Yerba mate company Guayaki has raised $75 million in a funding round, according to a January 13 SEC filing by the company. The filing reflects over half of the company’s $142.8 million offering amount in the equity fundraise, with $67.8 million remaining to be sold.
When Guayaki launched in 1996, it sought to educate mainstream consumers about the clean and natural benefits of plant-based energy with its line of yerba mate drinks. Now, 25 years later, they may be catching on. In recent months, the yerba mate category has seen an influx of attention and innovation from startups and strategics alike.
As outlined by co-founder David Karr, Guayaki eventual goal is complete self-distribution, to which the brand is over halfway there with approximately 10,000 accounts — or, “all of California and basically most of the U.S., outside of natural [retailers],” — serviced by a fleet of over 300 electric cars.
Guayaki co-founder David Karr emphasized that new investment from Sonoma Brands will allow the company to continue operating independently while supporting and enhancing the brand’s longstanding mission.
Although its co-founder said that Guayaki isn’t one of those brands trying to get into Target, with the launch of its new sparkling drink line, the yerba mate company may end up there anyway. Aiming to elicit greater trial and exposure of yerba mate among mainstream consumers Guayaki recently launched a line of sparkling yerba mate products in May. David Karr, the co-founder and vice president of marketing for Guayaki, said the line is the company’s “most successful product launch ever.”
New Line in Rexam 12 oz. SLEEK® Cans Brings Unique Energizing Ingredient to a Broader Range of Consumers CHICAGO, May 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Yerba Mate, the caffeine alternative with the “strength of coffee, the health benefits of tea and the euphoria of chocolate” is now available in a sparkling beverage. Guayaki Sparkling Yerba Mate […]
ON TOP Guayakí CEO Chris Mann will be presenting as part of a special session, Investing in the World’s Forests, during the Clinton Global Initiative’s Sixth Annual Meeting. The company was selected for presentation for the way it addresses the challenges of economic empowerment. Link The U.S. International Trade Commission has issued a general exclusion […]
ON TOP Sambazon announced the hiring of Greg Fleishman as its VP of Marketing. Fleishman was previously Chief Marketing Officer at Coke-owned Fuze Beverage and before that oversaw marketing for Kashi and two Kashi/Kellogg acquisitions, Bear Naked Granola and Stretch Island Fruit Co. ZICO Coconut Water has launched a new pineapple flavor, Pina Tropicale, in […]
ScienceDaily is reporting on a study of healthful antioxidant levels in commercial bottled tea beverages. According to the study, health-conscious consumers may not be getting healthful doses of the so-claled "poylphenols" that are reported to ward off a range of diseases. Scientists reported at the 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in […]
ON TOP New high-end DSD purveyor Green Shoots gets profiled on BevNET.com Link In an interview with PepsiCo social media director Bonin Bough, it appears that the company is prepared to learn — even from failure. Link ON THE SHELVES PURE SWISS comes now in sparkling. It will be sold in 1.0L and 0.5L glass […]
ON TOP America’s non-alcoholic beverage companies will put calorie information on the front of all their packages, vending machines and fountain machines, the American Beverage Association announced. Link Researchers from the University of Minnesota and the National University of Singapore have found that consuming two or more soft drinks a week can dramatically increase the […]
SEBASTOPOL, Calif., Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ — As America’s fascination with energy, superfoods and exotic ingredients grows, rainforest-grown yerba mate is quickly catching on as the newest organic and innovative beverage sensation to hit the market. Guayaki, a pioneer and leader in the yerba mate beverage category, is driving yerba mate into the mainstream in new […]
SEBASTOPOL, Calif., March 25 /PRNewswire/ — Guayaki, a leading creator of organic yerba mate beverages, today announced it is the first company in the world to offer fair trade certified yerba mate through the Institute for Marketecology’s (IMO) Fair for Life certification program. Through its efforts, Guayaki has become pioneers in the yerba mate industry […]
Sebastopol, California (May 28, 2008) – Guayaki has raised the bar in the beverage industry by offering functional organic drinks that are stimulating, refreshing, nourishing, and made with only pure natural ingredients. Pure Heart, a “Raspberry Revolution” blend, is Guayaki’s lastest addition to their award-winning line of Organic Yerba Mate Drinks. Pure Heart features invigorating […]
