The Ryl Company (the parent company of Ryl Tea, a rapidly growing brand reshaping the beverage industry) announced it has secured $15 million in Series B funding.
Launched in 2022 by beverage executive Blodin Ukella and well-known partner Morgan Wallen, this funding will accelerate Ryl Tea’s nationwide expansion, enhance marketing efforts, and support product innovation. This funding round follows a $7.5 million Series A in early 2024, bringing total funding to $30 million in growth equity.
Ryl Tea is a better-for-you iced tea brand redefining the ready-to-drink tea category with clean ingredients and purposeful wellness benefits. Each bottle of Ryl Tea contains zero sugar, fewer than five calories, and no artificial ingredients.
The beverage features the brand’s proprietary Antioxidant Superblend — an excellent source of vitamin C and a high concentration of naturally occurring tea polyphenols, known for their powerful antioxidant properties. And Ryl Tea is available in a range of nostalgic iced tea flavors, including Peach, Southern Sweet, Raspberry, Half & Half, Green Citrus, and more.
With this funding round, Ryl Tea is set to significantly expand its national footprint, increasing 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.
Along with support from the board and Feuerstein, The Ryl Company’s Series B funding round saw additional investment from major partners, including Wallen, Get Engaged Media’s Cam Fordham, Alex Dermer, Ben Hiott, Austin Neal of Sticks Management and Seth England of Big Loud Records, further reinforcing Ryl Tea’s cultural and industry connections.
As Ryl Tea expands the retail and distribution footprint, the company is rapidly supporting its internal team to keep pace. In just a year, the team has grown from nine employees in 2023 to 39 in 2024, with plans to surpass 100 by the end of 2025. And to support its ambitious growth strategy, the company is hiring across operations, marketing, sales and product development.
Ryl Tea is headed by a powerhouse management team with deep expertise in building and scaling category-defining beverage brands. Blodin Ukella, formerly Chief Strategy Officer of OWYN (recently acquired by The Simply Good Foods Company) and a former Data Scientist at Bai, offers strategic vision rooted in health-focused innovation. And he is joined by President Ken Kurtz, known for his major contributions as former President of Bai, which sold to Dr Pepper Snapple Group, and former SVP of Fiji Water, along with Chief Operating Officer Ruben Rafaeli, who previously served as COO of Crook & Marker and SVP of Operations at Bai. This accomplished leadership team is primed to drive Ryl Tea’s continued growth and success.
Ryl Tea’s growth is supported by a series of high-profile distribution deals secured in late 2024 with top-tier distributors across the nation. And this strategic expansion includes partnerships with industry leaders like Big Geyser in New York Metro and Polar Beverage in the Northeast, along with numerous powerhouse direct-store-delivery systems throughout the country. These alliances position Ryl Tea for advanced market penetration and widespread availability, ensuring consumers everywhere have access to its better-for-you iced tea offerings.
KEY QUOTES:
“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.”
- Chairman of The Ryl Company Leigh Feuerstein
“I’ve been a believer in Ryl Tea from the beginning and keep them stocked at home and while touring out on the road. It’s exciting to see the brand continue to expand and grow, and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
- Morgan Wallen, brand partner and major investor who helped bring the brand to mass awareness over the last two years
“This round isn’t just a financial milestone — it’s a signal of confidence in our mission, our momentum and our belief that Ryl Tea is on track to redefine what a modern beverage brand can be. We are in the ‘leap’ phase of our business journey — scaling rapidly with new distribution channels, exciting marketing initiatives and product development. This investment will help us expand our offerings and expand our distribution by 4x, all while maintaining the same level of quality and commitment to our customers’ health and well-being.”
- Blodin Ukella
