Genuine Tea

What Genuine Tea does

Genuine Tea is a Canadian specialty tea company founded in 2015 by Sarah Wilcox and David O'Connor after the co-founders spent five years in Taiwan. Operating from a blending and packaging facility at 921 Progress Ave in Scarborough, Ontario, the company sources tea directly from small farmers in Japan (Uji, Kyoto — including the multi-generational Katō Matcha partnership), India (Assam, Karnataka), China, Sri Lanka (Dimbula), Taiwan, South Africa, Egypt, and Peru, and sells across loose leaf, plant-based compostable pyramid tea bags, individually wrapped sachets, microground tea latte powders (an ultra-fine format produced to Japanese artisanal specifications), ceremonial-grade matcha, hand-crafted sparkling iced tea cans, wellness blends co-developed with registered holistic nutritionists, and adaptogenic mushroom powders.

The business operates three go-to-market motions. The primary channel is a Shopify-hosted direct-to-consumer storefront (genuinetea.ca) with subscriptions through the Matcha Club (~$20.04/month recurring) and a tea-lovers/rewards loyalty layer, supported by content marketing, an active social presence (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube), and earned media on CBC, Global News, Dragon's Den, CTV, and Chatelaine. A wholesale program serves Canadian cafes and restaurants with barista-approved teas, training, and account management, and a private-label/white-label service customizes product and branding for business buyers. Pricing is unit-based with free Canadian shipping over $50 and a 30-day satisfaction guarantee; SKUs span roughly $5.98 (accessories) to $73.05 (premium loose leaf), with bulk and cafe-size formats lowering per-cup cost.

The company is privately held, founder-controlled, and bootstrapped apart from a single disclosed $150,000 round from District Ventures Capital in October 2018. With 1-10 employees, a 4,034+ customer-review base, Canadian and U.S. shipping, and a 10-year operating history, Genuine Tea positions itself as 'Canada's Farm to Cup Tea Company,' but the unit economics, headcount, and absence of subsequent institutional funding indicate a small, founder-paced CPG rather than a venture-scale business.

Name

Genuine Tea

Legal name

Genuine Tea

Website

https://genuinetea.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Genuine Tea is a Canadian specialty tea company founded in 2015 by Sarah Wilcox and David O'Connor, sourcing directly from small tea farmers and selling loose leaf, matcha, microground latte powders, sparkling iced tea, and wellness blends via DTC e-commerce, a Matcha Club subscription, wholesale, and private-label services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Tea

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192)

SIC

Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Coffee & Tea (Single-Origin, Micro-lot, Premium) Processing (AFAFADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tea (Leaf, Bagged, Instant, Concentrates) (CRADAHAE), Tea Blending & Flavoring (AFAFADAG), Ready-to-Drink (RTD) Tea Manufacturing (AFAFADAI), Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI)

Keywords

• Organic loose leaf tea
• Matcha green tea
• Tea subscriptions
• Wholesale tea supply
• Microground tea lattes

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Sales: Primary revenue stream through their Shopify storefront. Customers purchase individual products, bundles, and subscriptions online with shipping across Canada and internationally.
2. Subscription - Matcha Club: Recurring subscription service for Kato Matcha products delivered on a regular schedule.
3. Wholesale/B2B: Bulk tea sales to cafes, restaurants, and retailers across Canada through their wholesale program.
4. Private Label/White Label: Custom branding and product development services for businesses wanting to bring their own tea products to market.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Genuine Tea is a Canadian tea brand that blends and packs ethically sourced organic loose leaf teas, plant-based pyramid tea bags, microground tea latte powders, ceremonial-grade Kato Matcha, sparkling iced teas, and wellness teas for direct-to-consumer e-commerce and wholesale foodservice customers. The company operates a Shopify storefront, a Matcha Club subscription, and a B2B wholesale/private label program serving cafes and restaurants across Canada.

