Cusa Tea
Cusa Tea & Coffee is a Boulder, Colorado-based premium instant tea and coffee brand using patented cold-brew extraction and vacuum dehydration to produce organic, sugar-free beverages that dissolve in hot or cold water, sold primarily DTC and via subscription to active, health-conscious consumers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersBoulder, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Cusa Tea does
Cusa Tea & Coffee is a Boulder, Colorado-based private company that produces premium instant teas and coffees using a patented cold-brew extraction process combined with gentle vacuum dehydration. Founded in 2015 by Jim Lamancusa after a study-abroad experience in Hong Kong, the company operates a portfolio of 27 SKUs spanning green and black teas, caffeine-free herbal blends, and multiple coffee roasts/flavors, all formulated to dissolve instantly in hot or cold water without sugar, additives, or fillers. Production inputs are USDA Organic (tea) and Rainforest Alliance Certified (coffee), and every batch is triple-filtered and tested for pesticides, heavy metals, mold, and bacteria — results that Cusa publishes publicly.
Cusa generates revenue primarily through direct-to-consumer e-commerce on its Shopify-powered storefront, supplemented by a subscription auto-ship program offering a 10% recurring discount and wholesale distribution via the Faire marketplace and direct B2B accounts for retailers, offices, and event venues. Pricing is unit-based, ranging from $12.99 to $35.99 per product, with bulk formats (Pitcher Packs, 100-packs) for higher-volume use cases. The company raised a $2.5 million round in May 2019 led by Break Trail Ventures and remains founder-led with 1–10 employees. Strategic positioning targets active outdoor enthusiasts, busy professionals, and health-conscious consumers seeking premium-quality beverages that do not require brewing equipment.
Cusa Tea firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cusa Tea
- Legal name
- Cusa Tea
- Website
- https://drinkcusa.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Cusa Tea & Coffee is a Boulder, Colorado-based premium instant tea and coffee brand using patented cold-brew extraction and vacuum dehydration to produce organic, sugar-free beverages that dissolve in hot or cold water, sold primarily DTC and via subscription to active, health-conscious consumers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cusa Tea industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Premium Instant Tea and Coffee
- NAICS
- Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192)
- SIC
- Beverages (2080)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Instant Tea, Tea Extracts & Concentrates Manufacturing (AFAFADAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Instant Coffee & Coffee Extract Manufacturing (AFAFADAD), Coffee Blending & Flavoring (AFAFADAC), Tea Blending & Flavoring (AFAFADAG)
Keywords
Where Cusa Tea is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boulder
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Cusa Tea business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Direct E-commerce Sales: Primary revenue stream through drinkcusa.com. Customers purchase individual products, variety packs, or pitcher packs. One-time purchase and subscription options available. Subscription model offers 10% recurring discount.
- Wholesale/ B2B Sales: Wholesale orders through Faire marketplace and direct wholesale accounts. Targets retailers, office breakrooms, coworking spaces, and event venues. Bulk 100-packs available for office/business settings.
- Subscription/Auto-Ship Orders: Recurring subscription orders with 10% discount. Subscribers receive monthly deliveries with ability to modify flavors, frequency, or cancel anytime. Subscribers also receive new flavor samples added to orders.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual product pricing - One-time purchase |
| Subscription | Monthly | Subscription pricing - 10% discount |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bulk/Pitcher Packs |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Cusa Tea product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cusa Tea & Coffee manufactures and sells premium instant teas and coffees that dissolve in seconds in hot or cold water, using a patented cold-brew extraction and gentle vacuum dehydration process. The company offers a portfolio of organic green and black teas, herbal teas, and specialty coffees sold directly to consumers via its e-commerce storefront and subscription service, with a secondary wholesale channel for offices, retailers, and events.
Product overview
Cusa Tea & Coffee is a premium instant beverage company offering a portfolio of small-batch, craft-brewed instant teas and coffees that dissolve in seconds in hot or cold water. The core product line consists of four coffee varieties (Light Roast, Medium Roast, Dark Roast, and Decaf), three flavored coffees (Mocha, Vanilla Dark Roast, and Dirty Chai), six unflavored and flavored green/black teas (Organic Green, English Breakfast, Mango Green, Peach Green, Jasmine Green, Mango Black, Peach Black, Lemon Black, and Earl Grey), and four caffeine-free herbal teas (Apple Spice, Deep Doze, Immune Boost, and Everyday Wellness). All products use a proprietary cold-brew and gentle vacuum dehydration process to preserve flavor. The company also offers subscription services, variety packs, pitcher packs for bulk purchasing, branded drinkware, apparel, and digital gift cards. The teas and coffees are USDA Organic certified and Rainforest Alliance certified respectively, with zero sugar, gluten-free, and vegan formulations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- English Breakfast Tea Organic green and black tea, silver medal winning, smooth earthy flavor suitable for morning or afternoon consumption. Dissolves instantly in hot or cold water.
