PerfectTed (www.perfectted.com) is led by entrepreneurs, housemates and best friends, Marisa Poster and brothers Teddie and Levi Levenfiche. Together they created Europe's first matcha green tea-powered canned energy drink, which is launched into 1200 Tesco stores on the 27th February in single cans (RRP from £1.75) [also included in the Tesco Meal Deal] and on the 13th March in new four-can multipacks (RRP £6.00). 2023 also sees the ambitious trio take on the Dragons' Den, with their episode airing on Thursday, 2nd March 2023. Watch now on iPlayer catchup, tune in at 43:45 to get right to the pitch.

Despite battling difficult conditions, the team had just five days to prepare, and Teddie was dealing with a nasty bout of glandular fever, PerfectTed relished their time on Dragons' Den. We see the university friends, roommates and now business partners, Marisa and Teddie build up their positive energy to take on the Dragons. Marisa says, “There's a massive opportunity in the natural energy drinks sector, and we want to ride the wave and be at the forefront”. The young friends, both aged 25, began by asking for £50,000 for a 5% stake in their business.

Chief Energy Officer, Marisa took on the pitch, “For years I've struggled with ADHD and anxiety, which was particularly challenging while studying at university in the US. I would consume copious amounts of coffee and energy drinks to help me get through the long study days. But the caffeine gave me jitters, crashes and exacerbated by anxiety symptoms. That's when I discovered matcha, a powdered Japanese green tea that offers slow-release energy. I was hooked, so naturally I recommended it to everyone, including Teddie who at the time was studying to go to law school.”

Teddie adds, “We found a massive barrier for people switching to matcha was its umami flavour and the time it took to prepare. So, when Marisa moved to London last year, we quit our jobs in finance and created an on-the-go solution – the UK's first matcha-powered energy drinks flavoured with real fruit, so that everyone else could feel as amazing as we did. Our drinks will keep you energised for twice as long, improve your focus and give you the antioxidants you need to look as young as Steven” …Cue lots of protests from the Dragons! Teddie continues, “We launched the brand last year”, Marisa explains, “and in just seven months we've landed on shelves across 450 Holland & Barrett stores nationwide, Planet Organic, and excitingly, have a grocery listing in the US. We hope you'll join us on this journey of fuelling happy feelings.”

We see the Dragons try the drinks, Marisa also showcases PerfectTed's ceremonial grade matcha powder, from Uji Japan. Steven Bartlett is the first to tee off questions, discovering the pair's young age and questioning their funding. To date £245,000 investment has been raised, £120,000 in director's loans and £125,000 in family loans. Marisa explains their long-term goal to Steven, “We hope to become a household brand across several different countries, especially the UK.”

Deborah Meaden and the Dragons have seen the huge rise in the number of kombucha brands, and with Deborah even getting her kombucha from her milkman, she asks the team why she would switch to matcha; Marisa explains, “You would probably try it as a complement because kombucha targets different things. For matcha, we're specifically looking to the benefits of caffeine and L-theanine and how it's able to enhance mental cognition and give you energy for a longer period of time than coffee or other energy drinks, as well as for that antioxidant boost.”

Sara Davies comments, “I have sampled in detail all of these drinks and can confirm, I categorically like all three of them … You've come in here with an absolutely brilliant product. You two are fantastic and I think if there was ever a case study on how to come into the Den and knock it out of the park, you would absolutely epitomise that.”

Steven Bartlett adds, “Once in a while you have entrepreneurs come into the Den that you just have a huge degree of admiration for, and the journey you're on as young entrepreneurs is a similar journey that I've been on as well.”

Four Dragons decided to offer all of the money for 10% of the business, Deborah undercut with an offer of £50,000 for 7.5% of the business. Overwhelmed by the positive feedback, Teddie says, “I grew up watching the show and I said to my dad that one day I would be on the show.” Steven retorted, “Same!”. After their clean sweep and a chat at the wall, PerfectTed accepted offers from Steven Bartlett and Peter Jones for 5% each for £25,000 each.

Co-Founder Marisa Poster comments, “Being chosen to be featured on Dragons' Den early into our journey as a business, and ultimately securing five offers, high-profile investment and mentorship is testament to the crucial need that PerfectTed fulfils; the exposure is timed perfectly with our launch to 1,200 Tesco stores, and the iconic Tesco Meal Deal, making our natural energy readily accessible nationwide and marking yet more rapid growth for our business. In just 16 months, PerfectTed has gained listings in 3,000 distribution points, launched in nine countries, and is set to replace nearly 3.5 million unhealthy energy drinks per year with natural energy, powered by matcha. We're so grateful for the incredible support we've received from family, friends, and fans of PerfectTed.”

