Tealife

What Tealife does

Tealife Pte. Ltd. is a Singapore-based, founder-owned e-commerce retailer founded in 2018 that imports and sells authentic Japanese green tea, matcha, and handcrafted tea tools directly to consumers worldwide via japanesetea.sg, with a separate US storefront at tealifeshop.com launched in July 2025. Its catalog spans loose-leaf green teas (Sencha, Fukamushi-Sencha, Gyokuro, Houjicha, Genmaicha, Kukicha, Tamaryokucha, Konacha), ceremonial and culinary matcha from third-party brands including Marukyu Koyamaen, Ippodo, Taniguchien, and Kawahara Seicha, plus an in-house SEN Matcha blend. Tea tools (Chasen whisks, Chawan bowls, Kyusu teapots, Hario glassware, Chikusendo whisks) round out a single integrated storefront built on BigCommerce.

The company monetizes primarily through one-time unit sales ranging roughly S$20-S$500+, with wholesale pricing (transaction-based, quote-driven) for B2B food-service and corporate gifting customers, including white-label solutions using SEN Matcha and Hojicha Powder. Retention is driven by two loyalty programs — Japanese Tea Travelers (monthly free curated samples, started November 2022) and Matcha Miles (rewards plus Refer-a-Friend, launched October 2024) — and a content-led GTM in which the founder-authored Japanese Tea-pedia and YouTube series (Behind The Leaves, Overbrewed) drive organic discovery. Operationally Tealife is small and founder-led: only the founder/CEO (Yuki Ishii) and a customer support/community manager are named, with no external funding or parent company disclosed.

Name

Tealife

Legal name

TeaLife Pte. Ltd.

Website

https://japanesetea.sg

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Tealife is a Singapore-based, founder-owned e-commerce retailer founded in 2018 that sells authentic Japanese green tea, matcha, and handcrafted tea tools to global consumers via japanesetea.sg, with a parallel US site (tealifeshop.com) and a B2B wholesale channel for cafés, bakeries, and corporate gifting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Tea Retail

NAICS

Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

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

Keywords

• Japanese green tea
• Matcha powder
• Tea accessories
• Tea wholesale supply
• Specialty tea retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Singapore

HQ country

Singapore

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Product Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of Japanese tea products including matcha, green tea, and tea tools through their e-commerce platform. Products are sold as one-time purchases with prices ranging from approximately S$20 to S$500+ depending on product type and quantity.
2. Wholesale/Bulk Orders: B2B wholesale supply to cafés, restaurants, bakeries, gelato shops, corporate gifting companies, and event organizers. They offer retail-ready items (10+ pieces) at wholesale pricing and larger bulk packagings with made-to-order options. Supports white-label solutions using their SEN Matcha and Hojicha Powder blends.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Tealife is a Singapore-based e-commerce retailer that imports and sells authentic Japanese green tea, matcha, and hand-crafted tea tools to consumers worldwide. The company sources products directly from established Japanese tea producers including Marukyu Koyamaen and operates a B2B wholesale program supplying matcha and green tea to cafes, restaurants, bakeries, and corporate gifting clients.

Product overview

Tealife is an e-commerce retailer of authentic Japanese tea and tea accessories, operating as a single unified online store with multiple product categories. The core offerings include Green Tea (Sencha, Fukamushi-Sencha, Gyokuro, Houjicha, Genmaicha, Kukicha/Karigane, Tamaryokucha, Konacha), Matcha (ceremonial, decaf, culinary grades), and Tea Tools (Chasen whisks, Chawan bowls, Kyusu teapots, tea caddies). The company carries third-party Japanese brands including Marukyu Koyamaen, Taniguchien, Kawahara Seicha, Ippodo, Suikaen, Hario, and Koudoen, while also offering house brand products like SEN Matcha and Houjicha Powder. A wholesale program serves B2B customers, and a free Japanese Tea Travelers loyalty program provides monthly curated teas. The business differentiates through direct sourcing relationships with Japanese tea producers and educational content via The Japanese Tea-pedia resource.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SEN Matcha: In-house matcha blend designed for latte lovers, sourcing different cultivars from across Japan with a smooth, roasty profile and deeper umami presence. Named after the Japanese legend of the Thousand Cranes.
• Matcha Miles
• Japanese Tea Travelers

