In a Pre-Seed funding round, Croft Beverages, a farmer-focused sustainable tea startup, raised $125,000 using a combination of debt and equity. Prominent angel investors from the biotech, IT, tea, and sustainability sectors spearheaded the investment round.

According to a press release from Croft, the additional funding will be used for its farmer-owned FPC model, which will begin with the company's first mini-factory in Billicombai, close to Kotagiri.

Croft Beverages was founded in 2021 by Harish Kannan with the goal of developing a sustainable model to enhance the standard of living for small-scale tea growers.

The platform aims to produce tea that is ethically sourced, transparent in trade, and can be traced back to its origins, thereby transforming the lives of farmers. It aims to empower over 3,000 small farmers in the Nilgiris region and create a network of more than 100 farmer-owned mini-factories by 2030.

According to the Tamil Nadu-based company, Croft has established significant alliances with several of the top brands in the nation under its "direct from origin" model thanks to strategic initiatives like 100% "farm-to-cup" traceability and best-in-class agronomy. After the farmers' factory's first batch of tea was completely sold out, Croft is currently preparing to open three more farmer-owned factories by 2025.

According to Croft, every mini-factory instantly transforms 25 small farmers into business owners, tripling their revenue.