Dragon Steven Bartlett says, "I'm thrilled to support this incredible product and its visionary creators as they revolutionise the beverage industry with their unique blend of matcha and energy-boosting ingredients. PerfectTed is more than just a drink, it's a symbol of what can be achieved with creativity, determination, and a willingness to take risks. I am excited to see where this journey takes them and proud to be a part of their success story.”

View the episode online: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001jnkg/dragons-den-series-20-episode-9

ABOUT THE TEAM

Marisa Poster originally hails from New York City, the former Real Estate Private Equity Analyst at Starwood Capital Group gained her Bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania, Marisa gained her Master's degree in Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Management from Imperial Business School. Brothers Teddie and Levi Levenfiche were born and raised in Hampstead, Northwest London, they also attended UPenn, where they met and soon formed a strong friendship with Marisa. Teddie is a former Management Consultant at Bain & Company and a Division 1 college athlete. Levi is Head of Capital Raising for PropTech VC firm, Pi Labs and a former Division 1 college athlete.

The trio, who live together in London (“We're all best friends, the boys are brothers and Levi is my partner…It's like an episode of Friends!”, says Marisa), turned to matcha whilst working long hours in finance and never looked back. They would batch-make big jugs to get them through a busy week but needed a high quality on-the-go solution to stay energised. They tried the few matcha powders and drinks on the market, but the powders were grassy & bitter, and the drinks were full of additives and sweeteners, and used low-quality matcha. So, Marisa, Teddie and Levi set out to discover a better solution, after six months obsessively sourcing the highest quality organic, ceremonial grade matcha from farms across Uji, Japan, until they finally met their match. They wanted to find not just the best tasting and highest quality matcha but also sustainable farmers who treat their people and the environment well. In April 2021 the friends launched on Kickstarter and were 100% funded in under a day, having been selected by Kickstarter as a 'Project We Love'. Along came PerfectTed – fusing fresh fruit juice with matcha for a tasty and refreshing caffeine fix, with a stable energy peak.

Today, PerfectTed are building the world's largest natural energy and matcha brands. Having grown at an unprecedented scale by thinking outside of the box and executing to the highest-level, Founders Marisa, Levi and Teddie are building a team of rockstars, securing high profile investment and gaining listings at pace, even without a national sales team.

In just 16 months, PerfectTed has gained listings in ~3,000 distribution points, including 600 Holland & Barrett stores across the UK & Ireland, Selfridges, Planet Organic, Zapp, most major UK&I tech offices (Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, Amazon, etc.), Joe & the Juice, Blank Street Coffee, the sushi counters at M&S, Whole Foods Market and Dunnes, and many more. PerfectTed has launched in nine countries (across Hong Kong, Singapore, Ireland, UAE, France, Finland and Kuwait), including securing a listing with Erewhon (the flagship of Food & Beverage innovation in the US). And in February 2023, PerfectTed will be launching with one of the UK's largest grocers, Tesco.

From driving £200k in revenue in Year 1, PerfectTed are projecting a mighty £4 million in revenue in Year 2. PerfectTed are set to replace nearly 3.5million unhealthy energy drinks per year with their natural energy and an estimated 3.5million cans of PerfectTed are expected to be sold in 2023, that's seven cans sold every minute. Conservative forecasts based on existing accounts show 25x growth in 2023, PerfectTed's second full year of trading looks set to put them on course to challenge even the biggest names in energy.

ABOUT THE PRODUCTS

The first UK-based energy drink to win a Great Taste Award, PerfectTed Matcha Energy Drinks are available in three unique flavour combinations, combining matcha green tea, lightly sparkling water and real fruit juice. The range includes:

MATCHA GREEN TEA ENERGY – Pear Ginger

• This all-natural energy drink contains delightfully juicy pear, working in sweet harmony with a satisfying zing of ginger

MATCHA GREEN TEA ENERGY – Apple Raspberry (Great Taste Award winner)

• Enjoy mouth-watering, fresh-pressed green apples mixed perfectly with temptingly tangy and tart raspberries

MATCHA GREEN TEA ENERGY – Pineapple Yuzu

• PerfectTed has expertly blended citrusy fresh yuzu with punchy pineapple to create a ridiculously refreshing experience

Marisa, Teddie & Levi met at Ivy League college, University of Pennsylvania, and they all worked in finance upon graduating; demanding jobs and long hours meant they became reliant on coffee and energy drinks. But after the highs, came the jitters, anxiety and crashing lows, particularly for Marisa who manages ADHD and anxiety. They needed more from their pick-me-ups, so they turned to the superfood matcha, a powdered green tea offering longer-lasting, anxiety-reducing energy. They were obsessed. Wanting people to feel as great as they did, Teddie, Levi and Marisa created the most convenient way to consume matcha.

