Myanmar Tea Leaf

What Myanmar Tea Leaf does

Business operations are vertically integrated. The company owns a 400-acre organic tea farm and runs a 252-farmer contract farming network in Ywangan, Southern Shan State, supplemented by conventional farms in Pindaya. Two processing facilities (Ywangan and Pyigyitagon) deliver a combined ~144 tonnes of organic and ~39,824 tonnes of non-organic raw tea capacity annually. Distribution combines two own retail stores in Mandalay, 18+ modern-trade stockists across Myanmar, seven domestic online marketplaces, international e-commerce on Amazon and eBay, and direct B2B export — most notably a roughly 20-tonne-per-year Paline organic supply to Burma Superstar restaurants in the USA. Certifications include EU Organic, USDA Organic, FDA, HACCP, and GMP, and partnerships with Helvetas Myanmar (BioTrade initiative, 2018), Burma Superstar (2015), and Ta'ang Teaworld support both supply-chain and international expansion. Headcount stood at 450+ employees by 2020, with no external institutional funding disclosed.

Name

Myanmar Tea Leaf

Legal name

Myanmar Tea Leaf Co. Ltd.

Website

https://myanmartealeaf.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Myanmar Tea Leaf is a family-owned Myanmar fermented tea producer operating three brands (Shan Shwe Taung mass-market, Paline Organic, Lwal Paline), with vertically integrated farms, factories, and retail/wholesale distribution across Myanmar and 10 export markets including the USA via Burma Superstar.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Fermented Tea Products

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Tea Processing (Withering, Rolling, Fermentation, Drying) (AFAFADAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Fermented tea products
• Organic tea leaves
• Specialty food manufacturing
• Myanmar tea export
• Wholesale tea supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Mandalay

HQ country

Myanmar (Burma)

HQ region

Asia

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Sales - Fermented Tea: Direct sales of fermented tea products (Paline organic and Shan Shwe Taung mass market brands) through retail stores, wholesale channels, and international exports
2. Wholesale Distribution: Wholesale pricing for retailers and stockists with flexible delivery schedules and credit facilities

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Myanmar Tea Leaf is a vertically integrated manufacturer and brand owner of fermented tea (Laphet-So) products, producing and selling ready-to-eat fermented tea leaves and pastes under the Shan Shwe Taung, Paline Organic, and Lwal Paline brands. It operates own tea farms and contract-farming networks in Southern Shan State, runs HACCP/GMP certified processing factories, and distributes finished products through own retail stores, modern trade, online marketplaces, and international export to restaurant and retail customers in 10 countries.

Product overview

Myanmar Tea Leaf operates as a tea company with three product brands: Shan Shwe Taung (1984, mass-market fermented tea holding 80% market share), Paline Organic (2016, premium EU/USDA certified organic fermented tea), and Lwal Paline (2020, brewed red tea). The product portfolio includes fermented tea leaves and pastes in various flavours (sesame, lemon pepper, ginger, sour & spicy) along with complementary products like assorted fried beans, nuts and seeds. Products are sold in Myanmar retail stores, exported internationally to USA, UK, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, China and Singapore, and available through online marketplaces.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Paline: Premium organic fermented tea brand with EU and USDA certification, featuring 100% organic fermented tea leaves and pastes in various flavors including sesame, ginger, lemon pepper, and sour & spicy.
• Shan Shwe Taung
• Lwal Paline

Products and services

• Shan Shwe Taung brand Mass-market fermented tea brand offering affordable ready-to-eat fermented tea products including Shu-Shae (sour & spicy), Gin-Mwe (ginger), Zayan, Pindaya fermented teas, raw fermented tea leaves, and assorted fried bean, nut and seed mixes. The brand holds 80% of Myanmar's fermented tea market share.
• Paline Organic brand Premium organic fermented tea brand with EU and USDA organic certification, offering sesame, lemon pepper, ginger, and sour & spicy varieties in both leaves and paste formats, along with assorted mixed beans, nuts and seeds.
• Lwal Paline Brewed red tea product launched in 2020 as part of the company's expanded product portfolio.
• Paline Organic Sesame Tea Leaves 200g Organic fermented tea leaves made with sesame seeds, certified by EU and USDA; sourced from southern Shan State villages with organic sesame from Kayah State farmers.
• Paline Organic Sesame Tea Paste 200g Ready-to-use organic fermented tea paste made with sesame, suitable as a condiment or dipping sauce for various dishes.
• Paline Organic Lemon Pepper Fermented Tea Paste 200g Organic fermented tea paste with lemon pepper flavour, made with organic lemon pepper, garlic and chilli sourced from Kayah State farmers.
• Paline Organic Sour & Spicy Fermented Tea Paste 200g Organic fermented tea paste with signature sour-spicy flavour made with organic chilli and garlic.
• Paline Organic Ginger Fermented Tea Leaves 200g Organic fermented tea leaves with ginger, positioned for health benefits including nausea relief and menstruation pain relief.
• Paline Assorted Mixed Beans, Nuts & Seeds 170g Organic snack mix containing almond seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, chickpeas, walnuts, cashew nuts and sliced fried garlic, marketed for protein content and health benefits.
• Shu-Shae Sour & Spicy Fermented Tea Leaves Original flavour fermented tea created in 2001, featuring sour and spicy taste. Contains tea leaf, carambola, tamarind leaf, chilli, and garlic; holds 80% of Myanmar's market share.
• Zayan Fermented Tea Leaves Subtler flavoured fermented tea made with leaves from northern Shan State farms, bundled with assorted fried beans and vinegar.
• Gin-Mwe Ginger Fermented Tea Leaves Fermented tea leaves with ginger flavour, marketed for natural remedy benefits including nausea relief and menstruation pain relief.
• Shan Shwe Taung Assorted Fried Beans 320g Fried bean mix containing flat bean, butter bean, green bean, cashew nut, sesame seed, peanut and sunflower oil, designed to add crunchy texture to fermented tea dishes.
• Raw Fermented Tea Leaves Pure fermented tea leaves without additional flavourings, picked from northern Shan State plantations, delivering natural authentic tea flavour.
• Paline Limited Edition Gift Box for Thadingyut Premium gift set containing Paline organic tea with health beans, nuts and seeds, packaged in a handmade bamboo hamper with natural betel leaf spoons and 100% cotton napkin.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% market share in Myanmar for fermented tea products
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered support, core and minor.