- Organic Green Tea 100% organic green tea from high mountain tea farms with light, bright flavor. Silver medal winner, no sugar, additives, fillers, or preservatives.
- Mango Green Tea
Quantifiable outcome
- 144-456mg polyphenols per serving vs typical loose leaf tea's ~60mg per serving
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Cusa Tea
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Cusa Tea technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Cusa Tea partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- FairecoreWholesale marketplace partner enabling small retailers to purchase Cusa products for resale. Orders can be placed through the Faire platform for wholesale pricing.
- USPSsupportingPrimary domestic and international shipping carrier used for order fulfillment.
- UPSsupportingSecondary shipping carrier for domestic and international order fulfillment.
- ShopifycoreE-commerce platform powering the drinkcusa.com online store. Provides the online sales infrastructure for direct-to-consumer sales.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Cusa Tea competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Waka Coffee: Waka Coffee sells instant and pour-over specialty coffee aimed at travelers, students, and outdoor enthusiasts. Directly comparable to Cusa in product format (instant premium coffee) and target use case (portable, on-the-go consumption).
- Sudden Coffee: Sudden Coffee offers freeze-dried single-origin specialty instant coffee through D2C subscriptions. Directly comparable as a premium craft instant coffee brand using single-origin beans and a subscription model targeting coffee enthusiasts.
- Pique Tea: Pique Tea makes fermented and cold-brewed instant tea crystals marketed for gut health and wellness via DTC subscriptions. Closely comparable to Cusa's tea line in format (instant crystals), premium positioning, and subscription-driven D2C model.
- Steeped Coffee: Steeped Coffee produces single-serve specialty instant coffee for offices, hotels, and consumers with a focus on premium, clean-label brewing. Directly comparable to Cusa as a premium instant coffee brand competing on quality and convenience in similar D2C and office channels.
Emerging players
- Cometeer: Cometeer ships flash-frozen concentrated coffee capsules that consumers dissolve at home, a higher-tech premium coffee product with D2C subscriptions. Comparable to Cusa as a technology-forward premium instant-coffee brand aimed at enthusiasts, though format and price point differ.
Broad incumbents
- Bigelow Tea: Bigelow Tea is a family-owned packaged tea company with broad retail distribution across black, green, and herbal varieties. Comparable as an established premium packaged-tea incumbent whose grocery presence defines the shelf space Cusa would need to compete for.
- Starbucks VIA Instant: Starbucks VIA is the mass-market premium instant coffee line from Starbucks, sold in grocery, online, and foodservice globally. Comparable as the dominant incumbent in premium instant coffee, with vastly larger distribution and marketing scale than Cusa.
- Nescafé (Nestlé): Nescafé is the global market leader in instant coffee across mainstream and premium tiers, owned by Nestlé. Directly competes with Cusa in the instant coffee category with vastly broader distribution and brand reach.
- Tazo Tea: Tazo Tea is a packaged tea brand selling bagged and bottled teas through grocery and foodservice. Comparable as a broader incumbent in the branded premium tea space that overlaps with Cusa's premium tea positioning.
- Celestial Seasonings: Celestial Seasonings is a mainstream herbal and specialty tea brand sold widely in grocery and mass retail. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the premium tea category with overlapping herbal tea offerings.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cusa Tea social profiles
Digital presenceCusa Tea compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Cusa Tea financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cusa Tea leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Cusa Tea funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cusa Tea 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 Cusa Tea
What does Cusa Tea do?
Cusa Tea & Coffee manufactures and sells premium instant teas and coffees that dissolve in seconds in hot or cold water, using a patented cold-brew extraction and gentle vacuum dehydration process. The company offers a portfolio of organic green and black teas, herbal teas, and specialty coffees sold directly to consumers via its e-commerce storefront and subscription service, with a secondary wholesale channel for offices, retailers, and events.
Is Cusa Tea a public or private company?
Cusa Tea is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Cusa Tea founded?
Cusa Tea was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Cusa Tea based?
Cusa Tea is headquartered in Boulder, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cusa Tea make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Direct E-commerce Sales are the primary driver. The others are wholesale/ B2B Sales and subscription/Auto-Ship Orders.
Who are Cusa Tea's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Waka Coffee, Sudden Coffee, Pique Tea and Steeped Coffee. Cometeer is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Bigelow Tea, Starbucks VIA Instant, Nescafé (Nestlé), Tazo Tea and Celestial Seasonings.
Does Cusa Tea have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cusa Tea.
What industry is Cusa Tea in?
Cusa Tea's product category is Premium Instant Tea and Coffee. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAFADAH, Instant Tea, Tea Extracts & Concentrates Manufacturing, with a secondary code of AFAFADAD, Instant Coffee & Coffee Extract Manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 311920 and its SIC code is 2080.