CatSpring Yaupon
CatSpring Yaupon is a privately-held Texas-based producer of regenerative organic yaupon tea — America's only native caffeine source — selling loose leaf, tea bags, crystals, and iced tea direct-to-consumer and through wholesale channels.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersCat Spring, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What CatSpring Yaupon does
CatSpring Yaupon is a privately-held, Indigenous woman-owned producer of yaupon tea headquartered in Cat Spring, Texas. Founded in 2011 by Abianne Falla, a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation, the company wild-harvests and processes yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria) — North America's only native caffeine source — across 1,100 acres of partner regenerative organic-certified ranches. Its core product portfolio comprises three roast profiles (Pedernales Green, Lost Maples Medium Roast, Marfa Dark Roast) delivered in loose leaf, tea bags, and a dissolvable crystal format (VIBE), alongside ready-to-drink iced tea and branded accessories such as tumblers, a teapot, and strainers. CatSpring pioneered the U.S. yaupon category, becoming the first producer to achieve Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) status and the first in the USA to earn FairWild certification, with additional credentials including USDA Organic, Kosher, Planet FWD, Made by American Indians, Go Texan, and Intertribal Agriculture Council.
The business operates a hybrid go-to-market combining direct-to-consumer e-commerce via a Shopify storefront (with domestic free shipping on orders over $50 and international shipping across 200+ countries) and a wholesale channel serving cafés, restaurants, grocery retailers, and corporate workplace accounts (no minimum order, free shipping on wholesale orders over $200). Retail pricing spans approximately $10.95–$45.00 per SKU, with subscription management available for recurring purchases. A separate bulk-ingredient revenue stream supplies yaupon raw material to product developers in beverages, dietary supplements, and personal care, and a community-facing donation initiative (CatSpring Ag Works) supports rural workers with essential gear such as work boots.
The company reports a headcount of 1–10, holds no disclosed revenue, and has no institutional investors or parent company identified. Distribution is anchored by channel partnerships with Harney & Sons, Mountain Rose Herbs, and Honest Mary's, while earned-media coverage spans The Washington Post, NPR, BBC, Forbes, Barista Magazine, and Wellness Magazine. Recognition includes the NBJ 2025 Stewardship & Sustainability Award, a Climate-Aligned Product Innovation Leadership Award honorable mention, and Whole Foods Market's designation of yaupon as a top trend.
CatSpring Yaupon firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CatSpring Yaupon
- Legal name
- CatSpring Yaupon
- Website
- https://catspringtea.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- CatSpring Yaupon is a privately-held Texas-based producer of regenerative organic yaupon tea — America's only native caffeine source — selling loose leaf, tea bags, crystals, and iced tea direct-to-consumer and through wholesale channels.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CatSpring Yaupon industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Tea Products
- NAICS
- Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Tea Processing (Withering, Rolling, Fermentation, Drying) (AFAFADAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Tea, Coffee & Cocoa Farming (Beverage Specialty Crops) (AFAGAGAG)
Keywords
Where CatSpring Yaupon is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cat Spring
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
CatSpring Yaupon business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Direct E-commerce Sales: The company sells directly to consumers through their Shopify e-commerce platform, offering loose leaf tea, tea bags, starter kits, and accessories. Products are shipped domestically and internationally with free shipping on domestic orders over $50.
- Wholesale Distribution: CatSpring Yaupon supplies bulk yaupon ingredients and retail-ready products to wholesale partners including cafés, restaurants, grocery stores, and corporate workplace programs. No minimum order requirement exists, with free shipping on orders over $200.
- Bulk Ingredient Sales: The company provides bulk yaupon for product development in beverages, functional foods, dietary supplements, and personal care products. Various formats including loose leaf, tea bags, and powders are available.
- Donations (CatSpring Ag Works): The company operates CatSpring Ag Works, a community initiative accepting donations to support rural workers with essential gear like work boots, separate from product revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Loose Leaf Yaupon Tea Starter Kit – 3 Roasts + Glass Tumbler |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Tea Bag Yaupon Starter Kit – 3 Roasts + Ceramic Mug |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Multipack Yaupon Tea – 48 Teabags |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Loose Leaf Yaupon Variety Pack – Green, Medium & Dark Roasts |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Wholesale Pricing |
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | CatSpring Ag Works Donations |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
CatSpring Yaupon product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CatSpring Yaupon wild-harvests yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria) from native Texas ecosystems and processes the leaves into naturally caffeinated tea products sold under three roast profiles: Pedernales Green, Lost Maples Medium Roast, and Marfa Dark Roast. The company offers these in loose leaf, tea bag, ready-to-brew iced tea, and instant (VIBE crystal) formats, accompanied by starter kits and brewing accessories, sold direct-to-consumer and through a wholesale channel.
