Tamil Nadu Based Croft Beverages Raises $125K in Pre-Seed Funding

Croft Beverages, a farmer-focused sustainable tea firm has raised $125k in a pre-seed investment round. The prominent angel investors from the biotech, IT, sustainability, and tea sectors were leading the round.

The company will be using the money to establish its first mini-factory in Billicombai, close to Kotagiri, and demonstrate its farmer-owned FPC model with immediate success. Out of 25 small farmers, each mini factory immediately produces entrepreneurs and triples their earnings. Before 2030, the firm hopes to establish a network of more than 100 micro farmers' owned factories in order to duplicate this achievement and scale a distinct category of sustainable and traceable Nilgiris Tea.

Under its "direct from origin" business model, the company has established important alliances with some of the top brands in the nation with strategic initiatives like 100% "farm to cup" traceability and best-in-class agronomy.  Croft is currently planning on establishing the following three farmer-owned factories in 2025 after the first batch of tea produced by the farmers' factory sold out.

 “With our tea, every sip tells a story. At Croft, farmers aren’t just growers- they are owners, running their own mini-factories. From their fields to your cup, we bring tea that’s honest, traceable and fair. For brands and buyers, it’s unmatched transparency; for farmers It’s prosperity. Together we’re brewing a tea revolution, one sip at a time,” said Harish Kannan, Founder of Croft Beverages (IIM-B alumnus and ex-Business head at Olam Coffee).