Teatis, low-sugar superfood powders developer for diabetics, closes seed round

Serial business owner Hiroshi Takatoh recognized the requirement for hassle-free and healthy food for seriously ill customers after losing his other half to cancer.

Takatoh founded Teatis, a plant-based sugar-blocking superfood powder for diabetic consumers, in 2017 in stealth mode and went totally operational in April 2021 by teaming up with a group of doctors and registered nutritional experts.

Teatis revealed today it has actually raised $700,000 in seed financing to advance its growth in the U.S. market. The seed money brings Teatis’ overall funding to more than $1million.

The seed round was led by Genesia Ventures, Ryo Ishizuka (previous CEO and co-founder of Japanese e-commerce business Mercari) and Takuya Noguchi (CEO and creator of Japan’s skincare brand name BULK HOMME). Seven other angel financiers likewise participated in the seed funding.

Teatis will use the seed cash for production and marketing in the U.S., where 122 million pre-diabetics and diabetics continue to work for prevention and treatment against diabetes, CEO and co-founder of Teatis Hiroshi Takatoh informed TechCrunch. The business is now focusing on the U.S. market, where its production is located, while its next financing, a Series A, is set for next year, Takatoh added.

“Most of our customers, about 88%, are diabetics, and our dish is built to help diabetics handle their blood glucose. An incredible number of Americans suffer from diabetes, and there is substantial demand for diabetic-friendly foods that are healthy, practical and hassle-free,” Takatoh said.

Teatis develops a supplement for all customers thinking about low-sugar foods, along with pre-diabetics, Takatoh stated. Teatis’ plant-based powder does not consist of sweeteners or chemicals but includes a special Japanese component such as brown seaweed extract (Arame) that is proven to suppress the absorption of sugar from the digestive system and minimize blood sugar level levels. The low-sugar powder can be made into teas, lattes or added to shakes.

The U.S. meal placement market size for diabetes is approximated at$5 billion, while the U.S. consumer packaged foods market for diabetes is roughly$300 billion, Takatoh stated.

“We combine food science and innovation to solve problems for diabetics through food and telehealth,”Takatoh stated. With its plan on constructing out a comprehensive one-stop purchase diabetic health, Teatis will launch a Registered Dietitian platform, Teatis RD on Demand, this month, to use a complete such as food products, telehealth and dishes, for those fighting diabetes.

Teatis RD as needed will supply private, 1-on-1 sessions with signed up dietitians. It will begin at $29 per thirty minutes, which is a lowered cost, versus traditional offline appointments that cost $150 per 30 minutes, and Teledoc, which costs $90 per 30 minutes, according to Takatoh.

“Many existing players in the area are old business that don’t have digital competency and data-driven production approaches. Mr. Takatoh is a proven serial business owner with the qualities and boldness to take over the market…… I’m thrilled to see how Teatis’ fantastic concepts and products will assist lots of people who are struggling with diabetes and other persistent illness in the future,” Genesia Ventures Investment Supervisor Shunsuke Sagara said.