Early on in my enterprise lag, because the founding father of OMGTea, I turn into invited to note for the BBC TV programme Dragons’ Den. It felt handle a sparkling, albeit very provoking, opportunity.
It turn into 2018. The worldwide matcha market turn into already valued at £2 billion and it turn into anticipated to lengthen all without prolong. I turn into hopeful that the Dragons may possibly well well be excited to salvage on the pattern early, and supply me with the angel investment I wished to grow the emblem.
However what appears glaring to me now, and did all these years within the past, turn into not without prolong misplaced on the millionaires within the room that day at BBC Studios. When it came to the tip of the questioning, not one amongst the Dragons talked about yes.
As I walked to the dangle, I endure in mind my knees had been shaking. However I develop mediate that being rejected by the Dragons turn into a truly significant step in OMGTea’s lag.
The Matc-aha moment
The enterprise conception for OMG Tea came in 2009, following my mum’s breast cancer diagnosis. It came as a wide shock to the family. Extra than 14 years since that day, I will nonetheless endure in mind the feeling of disbelief, rapidly followed by ache, when she told me.
When anyone you fancy is recognized with a lifestyles-threatening illness, you feel powerless. My have manner of coping turn into to dangle a job at Step forward Breast Cancer, and begin running their charity allure. It turn into there that the study director, Professor Michael Lisanti, launched me to some charming study on the vitality of antioxidants.
I knew inexperienced tea turn into high in antioxidants, so I wished Mum to drink the form with doubtlessly the most extremely efficient proportion. As I discovered, this turn into matcha.
After sourcing a high grade matcha without prolong from Japan, Mum and I started ingesting it collectively every single day. We felt mountainous. No longer handiest thanks to the bodily advantages, however on fable of we had been taking some control attend and doing something determined.
I turn into so passionate about matcha that, in 2014, I based OMGTea. A twelve months later, I based The Wholesome Existence Basis, a charity that funds study into age associated illness.
I’m committed to spreading the note about matcha and its many advantages. So powerful so, I signed as a lot as – and turn into authorized to appear on – Dragon’s Den in 2018.
Entering the Den
The system of filming with the Dragons turn into exhausting. I went head-to-head with the panel to dangle a have a examine to trusty a £50,000 investment for 7% of my firm. I fought my manner thru over an hour of challenges and thorny questions throughout the pitch assembly.
Deborah Meaden questioned me about the hyperlinks between matcha’s nicely being advantages and my private experience, and I turn into happy to lengthen on that in a entire bunch detail.
It turn into a not easy course of however additionally extremely precious in negate to chat about our OMGTea products and a purpose market that felt handle it turn into about to dangle off.
However as it turn into out, matcha tea turn into nonetheless a fairly unknown product within the UK. Three of the five dragons weren’t attentive to what it turn into. So it turn into a gargantuan expose to demand them to invest in a enterprise that specialised in a product they had been queer with.
Whereas I will also simply not have walked away with the investment, I turn into nonetheless confident in OMGTea. Funnily ample, having survived the den, I felt I could possibly well well develop anything and turn into intention more focused on the future.
Every lesson counts
If the Dragons didn’t know matcha then, they’re going to now. Since that programme aired, OMGTea has in actuality taken off. We promote on-line and in stores including Selfridges, Ocado, Harvey Nichols and Holland & Barrett and gross sales are anticipated to exceed £1m this financial twelve months.
In 2022, our AAA+ Natural Matcha turn into awarded the extremely coveted 3-Star Huge Style Award. Most not too prolonged within the past, in leisurely 2023, we gained investment from global Eastern tea firm Aiya. It turn into the first time the firm has invested in another tag in its 136 twelve months historical past.
We now have worked extremely racy correct thru the last ten years and in actuality feel honoured that Aiya sees not handiest how a long way now we have gotten attain however additionally the functionality for the emblem within the slay.
On the present time, OMGTea sources the finest quality Eastern matcha inexperienced tea. It is miles filled with nutrients and affords ‘dapper’ vitality with no jitters.
To the entire entrepreneurs accessible I’d enlighten, welcome opportunities after they arise. Even within the occasion that they don’t work out, you may possibly well study from the experience and attain out wiser on the opposite facet.
Katherine Swift, founding father of OMGTeas
Katherine Swift is the CEO and founding father of Brighton-based OMGTea which sells on-line and in stores including Selfridges and Holland & Barrett.