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- HeyTea
HeyTea Revenue, Valuation, Funding & Investors
HeyTea is valued at $9B as of July 2021.
Last HeyTea valuation
$9B
Series D · Jul 2021
Last HeyTea funding round
$500M
Series D · Jul 2021
HeyTea revenue
$58M
Series B · Apr 2018
Key investors in HeyTea
IDG Capital
Longzhu Capital
BA Capital
Boquan He
HSG
Tencent
About HeyTea
HeyTea is a Guangdong province-headquartered tea beverage chain renowned for cheese foam-topped teas and fresh fruit infusions like mango pomelo and strawberry cheese. Founded in 2012 in Kaiping as RoyalTea before rebranding, it operates outlets in over 300 Chinese cities and international locations in Los Angeles, London, and Sydney. The menu emphasizes low-sugar recipes using Southeast Asian fruits and has earned accolades from Time magazine as a top global chain.
Founded
2012
HQ
Website
Status
Privately held
Customer focus
B2C
Revenue model
Product sales
Revenue
$58M (Apr 2018)
Valuation
$9B (Jul 2021)
HeyTea Valuation
HeyTea is currently valued at $9B, based on its Series D in July 2021.
The $500M round included Temasek, Longzhu Capital, IDG Capital, Tencent, Hillhouse Investment and 4 other investors.
HeyTea's valuation has grown 16x from $580M at its Series A in April 2017 to $9B in July 2021, across 3 priced rounds.
HeyTea valuation by funding round
Revenue multiple| Date | Stage | Valuation | Revenue Multiple |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2021 | Series D | $9B | - |
| Apr 2018 | Series B | $580M | 10.0x |
| Apr 2017 | Series A | $580M | 10.0x |
HeyTea Revenue
HeyTea's latest recorded revenue is $58M, as of its Series B in April 2018. At a $580M valuation, that implies a 10.0x revenue multiple.
Revenue moved from $58M in April 2017 to $58M in April 2018, while the revenue multiple moved from 10.0x to 10.0x.
HeyTea revenue by funding round
| Date | Revenue * | Valuation | Revenue Multiple | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2018 | $58M | $580M | 10.0x | Series B |
| Apr 2017 | $58M | $580M | 10.0x | Series A |
* Revenue (or ARR) figures are the values recorded alongside each funding round. Typically run-rate revenue at the time of the deal, or a reported LTM (last 12 months) revenue.
HeyTea Funding History
HeyTea has raised a total of $594M across 4 funding rounds, plus 1 secondary share sale.
HeyTea's first fundraising round was a $16M Series A in August 2016. The most recent completed round was a $500M Series D in July 2021.
HeyTea funding rounds
| Date | Stage | Investors | Raised | Valuation | Deal Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2021 | Series D | Temasek; Longzhu Capital; IDG Capital; Tencent; Hillhouse Investment; Coatue; Boquan He; HSG; BA Capital | $500M | $9B | HeyTea is a leading Chinese new-style tea drink brand founded in 2015, targeting white-collar workers and younger generations with a blend of traditional milk tea and healthy tea culture, operating nearly 700 stores across 61 cities by end-2020 and over 820 stores by July 2021. On July 14, 2021, the company announced completion of a strategic financing round raising USD 500 million from investors including IDG Capital, He Boquan, Longzhu Capital, Sequoia China (HSG), BA Capital, Tencent, Hillhouse Group, and Coatue, achieving a post-money valuation of CNY 60 billion (approximately USD 9 billion), setting a record for China's milk tea industry. This followed a Series C round in March 2020 led by Hillhouse Capital China and Coatue Management, with prior valuation at around USD 2.26 billion. The round underscores intense competition in the sector, with rival Nayuki's Tea listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in June 2021 at a USD 3.7 billion valuation, while HeyTea has repeatedly denied near-term IPO plans. |
| Mar 2020 | Secondary | Victor Koch | $2M | - | - |
