. Revenue mechanics are entirely transactional B2C with no disclosed enterprise contracts, pricing tiers, or SaaS components. Customer segments are a hybrid of health-conscious functional beverage consumers (primary), traditional yerba mate enthusiasts, and mainstream beverage shoppers targeted through format and flavor innovation. Reported revenue exceeds $250 million, supported by a 501–1,000 employee base and approximately 86% share of the $1.5 billion North American yerba mate category.
Guayaki Yerba Mate firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Guayaki Yerba Mate
- Legal name
- Yerba Madre
- Website
- https://guayaki.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Yerba Madre (formerly Guayaki) produces and sells certified organic, fair-trade yerba mate beverages in cans, bottles, and loose-leaf formats, distributing through 40,000+ U.S. retail outlets, Canada, and DTC e-commerce to health-conscious and mainstream beverage consumers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Guayaki Yerba Mate industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Functional Beverages
- NAICS
- Soft Drink and Ice Manufacturing (31211), Beverage Manufacturing (3121)
- SIC
- Beverages (2080)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Functional Beverages (Vitamins, Probiotics, Nootropics, etc.) (CRADAHAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Non-Carbonated Soft Drinks (Juice Drinks, Lemonades, Fruit Drinks) (CRADAHAB)
Keywords
Where Guayaki Yerba Mate is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sebastopol
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Guayaki Yerba Mate business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Ready-to-Drink Beverages: Canned and bottled brewed yerba mate beverages sold through retail and direct-to-consumer channels in both still and sparkling formats with organic fruit juice flavors.
- Loose Leaf & Mate Bags: Traditional yerba mate products for home brewing, sold directly through e-commerce and retail channels.
- Functional Beverage Innovation: New product formats and flavor innovations targeting mainstream beverage consumers beyond traditional yerba mate consumers.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
Guayaki Yerba Mate product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Guayaki Yerba Mate (now branded Yerba Madre) produces and sells organic, fair-trade yerba mate beverages across three product lines: ready-to-drink canned and bottled beverages blended with organic fruit juices, and traditional loose-leaf yerba mate and mate bags. Products are sold through a third-party retail network of more than 40,000 outlets across the United States and Canada, as well as through the company's direct-to-consumer online store. The company operates as a certified B Corp and registered Social Purpose Corporation with Regenerative Organic Certification.
Product overview
Guayaki Yerba Mate rebranded as Yerba Madre in May 2025. The company offers a portfolio of yerba mate beverages across three core product lines: (1) Cans — on-the-go blends of brewed yerba mate with organic fruit juices in still and sparkling formats; (2) Brewed Yerba Mate — vitalizing infusions in terere bottles with herbs and organic fruit juices; and (3) Loose Leaf & Mate Bags — traditional steeped yerba mate products. Specific offerings include Revel Berry, Mango Fuego (limited edition), and Brewed Peach. The company holds B Corp certification, Regenerative Organic Certification, Fair Trade, USDA Organic, and Kosher certifications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cans (Ready-to-Drink Yerba Mate) On-the-go blends of brewed yerba mate and organic fruit juices offered in both still and sparkling formats, including flavors such as Revel Berry and Mango Fuego (limited edition), sold to individual consumers seeking natural caffeine alternatives.
- Brewed Yerba Mate Bottles Vitalizing infusions of brewed yerba mate complemented with nourishing herbs and organic fruit juices, packaged in terere bottles for individual consumers, including Brewed Peach flavor.
- Loose Leaf & Mate Bags Traditional loose-leaf yerba mate and mate bags in purest form, ready to be steeped for the ultimate uplifting brew, sold to traditional yerba mate enthusiasts for ceremonial and daily consumption.
Quantifiable outcome
- 86% market share in $1.5 billion North American yerba mate market
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Guayaki Yerba Mate
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Guayaki Yerba Mate technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Guayaki Yerba Mate partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Hari AvulaminorHari Avula appointed to Board of Guayakí Yerba Mate, bringing strategic oversight and industry expertise to the company's leadership.
- Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC)coreGuayakí Yerba Mate partnered with Major League Soccer's LAFC team, deepening integration in American soccer. The partnership provides brand visibility through stadium presence and fan engagement, targeting the growing soccer audience in the U.S. market.
- Steve LesnardminorSteve Lesnard joined Guayakí Yerba Mate as Board Director, providing governance and strategic direction experience.
