Teance

What Teance does

Teance Fine Teas, founded in 2002 in Berkeley, California, is a privately held specialty tea wholesaler and retailer specializing in single-origin, unblended artisan teas sourced directly from family farms in China, Japan, Taiwan, India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. The company sells white, green, yellow, oolong, red/black, pu-erh, herbal, and cold-brew loose-leaf teas by the ounce in resealable kraft bags (1oz, 2oz, 4oz, 8oz), alongside teaware, gift cards, and curated gift sets, with many SKUs commissioned exclusively from growers such as Master Wang, Mr. Lin, and Miss Lin. Its go-to-market is a hybrid of a single Berkeley tea bar and retail showroom, a 24/7 e-commerce site built on a Lightspeed storefront, a recurring subscription program, monthly paid tea tastings ($20/person), and a wholesale program for resellers. Teance is led by CEO Robert Vincent (who assumed control in 2019 after the 2017 passing of co-founder Winnie Yu) and co-founder FuTung Cheng, with Tea Director ChihHui Burns-Huang and Director of Quality Control Sonia Hernandez providing long-tenured operational continuity since 2002-2003. The business is not venture-funded, has no subsidiaries, and operates exclusively in the United States with domestic-only shipping via USPS and UPS.

Name

Teance

Legal name

Teance Fine Teas

Website

https://teance.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Teance Fine Teas is a Berkeley, California-based specialty tea wholesaler and retailer founded in 2002, selling single-origin loose-leaf teas, teaware, and subscriptions sourced directly from artisan farmers across Asia to U.S. consumers and small resellers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Tea Retail

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Beverage Manufacturing (3121)

SIC

Beverages (2080), Wholesale-Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods (5190)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Tea Shops (Loose-Leaf, Tea Bars) (THAFAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI), Specialty Coffee & Tea (Single-Origin, Micro-lot, Premium) Processing (AFAFADAJ), Tea (Leaf, Bagged, Instant, Concentrates) (CRADAHAE)

Keywords

• Specialty tea retail
• Loose leaf tea
• Tea accessories
• Artisan tea
• Tea tasting events

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Tea Sales: Direct sales of single-origin, artisan teas by the ounce. Products sold in 1oz, 2oz, and 4oz resealable kraft bags. Volume discounts available (10% off 4oz, 20% off 8oz).
2. Gift Cards: Custom gift cards available in denominations of $25, $50, $100, $200, or custom amounts. Sold online and in-store.
3. Subscription Programs: Recurring tea subscription programs for regular delivery of curated teas.
4. Teaware Sales: Sale of teaware including practical, traditional, Yixing teapots, matcha teaware, and related accessories.
5. Wholesale: Bulk wholesale orders for retailers and businesses.
6. Tea Events and Tastings: Paid tea tasting events hosted monthly, priced at $20 per person.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Teance Fine Teas is a Berkeley-based specialty tea retailer and wholesaler that sells single-origin, unblended loose-leaf teas (white, green, yellow, oolong, red/black, Pu-Erh, herbal, and cold brew) sourced directly from artisan family farms in China, Japan, Taiwan, India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. It complements its teas with teaware and accessories, gift cards, curated tea collections, subscription programs, paid tea tasting events, and a wholesale division serving business buyers.