Product overview
CatSpring Yaupon offers a portfolio of yaupon tea products centered on three core roast varieties: Pedernales Green, Lost Maples Medium Roast, and Marfa Dark Roast. Products are available in multiple formats including loose leaf, tea bags, and yaupon crystals (instant). The company sells direct-to-consumer starter kits combining multiple roasts with accessories (Glass Tumbler, Ceramic Mug, Reusable Tumbler), as well as ready-to-drink iced tea and bulk multipacks. Accessories supporting the tea experience include the On-the-Go Loose Leaf Tumbler, The Perfect Everyday Teapot, Perfect Tea Spoon, Empress Tea Strainer, and Handwoven Basket Strainer. The company also offers wholesale and subscription options for retailers and recurring customers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Pedernales Green Yaupon Loose Leaf Tea Crisp, bright green-roast yaupon tea sold as a 2oz loose leaf product, positioned as the green tea expression of American native yaupon for daily brewing and tasting flights.
- Lost Maples Medium Roast Yaupon Loose Leaf Tea Golden, mellow medium-roast yaupon tea sold as a 2oz loose leaf product, positioned as the everyday middle expression of the three-roast portfolio.
- Marfa Dark Roast Yaupon Loose Leaf Tea Rich, toasty dark-roast yaupon tea sold as a 2oz loose leaf product at $12.95, positioned as the black-tea equivalent of the yaupon lineup.
- Marfa Dark Roast Yaupon Tea Bags (16 ct) Marfa dark roast yaupon in convenient 16-count tea bag format, priced at $10.95, for consumers who prefer pre-portioned brewing.
- Loose Leaf Yaupon Tea Starter Kit Bundled starter kit featuring all three roast profiles (Pedernales Green, Lost Maples Medium, Marfa Dark) in loose leaf format plus a glass tumbler, priced at $45.00, designed as an entry-point purchase.
- Tea Bag Yaupon Starter Kit Bundled starter kit featuring three 16-count boxes of yaupon tea bags (all three roasts) plus a ceramic mug, priced at $40.00, as an entry-point purchase.
- VIBE Starter Kit (Yaupon Crystals + Reusable Tumbler) Starter kit featuring yaupon crystals (instant/dissolvable format) with a reusable tumbler, extending CatSpring's portfolio beyond loose leaf and tea bags to on-the-go consumption.
- Ready To Brew Yaupon Iced Tea Pre-brewed, ready-to-drink yaupon iced tea, priced at $17.95, providing a no-preparation format for cold consumption.
- Multipack Yaupon Tea (48 Tea Bags) Bulk multipack containing three boxes of 16-count yaupon tea bags (48 total) featuring all three roasts, priced at $26.95, for higher-volume household consumption.
- Loose Leaf Yaupon Variety Pack Variety pack of loose leaf yaupon in all three roast profiles (Pedernales Green, Lost Maples Medium, Marfa Dark), priced at $14.95, for tasting and discovery.
- Tea Accessories (Tumbler, Teapot, Spoon, Strainers) Line of tea-brewing accessories including the On-the-Go Loose Leaf Tumbler, The Perfect Everyday Teapot, Perfect Tea Spoon, Empress Tea Strainer, and Handwoven Basket Strainer, supporting the loose leaf brewing experience.
- Wholesale & Bulk Yaupon Supply B2B supply program providing bulk yaupon ingredients and retail-ready products to cafés, restaurants, grocery stores, specialty retailers, corporate workplaces, and product developers in beverages, functional foods, dietary supplements, and personal care. No minimum order, with free shipping on orders over $200.
Quantifiable outcome
- 25-40mg caffeine per 8-14oz cup vs 95-200mg in coffee
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use CatSpring Yaupon
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
CatSpring Yaupon technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
CatSpring Yaupon partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Harney & SonscoreHarney & Sons, a respected specialty tea company with decades of experience blending teas from around the world, has partnered with CatSpring Yaupon to include American native yaupon in their product lineup, bringing the tea to a broader audience through established retail channels.
- Mountain Rose HerbscoreMountain Rose Herbs, a national leader in herbal products, partners with CatSpring Yaupon to expand access to regenerative organic native tea through their established herbal commerce platform, supporting the national herbal conversation around yaupon.
