Ekaterra

What Ekaterra does

Ekaterra is a Rotterdam-headquartered, privately held holding company whose operating subsidiary LIPTON Teas and Infusions is the world's largest tea company, serving 250 million daily consumers globally through a portfolio of six brands: Lipton (global flagship), Pukka (organic and herbal wellness), T2 (premium tea retail), PG Tips (UK mass-market black tea), TAZO (artisan botanical blends), and Lyons (traditional Irish tea). The company was created in 2022 when CVC Capital Partners acquired Unilever's tea business, with Nathalie Roos appointed CEO; the underlying tea blending and sourcing expertise dates back to 1871. Operationally, Ekaterra runs a consumer packaged goods model: it manufactures and distributes branded tea and infusion products through retail and grocery channels worldwide, partnering with almost one million farmers for sourcing and leveraging 150+ years of accumulated blending expertise and in-house tea tasting capability. Revenue is generated almost entirely through one-time retail purchase of branded tea and infusion SKUs; specific revenue figures, pricing, and ownership percentages are not publicly disclosed. The company's strategic positioning emphasizes health and wellness through scientific research on tea benefits, sustainability (net-zero commitment, climate action, farmer livelihoods), and brand heritage across both global and local markets including Western Europe and Southeast Asia.

Name

Ekaterra

Legal name

LIPTON Teas and Infusions

Website

https://ekaterratea.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1871

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Ekaterra, via LIPTON Teas and Infusions, is the world's largest tea company, manufacturing and distributing branded teas and herbal infusions (Lipton, Pukka, T2, PG Tips, TAZO, Lyons) to 250 million daily consumers globally through retail channels, under private ownership by CVC Capital Partners since 2022.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tea and Herbal Infusions

NAICS

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

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Tea (Leaf, Bagged, Instant, Concentrates) (CRADAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tea Blending & Flavoring (AFAFADAG), Specialty Tea Shops (Loose-Leaf, Tea Bars) (THAFAKAD), Specialty Coffee & Tea (Single-Origin, Micro-lot, Premium) Processing (AFAFADAJ)

Keywords

• Packaged tea products
• Herbal infusions
• Consumer tea brands
• Tea manufacturing
• Tea retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Rotterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Consumer Tea and Infusion Products: Sale of branded tea and infusion products through retail channels globally. Revenue generated from portfolio of brands including Lipton, Pukka, T2, PG Tips, TAZO, and Lyons, serving 250 million daily consumers worldwide.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ekaterra, operating as LIPTON Teas and Infusions, manufactures and distributes a portfolio of branded tea and herbal infusion products worldwide. Its offering spans flagship and regional brands including Lipton, Pukka, T2, PG Tips, TAZO, and Lyons, reaching approximately 250 million daily consumers through global retail channels. The company combines 150+ years of blending expertise with sustainable sourcing and scientific research on tea health benefits.

Product overview

Ekaterra operates through Lipton Teas and Infusions as the world's largest tea company, offering a multi-brand portfolio of teas and herbal infusions. The core platform consists of Lipton as the global flagship brand, supplemented by regional and specialty sub-brands including Pukka (herbal/organic wellness teas), T2 (premium retail experience), PG Tips (UK market leader), TAZO (artisan botanical blends), and Lyons (traditional Irish tea). The company serves 250 million daily consumers through this differentiated brand portfolio, positioning products across health and wellness, sustainability, and occasion-based consumption segments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lipton: Global tea brand serving consumers worldwide
• Pukka
• T2
• PG Tips
• TAZO
• Lyons

Products and services

• Lipton Global flagship tea brand serving billions of tea enthusiasts worldwide since 1871, offering blended teas and infusions across multiple product formats. Targeted at mass-market consumers seeking a recognized global tea brand.
• Pukka Herbal and wellness-focused tea brand offering premium organic blends positioned for health and wellbeing benefits. Targeted at health-conscious consumers seeking organic herbal teas.
• T2 Premium tea retailer brand known for curated tea collections and experiential retail locations. Targeted at premium tea consumers seeking high-quality, curated tea experiences.
• PG Tips UK-based tea brand offering traditional black tea blends, one of the most recognized tea brands in the British market. Targeted at UK consumers seeking traditional black tea.
• TAZO Artisan-inspired tea brand offering bold, creative tea blends and botanical infusions. Targeted at consumers seeking creative and bold flavor profiles.
• Lyons Traditional Irish tea brand offering classic black tea blends, historically one of the prominent tea brands in Ireland. Targeted at Irish consumers and the Irish diaspora seeking classic black tea.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving 250 million daily consumers globally
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Tata Consumer Products: Tata Consumer Products owns Tetley and Tata Tea and is one of the world's largest branded tea companies. It directly competes with Ekaterra across both mass-market and premium tea categories in similar global markets.
• Associated British Foods (Twinings): ABF owns Twinings, a globally recognized premium tea brand with strong UK and European presence. Twinings competes head-to-head with PG Tips, Lipton, and T2 across multiple markets and retail channels.
• Ito En: Ito En is a major Japanese tea company with global operations in packaged and RTD green tea. It overlaps directly with Ekaterra's tea blending, packaging, and global retail distribution model, particularly in North America and Asia.
• Bigelow Tea: Bigelow is a leading US family-owned packaged tea company with broad supermarket distribution. It directly competes with Lipton, TAZO, and Pukka for US retail shelf space and consumer mind share.
• Hain Celestial (Celestial Seasonings): Celestial Seasonings is a major US herbal and specialty tea brand owned by Hain Celestial. It competes directly with Pukka and TAZO in the wellness and specialty tea segment of US retail.
• Bettys & Taylors (Yorkshire Tea): Bettys & Taylors owns Yorkshire Tea, a leading UK branded tea. It is a direct competitor to PG Tips and Lipton in the UK mass-market tea segment, the company's most important developed market.

Emerging players

• The Republic of Tea: Republic of Tea is a US premium and specialty tea company focused on curated blends and wellness. It overlaps with T2 and Pukka in the premium and functional tea segments where Ekaterra is investing.
• Harney & Sons: Harney & Sons is a US-based premium and specialty tea company with growing direct-to-consumer and hospitality channels. It competes with T2 in the premium tea category and with Lipton's premium extensions.

Broad incumbents

• Nestlé: Nestlé is a global packaged food and beverage giant with significant coffee and limited tea exposure through brands like Special.T. As a broad incumbent, it represents both a competitive threat and a potential strategic acquirer for Ekaterra.
• Keurig Dr Pepper: Keurig Dr Pepper is a major North American beverage company with broad distribution that competes for the same at-home and on-the-go beverage occasions. Its scale and route-to-market overlap make it both a competitor and a potential strategic partner or acquirer for Ekaterra.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ekaterralife
• Facebookfacebook.com/ekaterralife

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Ekaterra