Ever-excellent Teddie was Head Boy at school in London, a college athlete at UPenn, on track to go into pro football when he forwent a spot at Harvard Law to pursue his start-up dream, and so, his nickname, “PerfectTed”, was the natural moniker for the friends' new business.

PerfectTed was created with a mission to transform the energy industry with delicious drinks, using simple, 100% natural ingredients with no additives, preservatives, or added sugar, just all-natural energy. Powered by organic, ceremonial grade matcha, an antioxidant-rich, Japanese matcha green tea, PerfectTed contains 80mg caffeine (equivalent to a Red Bull or small cup of coffee) and a more enduring and stable energy source.

Caffeine from green tea lasts 4-6 hours, versus 1-2 hours from coffee or other energy drinks; the l-theanine in matcha regulates the absorption of caffeine into the body, helping to avoid the jitters and post-caffeine crash, it also stimulates the production of serotonin, dopamine and alpha brain waves, which help you feel less anxious and more relaxed; matcha is rich in antioxidants, and has one of the highest concentrations of any plant-based food (50x that of spinach); the combination of l-theanine and caffeine is scientifically proven to improve focus.

Tesco Buyer, Libby Lee, says, “We're proud to announce the launch of PerfectTed Matcha Energy Drinks at Tesco in our Meal Deal and as a Multipack. We're excited to partner with PerfectTed in growing the natural energy category with a range of delicious drinks that put functionality and health first.” 

Marisa Poster adds, "PerfectTed is disrupting the high-growth energy drink market with an approachable brand and products that outperform on health, functionality, and flavour. We are thrilled to make matcha's superfood properties and longer-lasting energy more accessible in Tesco's iconic Meal Deal and in multipacks."

PerfectTed is the exclusive matcha partner for leading hospitality brands (such as Joe & The Juice, Blank St Coffee and 92 Degrees) to help bring matcha lattes to their menus, quickly becoming the UK's largest matcha brand as well as one of the UK's fastest growing drinks brands. The team source their single origin, organic, ceremonial grade matcha from Uji, Japan; this premium quality matcha has a sweet, umami flavour and bright green hue unlike poorer substitutes which can be bitter, grassy and insoluble. Find 30g pouches of matcha powder on the PerfectTed website (from £16), alongside a Matcha Starter Kit (£35), complete with 30g pouch, electric whisk, and stainless steel scoop.

PerfectTed offers the next generation in energy, with healthier, better-tasting, functional drinks, powered by matcha green tea; find it now at Holland & Barrett, Planet Organic, Zapp, Selfridges, M&S Mai Sushi Counters, Dunnes, major tech & finance offices, and find it in the Meal Deal fridges and drinks aisles of Tesco from February 2023. Tune in to BBC1 on Thursday 2nd March 2023 at 8pm to watch them take on the Dragons' Den.

NOTES TO EDITORS

PERFECTTED STOCKISTS

• Tesco from 27th February 2023; Pineapple Yuzu & Apple Raspberry in single cans and from March 13th Pineapple Yuzu multipacks and Apple Raspberry multipacks
• Holland & Barrett; Pineapple Yuzu & Pear Ginger
• Planet Organic; Pineapple Yuzu, Pear Ginger & Apple Raspberry
• M&S, Mai Sushi; Pineapple Yuzu, Pear Ginger & Apple Raspberry
• Whole Foods Market; Pineapple Yuzu, Pear Ginger & Apple Raspberry
• Zapp; Pineapple Yuzu, Pear Ginger & Apple Raspberry
• Dunnes Stores Ireland; Pineapple Yuzu, Pear Ginger & Apple Raspberry
• Offices & Universities including Google UK, Facebook UK, LinkedIn and Oxford University
• Hotels including Hotel Café Royal and Nomad London
• Restaurants & Cafés including Sunday in Brooklyn, Farm Girl, Joe & the Juice, l Arket, Blank Street Coffee, 92 Degrees
• Wholesale via Delicious Ideas, Mahalo, Wholefoods and CN Foods

PERFECTTED BENEFITS

• 100% Natural
• No Additives, Preservatives or Added Sugar
• Plant-Based
• 80mg caffeine per can (equivalent to one standard cup of coffee)
• Just 7kcals per 100ml
• Slow-release energy for better focus, reduced anxiety
• Antioxidant-rich vitality
• 1% for the Planet: PerfectTed donate 1% of sales to non-profits protecting our planet
• Certified Organic by Organic Farmers & Growers
• PerfectTed donates a portion of profits to support mental health charities

Instagram: www.instagram.com/perfecttedenergy

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@perfecttedenergy

Facebook: www.facebook.com/perfect.ted

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/perfectted

To request samples, images, or interviews, please contact Right Hand PR: Alex Godfrey: alex@right-hand.co // 07739 804 670