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The Ryl Company, owner of functional iced tea brand Ryl Tea, has secured $15m in Series B funding to fuel its innovation and expansion across the US.
The company, headquartered in New Jersey, US, was founded in 2022 by Blodin Ukella and Morgan Wallen. Its latest investment round will support enhanced marketing efforts and product development for Ryl Tea as it expands its presence nationwide.
The round follows a $7.5 million Series A round in early 2024, bringing the company’s total funding to $30 million in growth equity. In addition to support from the company’s board and chairman Leigh Feuerstein, the Series B round earned additional investment from major partners including Wallen, Get Engaged Media’s Cam Fordham, Austin Neal of Sticks Management and more.
Ryl Tea is described as a functional, ‘better-for-you’ iced tea brand that aims to redefine the RTD tea category, with ‘clean ingredients and purposeful wellness benefits’. Each bottle is sugar-free, contains less than five calories and no artificial ingredients.
At the core of each brew is the brand’s proprietary Antioxidant Superblend, crafted to deliver a source of vitamin C and a high concentration of naturally-occurring tea polyphenols. The tea is available in a range of flavours including peach, raspberry, green citrus and more, delivering a ‘health-forward’ twist on classic iced tea favourites.
With this round of funding, the brand plans to significantly expand its national footprint with increased distribution to over 40,000 stores by the end of 2025. Key retail distribution includes major chains like Walmart, Kroger, Albertsons, Costco, Publix, HEB, Meijer, 7-Eleven and other regional and national retailers.
Ryl has revealed it will also unveil its ‘most ambitious product yet’ next month (May 2025), an innovation that ties into a philanthropic initiative that the company said reflects its core values.
Chairman Feuerstein commented: “The Ryl Company is surging into an exciting phase of hyper-growth, and this capital raise will assist us in scaling to new heights, especially as we expand our retail presence and national distribution”.
“Under the direction of founder and CEO Blodin Ukella, the team’s deep connection with consumers has set the stage for great success. Blodin is a remarkable leader with a clear vision and indefatigable energy, and we're backing him with unbridled confidence in his ability to fuel Ryl’s expansion.”