Taika, a US start-up which produces coffee infused with adaptogens, has raised $2.7 million in a seed funding round.
Founded in 2019 by two-time Finnish Champion barista Kal Freese and Facebook veteran Michael Sharon, Taika makes coffee using a patent-pending brewing process that reportedly allows precise control over its caffeine content.
The San Francisco-based brand also claims that its coffee, which contains a proprietary mix of plant- and mushroom-based adaptogens, delivers benefits such as clearer thinking and reduced stress. Taika’s offering is also said to be free from lactose and gluten, and is keto friendly.
This new round of investment was led by Kindred Ventures with participation from Obvious Ventures and World Champion Barista and author, James Hoffman.
“Nearly all of the current canned cold brew makers focus exclusively on the origin: where the beans come from and who roasted and brewed them,” said Taika co-founder, Sharon.
“Taika, however, is focused on the destination: how the coffee makes you feel. Our patent-pending brewing process and proprietary mix of FDA GRAS certified plant extracts and functional mushrooms mean no anxiety or jitters. Instead, Taika makes you feel awake, aware and inspired.”
Steve Jang, founder and managing partner at Kindred Ventures, added: “Taika is a new way to think about functional food. Through a unique mix of food science, provenance, and taste, as well as great branding and thoughtful community building, Michael and Kal are creating delicious food products that will boost one’s wellbeing.”
Having started by ‘reimagining coffee’, the company says that it plans on releasing a range of products in ‘a number’ of different categories in the future.
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