It seems like Ecommerce 101, but for André Fasciola, it was essential: nab that domain name. Fasciola says his Matcha Kari co-founder, Andrew Weil, wouldn’t get into the business without matcha.com.
But when Fasciola first looked into it, matcha.com was loaded with pictures of a single cat. It took 2 years to nail down, but the domain lends credibility and strength in the market. Having matcha.com is like being “the internet’s official matcha representative,” Fasciola says.
Matcha Kari focuses on turning the matcha-curious into matcha maniacs. Fasciola found that it was very hard to find good matcha in the United States. So the company teamed up with award-winning farmers (who have been producing the tea since 1602) to bring the best across the ocean.
Podcasts have been key to acquiring customers, as well as strategic partnerships, a robust email business, and word of mouth. Up next: extending the company’s line into specialty categories like natural foods.
- Founders: André Fasciola and Andrew Weil
- Employees: 6
- Years in business: 2
- Cost to launch: $65k
- Funding methods: Personal savings, friends/family contributions
- 1st-year revenue: $147k
- Current annual revenue: $1.8m
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