New Suzhou Brand Hits 100M+ RMB Funding with Only 3 Stores. Who Are They?

New Tea Brand SHANYE Launches with 7,000Daily Sales Per Store,Secures 7,000 Daily Sales Per Store, Secures 7,000 Daily Sales Per Store, Secures 14M+ in Funding

With just three stores open for two weeks, a new tea brand from Suzhou, SHANYE Tea, is already generating daily revenues of nearly ¥50,000 (approx. $7,000 USD) per location.

What's more, the company's co-founder, Lu Xiao, confirms the project has already secured over ¥100 million (approx. $14 million USD) in funding. This massive financial backing for a brand in its infancy signals a powerful new contender in the competitive global tea market. So what makes SHANYE Tea stand out?

A Winning Start in a Crowded Market

Launched in mid-April in prime locations in Suzhou and Nanjing, SHANYE Tea immediately attracted long lines and massive attention. The brand's instant popularity, with over 2,000 cups sold daily per store, is remarkable in a market filled with innovative tea brands.

Established in late 2024, SHANYE Tea’s mission is clear: to seek out the world's finest teas and build a globally recognized beverage brand.

According to co-founder Lu Xiao, the concept was born from a fundamental question: what is the essence of modern tea? "Our goal is to gather the best ingredients and tea cultures from around the globe, craft them into a perfect cup of milk tea, and take that product to the world," he explains.

The brand's unique selling proposition is its intense focus on the "return to tea," using leaves of a quality typically reserved for premium, pure-tea brewing. Customer feedback praises the drinks for having a strong, rich tea flavor without any bitterness, leaving a clean and refreshing finish.

Reinventing Milk Tea for the Next 30 Years

While many new-style tea brands have moved away from the term "milk tea," SHANYE Tea is embracing it. Lu believes that from a consumer perspective, whether it's a traditional boba tea or a modern créma tea, "it's all milk tea."

SHANYE aims to "remake milk tea" by shifting the focus back to the core ingredient: the tea itself.

"Our primary category is fresh-brewed milk tea made with whole tea leaves," Lu notes. He sees this "light" or premium milk tea as the natural, healthier evolution of the category. "We believe it will eventually capture 70% of the milk tea market," he predicts. "This upgraded version of milk tea isn't at its peak yet—it has at least another 30 years of growth ahead."

The "National Geographic of Milk Tea"

To deliver on its promise, SHANYE Tea is sparing no expense on ingredients.

• Exceptional Tea: Its signature "Xizi Biluochun" uses a custom-ordered Biluochun green tea grown in a unique microclimate, delivering notes of orchid and sweet fruit. Another popular drink uses high-altitude rock tea. All teas are naturally scented with real flowers and fruits—no artificial flavorings are ever used.
• Premium Ingredients: The brand uses top-tier A2 fresh milk and 100% HPP natural fruit juices instead of concentrates, aligning with modern consumer demands for health and quality.

Lu Xiao summarizes the brand's ambitious vision: "We are on a mission to find the best teas from mountain to sea. We want to be the National Geographic of the milk tea world." This includes showcasing China's six major tea types to a global audience and bringing unique international tea cultures—like the spice-infused tea from the Middle East—back to China.

An "Over-Staffed" Team Built for Hyper-Growth

With a clear direction, SHANYE Tea is accelerating its expansion at an incredible pace. To support its global ambitions, the company has built a structure far beyond its current size.

• A Powerhouse Team: With only three stores currently open, the company headquarters already employs a full team of over 70 professionals across R&D, operations, marketing, and finance.
• National Network: The company has already established 8 regional branch offices in key provinces across China, each empowered to make local decisions and drive regional growth.
• Immediate Global Expansion: SHANYE Tea is not waiting to go international.
  

The company plans an aggressive rollout of both company-owned and franchised stores, aiming for several hundred global locations by the end of the year.

While the tea market is more competitive than ever, SHANYE Tea's immense funding, clear vision, and powerful operational structure make it a brand to watch. With a focus on quality and a plan for massive scale, it may very well become a new global ambassador for Chinese tea culture.