Product overview

Teance Fine Teas is a direct-to-consumer specialty tea retailer offering single-origin artisan teas sourced directly from family farms in China, Japan, Taiwan, India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. The core product portfolio consists of loose-leaf teas sold in resealable kraft bags (1oz, 2oz, 4oz, 8oz sizes) across categories: White Teas (including Silver Needle King's Grade, White Peony King's Grade, Jasmine Silver Needle), Green Teas & Matcha (Pre-Ming Dragonwell, Pre-Rain Dragonwell, Marukyu Koyamaen Matcha), Yellow Tea (Anhui Yellow), Oolong Teas (GABA Oolong, Bug Bitten Oolong, Phoenix Honey), Red/Black Teas, Pu-Erh Teas (Master Wang Collection including 2013 Big Snow Mountain Shu, 2015 Ancient Tree Lao Man Er Sheng, 2012 Imperial Bulang Tuocha), Herbal, and Cold Brew Tea. Supporting offerings include Teaware & Other (Practical Teaware, Traditional Teaware, Yixing Teapots, Matcha Teaware, Shoyeido Incense, Books), Gift Cards, Tea Journey Collection & Gift, Subscription Programs, Events/Tea Tastings, and Wholesale. Teance also operates a physical tea shop in Berkeley, California with tea tasting events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• White Teas Single-origin white teas sourced from Fuding, Fujian, China, including Silver Needle King's Grade and White Peony King's Grade varieties, sold by the ounce in resealable kraft bags.
• Green Tea and Matcha Premium green teas including Pre-Ming Dragonwell and Pre-Rain Dragonwell from West Lake Hangzhou, plus Whole Leaf Green Tea and Marukyu Koyamaen Matcha, for individual tea drinkers and home matcha preparation.
• Yellow Tea Rare single-origin yellow teas sourced from Anhui province, sourced from Mr. Dai's village which has produced yellow tea for generations.
• Oolong Teas Single-origin oolong teas from Taiwan and China, including GABA Oolong, Bug Bitten Oolong (Taiwan Beauty), Phoenix Honey, and Ya Sai Old Grove varieties.
• Red/Black Teas Single-origin red/black teas sourced directly from gardens in China, India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal.
• Pu-Erh Teas Aged and fermented Pu-Erh teas from Yunnan, China, including the Master Wang Collection and Pressed & Leaf Pu-Erh varieties.
• Herbal Teas Herbal teas purchased from reliable producers the company has worked with for years.
• Cold Brew Tea Teas designed for cold brewing, packaged in biodegradable sachets made of abacá pulp, cellulose and sealing fibre.
• Tea Subscription Programs Recurring tea delivery programs allowing customers to receive curated single-origin teas on an ongoing basis via the e-commerce website.
• Teaware and Accessories Tea brewing and serving equipment and accessories including Practical Teaware, Traditional Teaware, Yixing Teapots, Matcha Teaware, Shoyeido Incense, and tea-related books.
• Tea Journey Collection and Gift Curated tea collections and gift sets assembled for tea enthusiasts and special-occasion gifting.
• Gift Cards Custom gift cards available in denominations of $25, $50, $100, $200, or custom amounts, purchasable online or in-store for redemption across Teance's product range.
• Tea Tasting Events Monthly themed tea tasting events hosted at the Berkeley tea shop by tea sommelier Katie, priced at $20 per person, open to novices and experienced tea lovers.
• Wholesale Tea Program Bulk wholesale tea program serving retailers and businesses that wish to carry Teance's single-origin teas in their own establishments, with separate wholesale pricing and ordering channel.
• White Peony King's Grade (Bai Mu Dan) Single-origin White Peony tea from Fuding, Fujian, China, from original mother bushes at 1000m elevation; very fresh, full-bodied with apple and pear notes.
• Silver Needle King's Grade Premium single-origin white tea from Fuding, Fujian, China, requiring over 30,000 buds per pound; delicate, sweeter infusion with fuzzy green buds.
• Pre-Ming Dragonwell (Ming Qian Longjing) First-pick Dragonwell tea, hand-harvested before spring rains in early April near the dragon well in West Lake, Hangzhou, known for toasted chestnut notes and lingering sweetness.
• Pre-Rain Dragonwell (Yu Qian Longjing) Second-pick Dragonwell tea harvested just after the Qing Ming holiday from West Lake, Hangzhou, with sweet warming liqueur, fragrant chestnut notes and a vegetal finish.
• 2012 Imperial Bulang Yunnan Tuocha Pressed Shu Pu-Erh from Bulang Shan, Yunnan, China, pressed in 2012; rich sweet earthy aftertaste with smooth consistency; sold as four 7-gram nuggets per ounce.
• 2013 Big Snow Mountain Shu (Ripe) Pu-Erh 250g brick of Shu Pu-Erh pressed in 2013 from Lincang, Yunnan; classic ripe pu-erh with deep earthy and subtly sweet profile suited to meditation.
• 2015 Ancient Tree Lao Man Er Sheng (Raw) Pu-Erh 357g cake of raw Pu-Erh pressed March 28, 2015, from Bulang Mountain, Menghai, Yunnan, harvested from wild ancient trees averaging 300+ years old; commissioned for long-term aging.
• Jasmine Silver Needle 2025 Summer Jasmine Flower combined with 2025 Spring Silver Needle tea from Fuding, Fujian, China; sweet, grassy, floral fragrance.
• 2023 Spring Harvest Chinese Teas (Anhui Yellow, Anhui Wild Foraged Green, Phoenix Honey and Ya Sai Old Grove, Tieguanyin Medium Roast Organic) Seasonal 2023 Spring Harvest collection of single-origin Chinese teas: Anhui Yellow from Mr. Dai's village; needle-like leaves of Anhui Wild Foraged Green from wild indigenous bushes in Jin Zai; Phoenix Honey and Ya Sai Old Grove oolongs; and organic medium-roast Tieguanyin from Anxi, Fujian.

