# Taika

> Taika is a San Francisco-based functional beverage company making ready-to-drink canned coffees and matcha lattes infused with adaptogens and functional mushrooms - ingredients like L-theanine, ashwagandha, and lion's mane - meant to deliver focused energy without the jitters or crash. Founded in 2019 by former Facebook engineer Michael Sharon and world-class barista Kalle Freese, the brand is plant-based and sweetened with monk fruit for zero added sugar. Its tagline, 'Feel Inspired, Not Wired,' captures the pitch: caffeine with calm, sold direct-to-consumer online and through retail.

- **Founded:** 2019
- **Headquarters:** San Francisco, California, United States
- **Founders:** Michael Sharon (Co-founder & CEO), Kalle Freese (Co-founder)
- **Team size:** ~43 employees
- **Products:** Matcha Latte, Macadamia Latte, Mocha Latte, Black Coffee, Oat Milk Latte
- **Notable:** Won BevNET's Best New Product 2024 for its Strawberry Matcha, Raised roughly $4.9M in seed funding across two rounds from investors including Obvious Ventures, Kindred Ventures and Human Ventures, Backed by notable angels including Walter Robb (former Whole Foods co-CEO), Ryan Tedder (One Republic), Sophia Amoruso and Alexia Brue

## Products & services

- **Matcha Latte** — Ready-to-drink canned matcha made with USDA organic ceremonial grade matcha and housemade macadamia milk, zero added sugar, blended with adaptogens.
- **Macadamia Latte** — Canned coffee latte with creamy housemade macadamia milk, described as 'like coffee ice cream, with zero sugar.'
- **Mocha Latte** — Decadent plant-based canned mocha with macadamia milk, adaptogens and functional mushrooms.
- **Black Coffee** — Straight canned black coffee - no sugar, no milk - with the adaptogen blend.
- **Oat Milk Latte** — Creamy oat milk canned coffee latte with adaptogens and zero added sugar.
- **Adaptogen Blend** — Proprietary functional stack across the line: caffeine, L-theanine, ashwagandha, lion's mane, reishi and cordyceps mushroom extracts, MCT oil and pea protein.

## Achievements

- Won BevNET's Best New Product 2024 for its Strawberry Matcha
- Raised roughly $4.9M in seed funding across two rounds from investors including Obvious Ventures, Kindred Ventures and Human Ventures
- Backed by notable angels including Walter Robb (former Whole Foods co-CEO), Ryan Tedder (One Republic), Sophia Amoruso and Alexia Brue
- Credited with pioneering the 'stealth health' movement in functional beverages
- Launched the first functional matcha latte made with macadamia milk

## Latest updates

- **2024-01** — Won BevNET Best New Product 2024 for Strawberry Matcha and expanded seasonal matcha SKUs.
- **2023-06** — Continued DTC and retail expansion of coffee and matcha lineup.
- **2021-08** — Launched functional Matcha Latte made with macadamia milk alongside a $2.2M raise led by Obvious Ventures.

## Links

- Website: https://taika.co
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/drinktaika
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/taikacoffee
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taika/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/drinktaika

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/taika
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-07-10