- Honest Mary'scoreHonest Mary's, a food service company committed to regenerative sourcing and thoughtful ingredients, partners with CatSpring Yaupon to bring domestically grown yaupon to their offerings through shared values around sustainable sourcing and wellness.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
CatSpring Yaupon competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Four Sigmatic: Functional mushroom-and-plant-based beverage company offering coffee alternatives with adaptogens. Comparable on 'coffee replacement,' functional positioning, and premium DTC-plus-retail GTM motion aimed at wellness consumers.
- MUD\WTR: Functional coffee-alternative brand positioned around lower-caffeine, ritual-driven daily consumption. Comparable as a direct substitute competing for CatSpring's coffee-replacement use case and health-conscious DTC consumer.
Broad incumbents
- Republic of Tea: Specialty premium tea brand with broad retail and DTC distribution. Comparable as a category incumbent offering premium loose-leaf and functional teas that overlap with CatSpring's product and target consumer.
- Traditional Medicinals: Larger botanical-tea company with strong natural-grocer distribution and wellness positioning. Comparable as an herbal/botanical tea incumbent pursuing similar wellness-positioned, sustainably-sourced SKUs at retail.
- Harney & Sons: Established specialty tea company and existing CatSpring wholesale partner. Comparable as a broader tea portfolio player whose channels and customer base CatSpring accesses for distribution, while competing for the same premium tea shelf.
- Rishi Tea: Specialty organic tea and botanicals brand with strong direct-to-consumer and wholesale presence. Comparable on regenerative/organic sourcing story, premium positioning, and DTC-plus-cafe distribution mix.
Direct peers
- Mountain Rose Herbs: National herbal-products distributor and CatSpring wholesale partner selling regenerative yaupon through its platform. Comparable as a sales channel and as an herbal-category player that competes for similar botanical-beverage share.
- Wild Yaupon Tea: Another Texas-based wild-harvested yaupon tea brand competing head-to-head with CatSpring on DTC, wholesale, and bulk ingredient channels. Directly comparable as the most visible alternative in the same native-caffeine category.
- Yaupon Brothers: Florida- and Texas-sourced yaupon producer selling retail tea and bulk ingredients. Comparable as a directly competing yaupon brand pursuing similar DTC-plus-wholesale strategy in the same nascent category.
- American Yaupon: Yaupon-focused tea company offering loose leaf and retail products. Directly comparable on product (same plant, similar roast profiles) and customer base (U.S. health-conscious caffeine consumers).
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CatSpring Yaupon social profiles
Digital presenceCatSpring Yaupon compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance8 records
CatSpring Yaupon financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CatSpring Yaupon leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
CatSpring Yaupon funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CatSpring Yaupon 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 CatSpring Yaupon
What does CatSpring Yaupon do?
CatSpring Yaupon wild-harvests yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria) from native Texas ecosystems and processes the leaves into naturally caffeinated tea products sold under three roast profiles: Pedernales Green, Lost Maples Medium Roast, and Marfa Dark Roast. The company offers these in loose leaf, tea bag, ready-to-brew iced tea, and instant (VIBE crystal) formats, accompanied by starter kits and brewing accessories, sold direct-to-consumer and through a wholesale channel.
Is CatSpring Yaupon a public or private company?
CatSpring Yaupon is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was CatSpring Yaupon founded?
CatSpring Yaupon was founded in 2011. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is CatSpring Yaupon based?
CatSpring Yaupon is headquartered in Cat Spring, United States, in the North America region.
How does CatSpring Yaupon make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Direct E-commerce Sales are the primary driver. The others are wholesale Distribution, bulk Ingredient Sales and donations (CatSpring Ag Works).
Who are CatSpring Yaupon's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Four Sigmatic and MUD\WTR. Broad incumbents are Republic of Tea, Traditional Medicinals, Harney & Sons and Rishi Tea. Direct peers are Mountain Rose Herbs, Wild Yaupon Tea, Yaupon Brothers and American Yaupon.
Does CatSpring Yaupon have an API?
No public API is recorded for CatSpring Yaupon.
What industry is CatSpring Yaupon in?
CatSpring Yaupon's product category is Specialty Tea Products. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAFADAF, Tea Processing (Withering, Rolling, Fermentation, Drying), with a secondary code of AFAGAGAG, Tea, Coffee & Cocoa Farming (Beverage Specialty Crops). Its NAICS code is 311920 and its SIC code is 2090.