D2C tea brand Esah Tea raises Rs 3cr in pre-series A round from NEDFI

Esah Tea, a D2C tea brand from artisanal small tea growers of Assam and Northeast, has raised Rs 3 core ($400,000) in its pre-series A round from NEDFI Venture Capital Ltd (NVCL). North East Venture Fund (NEVF), is a North East India focused Venture Fund and is a joint initiative of the Ministry of DoNER, NEDFI and SIDBI.

The company intends to utilise the funds in expanding the marketing and operations team. It will also use a part of the raised investment in developing new products, and launching brand stores in new geographies.

Esah is the first tea start-up from Assam to raise VC funding. The brand has earlier raised angel investment from SRD Group and Grant From Assam Startup & NEAT-E-Hub.

Started by a 26-Year-old Teapreneur from Mangaldoi, Esah Tea presents a range of single-origin organic tea blends that are carefully curated from over 150 local gardens and marginal tea growers.

Bijit Sarma, founder & CEO, ESAH Tea said, “The tea from India has always received a lot of acknowledgements in the domestic and international market. However, over the years, over-commercialization dented the authenticity of the product. Esah aims at reviving the same by empowering local small tea gardeners and delivering single-origin, Artisanal fresh teas. We are glad that our esteemed array of investors infused their trust into our business model.”

The brand currently offers a wide range of organic tea variants like Whole Leaf Black Tea, Green Tea, Oolong Tea, White Tea. It also offers an array of flavoured tea products - Organic Assam Masala Chai, Rose Black Tea, Lychee Black Tea, along with some popular blends including - English Breakfast Tea, Chamomile and Moringa Tea.

Currently, the startup is also delivering to more than 25+ countries through its own D2C online store.

“Esah is producing some world-class tea products. It is maintaining the organic quality which holds a strong market and loyal customer base. The brand has been performing well and appears promising in the longer run. The idea is to work towards holistic growth of the brand and revival of the industry at large,” said PVSLN Murty, chairman, NEDFi Ventures.

The brand is keen to convert 20000+ acres of land for organic tea cultivation, and onboard 1000+ local small tea growers by 2023.