Dealing with manufacturing issues really early on, we have an amazing partner but sometimes you can’t get ingredients or there is a fire in the factory, which we genuinely had a week before we were meant to go into our first-ever production round. JD: A fire in the factory? Speaking to The Mirror, the group shared what they believe helped them in the Den, and secrets of the show viewers might be unaware of - including the very short notice they had. 'We were told only five days in advance'

PerfectTed led by entrepreneurs, housemates and best friends, Marisa Poster and brothers Teddie and Levi Levenfiche, have created Europe’s first matcha green tea-powered canned energy drink. Full of beans and youthful energy, founders Marisa Poster and Teddie Levenfiche served up their matcha energy drink brand PerfectTed in the den. It was a clean sweep for the founders, who received offers from all five dragons, with Steven Bartlett and Peter Jones winning the negotiations. The product is Europe’s first ever matcha green tea canned energy drink, AND it’s the first ever UK based energy drink to win a Great Taste Award. It was an intense but generally incredible experience appearing on television,” Ms Poster, 25, told the JC. “Even though in the show our appearance is only 13 minutes long, we were actually there for over an hour and a half of pretty intense grilling. It’s critical to know your business inside and out. But we knew this going in and came prepared.”PerfectTed is a canned energy drinks’ range with matcha green tea, that was founded by 3 housemates/best friends, Marisa Poster, and Teddie and Levi Levenfiche. This weekend, Teddie and Levi absolutely CRUSHED the Florence Marathon in just 3hrs 25mins (while I cheered them on, very comfortably, from the sidelines ☺️). A friend mentioned that matcha was caffeinated and it had loads of other health benefits. Obviously, this sounded way too good to be true but when I did try it, it really had a almost life changing effect on me." PerfectTed wanted to go directly to the source. Buying directly from farmers in Uji, Japan, allows the company to maintain a closer relationship with its suppliers and avoid the inflated prices that come with going through multiple wholesalers. It also helps the founders ensure that farmers are compensated fairly and that the products are grown in the best conditions.

It causes conversation to come about because people are like: ‘Is it PerfectTed or is it perfected?’ We really like the discourse that comes with it. On top of focusing on simple ingredients, PerfectTed also prioritizes transparency and sustainability in its business model—starting with its supply chain. Typically, a café would buy matcha from a domestic wholesaler, who had bought the product from a wholesaler in Japan. This multi–step chain often means less money for the farmer who originally grew the tea leaves, and it creates a disconnect between the business and suppliers that makes it difficult to verify ingredient quality. I said during the show that our goal is world domination and I stand by my statement,” Ms Poster said. “The future is natural energy so these large players already in the market will have to keep up to meet the changing needs of consumers.” Mr Bartlett said that “once in a while, you have entrepreneurs come into the den that you just have a huge degree of admiration for. And the journey you’re on as young entrepreneurs is a similar journey that I’ve been on as well.” However, after trying a few matcha powders/drinks on the market, the trio were left feeling unsatisfied, and this was the start of the PerfectTed business.Available in three unique flavour combinations (Pear Ginger, Apple Raspberry, and Pineapple Yuzu), the team sources its single origin, organic, ceremonial grade matcha from Uji, Japan. This premium quality matcha features a sweet, umami flavour, and a bright green hue (unlike poorer substitutes – which can be bitter, grassy, and insoluble). Growing up in New York, Marisa was a member of the Temple Shaaray Tefila (synagogue). She moved to London and completed a Masters of Science in Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Management at Imperial College. She often attends Norrice Lea on Friday nights, with Teddie and Levi, who are members there. Marisa says she has long been aware of the relationship between food and the body. Aged 17 she had a tumour in her hip. “I really started to focus on my diet and healthy food, as what you put in your body is so intrinsically tied to your health.” We produce in Devon. We’ve been there from the beginning, they’ve scaled up with us and they’re incredible partners. JD: Where is currently your biggest market and which consumers are you targeting?

Our drinks are made from organic, ceremonial grade matcha sourced directly from local farms in Uji, Japan, REAL fruit juices (not from concentrate), and British water. It's that simple. JD: You recently received GBP50,000 from the UK investor TV show Dragons’ Den. What’s that cash being used for and any plans for further funding rounds? With 60mg of caffeine per can, our PerfectTed Matcha Energy will challenge traditional energy drinks using an entirely plant-based recipe, free of additives, preservatives, and artificial ingredients. Marisa added: "We want to be the largest natural energy and matcha brand globally. We're already making strong moves and already available in nine countries." She added the Tesco listing also made the natural energy drink “readily accessible nationwide and marking yet more rapid growth for our business”.In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding. In the 16 months since launching, PerfectTed has been retailed through 3,000 distribution points across nine countries, including 450 Holland & Barrett outlets in the UK. It has just become part of Tesco’s meal deal in 1,200 stores. Three short weeks ago, we launched the UK's first matcha-powered, all-natural, lightly sparkling energy drinks, available in three different flavours: (1) pineapple yuzu, (2) apple raspberry, and (3) pear ginger! She and the Levenfiches live together in London and are regular Hampstead Garden Suburb Synagogue congregants. MP: It will account for almost 50% of our business. We have both retail products that we’ll be launching with a major grocery this year across almost 2,000 stores. And we also have a really, really strong wholesale business. So, we’re launching nationwide with Joe and the Juice in May. We’re the sole supplier to Blake Street coffee, Planet Organic, Arket, which is part of H&M and a load of other independent coffee chains. So, it is a meaningful part of our business. JD: What’s your forecasted revenue for the year?

We’re kind of in a fortunate position where we actually have a side of our business, which is our matcha powder. It’s a very profitable business. So, we’re fortunate to be able to fund a lot of our drink’s activities through our powder. The business model helps sustain us. But further funding, it’s something that we have been considering, so TBD. JD: How much of the business is selling matcha powder?Marisa is responsible for advertising and marketing, Teddie for operations and sales, and Levi, also a UCS alumni, for the financial side of the business, making them the perfect team – or make that perfect match(a). London entrepreneurs Marisa Poster and Teddie Levenfiche have stirred the interest of the Dragons’ Den panel with their matcha-based green tea energy drink, PerfectTed.