Products and services

• Green Tea Collection Loose leaf Japanese green tea assortment including Sencha, Fukamushi-Sencha, Gyokuro, Houjicha, Genmaicha, Kukicha/Karigane, Tamaryokucha, Konacha, and teabags, sourced directly from Japanese producers across multiple tea-growing regions.
• Matcha Collection Premium matcha powder in ceremonial, decaf, culinary, and gift set varieties featuring brands such as Marukyu Koyamaen, Ippodo, Yamamasa Koyamaen, and Tealife's house blend SEN Matcha.
• Tea Tools Collection Hand-crafted Japanese tea accessories including Chasen (bamboo whisks), Chawan (matcha bowls), Chazutsu and Natsume (tea caddies), Kyusu (teapots), Chashaku (tea scoops), and cold-brew bottles from brands such as Suikaen, Chikusendo, and Hario.
• SEN Matcha Tealife's in-house ceremonial grade matcha blend made from Japanese-grown tea leaves, named after the Japanese legend of the Thousand Cranes. Designed for both pure matcha drinking and latte preparation, with a smooth, roasty profile and deeper umami.
• Japanese Tea Travelers Program Free monthly loyalty program where members automatically receive additional pouches of curated tea from different Japanese tea-producing areas and cultivars, allowing customers to explore Japanese tea varieties monthly.
• Matcha Wholesale B2B bulk supply program offering retail-ready matcha items (minimum 10+ pieces), larger bulk packaging, and white-label solutions using SEN Matcha and Hojicha Powder house blends for cafes, restaurants, bakeries, gelato shops, corporate gifting firms, and event organizers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100,000+ servings of matcha supplied to cafés, restaurants, and bakeries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Marukyu KoyamaencoreTechnology or IntegrationRenowned Japanese matcha producer based in Uji, Kyoto. Tealife is the only retailer in Singapore carrying Marukyu Koyamaen Matcha. Products include Unkaku, Kinrin, Wakou, Chigi No Shiro, Aoarashi, Seijo-no-shiro, Kiun, Wakatake, and Hatsu No Mori matcha varieties. Winner of #1 Matcha of Japan 2020.
• Taniguchien (Marukou Taniguchien)coreTechnology or IntegrationEstablished Japanese tea producer supplying various green teas including Sencha, Gyokuro, Houjicha, Karigane, and Genmaicha. Products include Eighty-Eighth Night Tea, Matsujirushi Sencha, Takejirushi, Umejirushi varieties.
• Kawahara SeichacoreTechnology or IntegrationJapanese tea producer from Ise, in business since 1883, specializing in Fukamushi-Sencha. Supplies Ryoku-sai, Kou-un, Hou-un deep steamed sencha varieties and Fukamushi-Gyokuro products.
• IppodomajorTechnology or IntegrationPremium Japanese tea brand. Tealife stocks Ippodo matcha varieties including Ikuyo-no-mukashi, Wakaki-shiro, Hatsu Mukashi, Ummon-no-mukashi, Sayaka-no-mukashi, and Kan-no-shiro. Brought back in stock in April 2025 after being out of stock.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Bird Pick Tea & Herb: Asia-based (Thailand) specialty tea ecommerce retailer shipping loose-leaf and premium teas regionally. Comparable curation-led ecommerce model serving Asian tea drinkers, with some overlap in matcha-adjacent assortment.

Direct peers

• Yunomi.life: Online specialty retailer of Japanese teas (matcha, sencha, gyokuro, hojicha) shipping globally from Japan. Directly comparable to Tealife as a DTC Japanese tea ecommerce business targeting international tea enthusiasts.
• Ippodo Tea: Historic Japanese tea brand (founded 1717) operating its own global DTC ecommerce for matcha, sencha, and gyokuro. Tealife actually stocks Ippodo products, but Ippodo is the most direct comparable as a vertically-aligned Japanese tea brand with international ecommerce.
• Jade Leaf Matcha: US-based DTC matcha brand with strong ecommerce presence and direct-from-Japan sourcing story. Closest US-market comparable to Tealife's premium matcha positioning and a likely competitor in the new US storefront.
• Den's Tea: Direct-from-Japan online retailer specializing in matcha, sencha, and gyokuro with worldwide shipping. Overlaps with Tealife on premium Japanese green tea assortment and global DTC positioning.
• Kettl Tea: Specialty Japanese tea importer and DTC retailer offering single-origin Japanese green teas and matcha with a strong focus on education and sourcing transparency. Highly comparable curation-led, content-supported model.
• Hibiki-an: Uji-based Japanese green tea retailer shipping premium matcha, sencha, and gyokuro worldwide via DTC ecommerce. Comparable to Tealife in product mix (Japanese green tea) and global shipping model.
• Ocharaka: Japanese tea ecommerce retailer offering matcha, sencha, gyokuro, and hojicha with international shipping. Comparable product depth and DTC model targeting global Japanese tea enthusiasts.

Others

• Marukyu Koyamaen: Renowned Japanese matcha producer and Tealife's key supplier. Listed as a peer because, as a producer with growing DTC channels internationally, it represents a potential upstream competitive threat as well as a current supply partner.

Broad incumbents

• Harney & Sons: Established US specialty tea brand with broad portfolio across black, green, herbal, and Japanese teas sold DTC and wholesale. Larger incumbent with overlapping Japanese tea assortment but wider category scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCpa0cbq1HDefSk4MHgSNqkQ
• Instagraminstagram.com/tealifesg
• Xx.com/Tealife11
• Facebookfacebook.com/tealifesg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Tealife