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Master WangcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExclusive partnership with Master Wang for Pu-erh tea sourcing from Yunnan, China. Features Master Wang Collection including aged Pu-erh teas like 2013 Big Snow Mountain and 2003 Meng Fei Shan Sheng.
• Mr. Lin (Lin Xing Biao) - Fuding, FujiancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term relationship with Mr. Lin Xing Biao, a pioneer in white tea production in Fuding, Fujian, China. His family has been growing and processing white tea since 1957. Provides White Peony King's Grade and Silver Needle King's Grade teas.
• Hangzhou Tea ProducerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSourcing relationship for Pre-Ming and Pre-Rain Dragonwell teas from West Lake region, Hangzhou, China. Teas made by renowned tea masters producing highest-grade Longjing teas.
• Miss Lin - Taiwan Beauty ProducerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Miss Lin at Yi Min estate in Miaoli, Taiwan for Taiwan Beauty (Pongfong Cha/Bug Bitten Oolong). Her estate is a unique compound featuring tea production, traditional cuisine, and tea house.
• Master Su Shu Jen - Tung Ting OolongcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Master Su Shu Jen, an award-winning female tea master in Taiwan producing exceptional Tung Ting Oolong. Known for Dark Roast (spring harvest - gentle and mellow) and winter harvest (bold and bright).
• Mr. Dai - Yellow Tea ProducercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSole source for rare Yellow tea and Anhui Wild Foraged Green from remote Jin Zai mountains in Anhui, China. Mr. Dai's village has been producing Yellow tea for generations and survived the Japanese invasion due to isolation.
• USPSminorOthersShipping partner for domestic order fulfillment via USPS Ground Advantage.
• UPSminorOthersAlternative shipping partner for expedited domestic delivery.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Smith Teamaker: Premium tea brand combining retail, e-commerce, and tea-bar/tasting house experiences with single-origin focus—analogous brand experience and direct-trade sourcing narrative to Teance.
• Simpson & Vail: Family-owned specialty tea merchant sourcing single-origin teas and operating a wholesale/gift program—small-scale peer comparable in assortment, customer base, and B2B focus.
• Republic of Tea: Specialty loose-leaf tea brand sold via subscription (Tea of the Month), wholesale, and gifting channels—an analogous business model to Teance's subscription and gift-card revenue streams.
• Adagio Teas: Online-direct specialty loose-leaf tea retailer offering single-origin, blends, teaware, and subscriptions—directly competes with Teance across product breadth, e-commerce model, and small-batch positioning.
• Upton Tea Imports: Specialty tea importer and retailer with broad single-origin catalog and B2B/bulk program—comparable to Teance's direct-from-grower sourcing philosophy and wholesale operations.
• TeaSource: Independent specialty tea retailer with physical store, online catalog, and focus on single-origin and premium Chinese/Asian teas—small-scale, artisan-focused competitor to Teance's model.
• Harney & Sons: Family-owned premium tea merchant with e-commerce, wholesale, gift programs, and tastings—comparable to Teance's artisanal positioning, multi-channel model, and curated Asian single-origin offerings.

Emerging players

• Ippodo Tea Co. Premium Japanese green/matcha tea house with growing US presence via direct mail—relevant as Teance carries Marukyu Koyamaen matcha and competes for the same Japanese tea enthusiast customer.

Broad incumbents

• Stash Tea: Established specialty tea brand selling premium loose-leaf and bagged teas across grocery, wholesale, and online—competes with Teance at the retail tier but with broader mass-market distribution.
• DAVIDsTEA: Public, large-scale specialty tea retailer with extensive retail footprint, broad tea/wellness assortment, and subscription-style programs—overlaps with Teance across product and channel but much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/teance_fine_teas
• Facebookfacebook.com/TeanceFineTeas
• Xx.com/Teance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/teance-fine-teas

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Teance