- Ben MandcoreBen Mand appointed as new CEO in 2024, previously transformed Harmless Harvest into a ROC-certified brand. Brings experience in regenerative organic certification and brand transformation.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Guayaki Yerba Mate competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Health-Ade Kombucha: Health-Ade is a leading U.S. functional fermented RTD beverage brand selling kombucha and probiotic drinks through natural and mainstream retail. It directly competes with Yerba Madre in the better-for-you functional beverage aisle and shares a similar premium, organic-positioned GTM.
- GT's Living Foods: GT's is the category-defining kombucha brand and a pioneer of functional fermented RTD beverages in the U.S. It overlaps with Yerba Madre on health-conscious consumers, natural food store distribution, and the use of fermentation-derived functional positioning.
- Celsius Holdings: Celsius is a major functional energy drink brand competing for the same better-for-you caffeine consumer as Yerba Madre, particularly in mainstream retail and convenience channels. Both brands target consumers seeking energy/focus without traditional energy drink drawbacks.
- Olipop: Olipop is a fast-growing functional better-for-you soda brand competing in the same premium, functional beverage set as Yerba Madre. Both target health-conscious consumers shifting away from conventional sodas and energy drinks in favor of functional ingredients.
- Poppi: Poppi is a prebiotic functional soda brand competing in the better-for-you beverage category with similar distribution across natural food and mainstream retail channels. It targets the same consumer transitioning away from sugary sodas and energy drinks.
- KeVita (PepsiCo): KeVita is a kombucha and probiotic beverage brand now owned by PepsiCo, directly competing with Yerba Madre in the functional RTD beverage space. Its distribution scale as part of PepsiCo makes it a particularly formidable comparable.
Emerging players
- Athletic Brewing Company: Athletic Brewing is the leading non-alcoholic craft beer brand and a strong comparable on premium functional beverage brand-building and natural-to-mainstream retail expansion, even though its product category is adjacent.
- Reed's Inc. Reed's is a craft ginger beer and functional soda brand sold through natural and mainstream retail. It is a smaller-scale functional beverage comparable on product format and channel strategy.
Broad incumbents
- Vita Coco: Vita Coco is a leading publicly traded natural, plant-based RTD beverage brand (coconut water and adjacent). It is a broader incumbent comparable on natural beverage positioning, retail distribution scale, and CPG operating model.
- Monster Beverage: Monster is one of the largest energy drink companies globally and a broad incumbent competing for the same functional caffeine consumer. While its product format is more conventional, its scale and marketing power make it a key indirect competitor in the energy/focus beverage category.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Guayaki Yerba Mate social profiles
Digital presenceGuayaki Yerba Mate compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Guayaki Yerba Mate financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Guayaki Yerba Mate leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Guayaki Yerba Mate funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Guayaki Yerba Mate M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Guayaki Yerba Mate
What does Guayaki Yerba Mate do?
Guayaki Yerba Mate (now branded Yerba Madre) produces and sells organic, fair-trade yerba mate beverages across three product lines: ready-to-drink canned and bottled beverages blended with organic fruit juices, and traditional loose-leaf yerba mate and mate bags. Products are sold through a third-party retail network of more than 40,000 outlets across the United States and Canada, as well as through the company's direct-to-consumer online store. The company operates as a certified B Corp and registered Social Purpose Corporation with Regenerative Organic Certification.
Is Guayaki Yerba Mate a public or private company?
Guayaki Yerba Mate is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Guayaki Yerba Mate founded?
Guayaki Yerba Mate was founded in 1996. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Guayaki Yerba Mate based?
Guayaki Yerba Mate is headquartered in Sebastopol, United States, in the North America region.
How does Guayaki Yerba Mate make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Ready-to-Drink Beverages are the primary driver. The others are loose Leaf & Mate Bags and functional Beverage Innovation.
Who are Guayaki Yerba Mate's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Health-Ade Kombucha, GT's Living Foods, Celsius Holdings, Olipop, Poppi and KeVita (PepsiCo). Emerging players are Athletic Brewing Company and Reed's Inc.. Broad incumbents are Vita Coco and Monster Beverage.
Does Guayaki Yerba Mate have an API?
No public API is recorded for Guayaki Yerba Mate.
What industry is Guayaki Yerba Mate in?
Guayaki Yerba Mate's product category is Functional Beverages. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADAHAL, Functional Beverages (Vitamins, Probiotics, Nootropics, etc.), with a secondary code of CRADAHAB, Non-Carbonated Soft Drinks (Juice Drinks, Lemonades, Fruit Drinks). Its NAICS code is 31211 and its SIC code is 2080.