• AIA Insurance GroupsupportOthers · 1 February 2021Partnership with AIA, the largest independent pan-Asian life insurance group, to provide emergency health care insurance for staff during COVID-19 pandemic (February 2021 to February 2022).
• Helvetas MyanmarcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partnership through Market System Development project and BioTrade initiative. Helvetas provides invaluable support with sponsorship, organic training, skills development, and helps achieve internationally recognized sustainability standards. Through their support, company has successfully achieved EU and USDA organic certification, GMP and HACCP standards.
• Yathar WathicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Sister company established by Myo Win Aung to facilitate distribution of MTLC's organic tea leaf products domestically and undertake exports to international markets.
• Desmond Tan / Burma SuperstarcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Desmond Tan, owner of Burma Superstar award-winning Burmese restaurants in USA, partnered with Myanmar Tea Leaf after searching for quality fermented tea since 2012. The partnership involves exporting around 20 tonnes of Paline organic fermented tea annually to Burma Superstar restaurants. Joint efforts also include creating organic plantations and supporting farmers with certification costs.
• Nelson Rweel / Tea-Growing AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Nelson Rweel from Myanmar's tea-growing association, who grew up in Namhsan township in Shan State, became key partner in unlocking lahpet (fermented tea) mystery and establishing organic tea sourcing.
• Ta'ang Teaworld / Shwe Pan Law Co. LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Ta'ang Teaworld, represented by Ko Tun Myaing, partnered with Myanmar Tea Leaf CEO Myo Win Aung to visit Zayan tea plantations in Namsan Township and address challenges with organic knowledge, infrastructure, and regional instability for tea leaf export.
• Myanmar Tea Cluster (MTC)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Myanmar Tea Cluster formed to align with international standards, with 30 executive members representing over 30,000 tea farmers. Myo Win Aung and wife Khin Yupar Aye became active members to improve the tea value chain.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Yogi Tea: Organic wellness-focused tea brand with functional/herbal positioning. Comparable as an organic-certified, wellness-positioned specialty tea brand targeting health-conscious consumers in international markets.
• Traditional Medicinals: Organic herbal tea and wellness company with strong therapeutic positioning. Comparable as a certified-organic herbal/wellness tea brand selling across US natural food and specialty retail channels.
• Rishi Tea & Botanicals: Direct-trade organic tea and botanicals importer with strong origin and sustainability narrative. Comparable as a specialty organic tea company emphasizing sourcing integrity, similar to Myanmar Tea Leaf's own-farm and contract-farmer story.
• The Republic of Tea: Specialty premium tea brand curating unique varietals and flavors. Comparable as a curated specialty tea brand focused on premium pricing and distinctive single-origin/specialty tea experiences.
• Numi Tea: Premium organic and fair-trade certified tea company. Comparable as a premium organic-certified tea brand with strong sustainability and certification narrative, similar to Myanmar Tea Leaf's Paline positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Tata Consumer Products: Owner of Tata Tea, Tetley, and other tea brands globally. Comparable as a large incumbent tea company operating across multiple price tiers and geographies with branded CPG tea products.
• Bigelow Tea: Third-generation American family-owned tea company with broad specialty tea portfolio. Comparable as a family-controlled specialty tea manufacturer serving both mass-market and premium organic segments.
• ITO EN: Largest Japanese tea manufacturer and Asia-Pacific tea incumbent with broad RTD, bottled, and packaged tea portfolio. Comparable as a vertically integrated tea manufacturer targeting both domestic and international markets with branded tea products.
• Hain Celestial Group: Parent of Celestial Seasonings, Traditional Medicinals, and other natural/organic tea and wellness beverage brands. Comparable as a specialty organic/natural CPG tea platform with premium positioning and certification-led marketing.
• Twinings (Associated British Foods): Heritage tea brand owned by AB Foods with global distribution. Comparable as an established branded tea company exporting to multiple international markets across mass and premium tiers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/myanmartealeaf
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/myanmar-tea-leaf

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Myanmar Tea Leaf