Product overview

Genuine Tea is a Canadian organic tea brand founded in 2015, offering a diverse portfolio of tea products including loose leaf teas sourced from Japan, India, China, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, and South Africa; plant-based compostable pyramid tea bags; and microground tea latte powders made to Japanese artisanal specifications. The core lineup features ceremonial-grade Kato Matcha sourced from Uji, Kyoto (with seasonal Summer and Spring Harvest varieties), hand-crafted sparkling iced teas, and functional wellness teas developed with registered holistic nutritionists including adaptogenic mushroom blends. Supporting products include tea accessories (steepers, teapots, matcha whisks), curated gift bundles, a Matcha Club subscription service, and a B2B wholesale/private label program for restaurants and cafes. The company operates with direct-trade relationships with tea farmers and emphasizes ethical sourcing, sustainability, and wellness-focused product development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Loose Leaf Tea Whole leaf, ethically sourced teas available in black, green, oolong, white, herbal, and rooibos varieties sourced from Japan, India, China, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, and South Africa, sold to individual consumers through the Genuine Tea e-commerce store.
• Plant-based Pyramid Tea Bags Compostable pyramid-shaped tea bags made from plant-based PLA materials (non-GMO corn-based) that break down in commercial compost in under 90 days without microplastics, offering the convenience of tea bags with whole leaf quality.
• Individually Wrapped Tea Bags Convenient individually wrapped tea bags in various flavors including Assam Breakfast, Moringa Mint, Premium Jasmine, Elderberry Hibiscus, Masala Chai, Lemon Ginger Rooibos, Sencha, and Blue Delta.
• Microground Tea Latte Powders

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,034+ verified customer reviews demonstrating customer satisfaction and product quality

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Katō Family (Uji, Kyoto, Japan)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirect-trade partnership with the Katō Family for ceremonial-grade matcha from Uji, Kyoto. The Katō family has perfected matcha production for generations, playing Mozart to tea leaves as they grow. This partnership provides exclusive access to premium Japanese matcha.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• David's Tea: Canadian specialty tea retailer with DTC e-commerce, retail stores, and broad product portfolio including matcha, loose leaf, and tea bags. Direct head-to-head competitor in the Canadian premium tea market with a far larger physical and digital footprint.
• Tealeaves: Vancouver-based premium tea company serving wholesale, retail, and hospitality channels with ethically sourced teas. Closely comparable to Genuine Tea's premium, direct-trade, B2B-focused positioning, particularly in the Canadian foodservice market.
• Republic of Tea: U.S. premium tea brand with extensive wellness, herbal, and functional blends sold via DTC and wholesale. Closely comparable to Genuine Tea's wellness-segment SKUs developed with nutritionists.
• Harney & Sons: U.S. family-owned premium tea company selling loose leaf, tea bags, and iced/RTD teas through DTC, wholesale, and hospitality channels. Comparable premium direct-trade positioning and breadth of product categories.
• T2 Tea: Australian-born premium tea brand with DTC e-commerce, retail stores, and a broad portfolio of loose leaf, tea bags, and gift sets. Comparable product breadth, premium positioning, and gifting focus.
• Adagio Teas: U.S. online-first specialty tea retailer offering loose leaf, tea bags, and accessories with a strong DTC customer review base. Comparable e-commerce-first model and review-driven acquisition funnel.
• Ippodo Tea: Japanese premium matcha and green tea specialist with DTC, wholesale, and a U.S. presence. Directly comparable to Genuine Tea's ceremonial-grade Kato Matcha offering and single-origin Japanese sourcing narrative.

Broad incumbents

• Traditional Medicinals: Large U.S. herbal wellness tea brand sold through grocery, mass retail, and natural channels. Overlaps with Genuine Tea's wellness and functional tea positioning at a broader, mainstream scale.
• Celestial Seasonings: Mass-market herbal and specialty tea brand owned by Hain Celestial, distributed broadly in North American grocery. Provides a competitive price-point contrast to Genuine Tea's premium positioning.

Emerging players

• Jade Leaf Matcha: U.S.-based DTC matcha brand focused on ceremonial and culinary grades. Comparable Matcha Club-style subscription and consumer-grade matcha positioning, though narrower product breadth than Genuine Tea.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/genuinetea
• YouTubeyoutube.com/genuintea
• Facebookfacebook.com/genuineteatoronto
• Instagraminstragram.com/genuinetea
• TikToktiktok.com/@genuinetea

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Genuine Tea