| Apr 2018 | Series B | Longzhu Capital (lead); BA Capital | $64M | $580M | HeyTea is a Chinese new tea drink chain founded in 2012 in Jiangmen, Guangdong, targeting young consumers and white-collar workers with innovative beverages blending traditional milk tea and healthy tea culture. By early 2018, the company had expanded to over 80 stores from about 50 a year prior. In April 2018, HeyTea completed a Series B funding round raising approximately $63.5 million (0.4 billion CNY equivalent), led by Longzhu Capital with participation from BA Capital, IDG Capital, and others, at a post-money valuation of 4 billion CNY. Longzhu invested 0.4 billion CNY, marking a significant bet on the company as its third consumer investment. At the time of the round, HeyTea reported revenue of about 0.4 billion CNY, reflecting rapid store growth and consumer demand that led to queues at outlets. The valuation was negotiated upward from founder Zhu Yonghua's initial 2 billion CNY expectation to 4 billion CNY by investor Nie Yuncheng, signaling strong market confidence. This round accelerated HeyTea's expansion and subsequent financings. Following the 2018 round, HeyTea completed additional rounds, including a 2019 third round at 9 billion CNY valuation with Sequoia Capital China and Tencent, and later rounds reaching 16 billion RMB (USD 2.2 billion) and ultimately 60 billion CNY (USD 9 billion) in 2021 with investors like Hillhouse, Coatue, IDG, BA Capital, Longzhu, and Tencent. The company grew to hundreds of stores across China and Singapore, positioning as a leader in the competitive milk tea sector against rivals like Nayuki's Tea. |
| Apr 2017 | Series A | Boquan He (lead); IDG Capital (lead) | $15M | $580M | HeyTea is a Chinese milk tea chain targeting white-collar workers and younger consumers, founded in 2012 by Nie Yunchen in Guangdong province. The company focuses on creating a beverage consumption model that integrates traditional milk tea with healthy tea culture. In its Series A funding round in 2017, HeyTea secured investment from IDG Capital and He Boquan, achieving a post-money valuation of approximately 4 billion CNY. At the time of this round, the company had expanded to over 80 stores from its initial 50 locations and was generating estimated annual revenue of approximately 0.4 billion CNY. This investment marked a significant acceleration in the company's growth trajectory, as it subsequently completed three additional funding rounds within the next three years, with valuations escalating dramatically to 9 billion CNY by 2019 and ultimately reaching 60 billion CNY by 2021. |
| Aug 2016 | Series A | IDG Capital (lead); Capital Today | $16M | - | - |
Who has invested in HeyTea?
11 investors have backed HeyTea across its funding rounds, including IDG Capital, Longzhu Capital, BA Capital, Boquan He, HSG and Tencent.
Lead investors include Longzhu Capital, Boquan He and IDG Capital.
HeyTea Investors
| Investor | HQ | Rounds | Role | First check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Lead | Aug 2016 | ||
| 2 | Lead | Apr 2018 | ||
| 2 | Lead | Apr 2017 | ||
| 2 | Participant | Apr 2018 | ||
| 1 | Participant | Jul 2021 | ||
| 1 | Participant | Mar 2020 | ||
| 1 | Participant | Jul 2021 | ||
| 1 | Participant | Jul 2021 | ||
| 1 | Participant | Aug 2016 | ||
This data is available for Pro users. Sign up to see all 11 HeyTea investors. Start Free Trial | ||||
Benchmark 350K+ Funding Rounds and Disclosed VC Valuation Multiples
Sign up to see data on 350K+ funding rounds and disclosed revenue and EBITDA valuation multiples, from seed, through growth stage, to pre-IPO.
Start Free TrialAcquisitions by HeyTea
HeyTea has acquired 1 company to date.
Last acquisition by HeyTea was on November 12th 2021. HeyTea acquired Yecuishan for undisclosed valuation.
Latest Acquisitions by HeyTea
| Description | Yecuishan is a China-based new-style tea brand specializing in fashionable, healthy fresh juice drinks made from premium tea leaves and fruits. The company operates retail outlets in major cities, offering customizable beverages like milk teas, fruit infusions, and herbal mixes emphasizing natural ingredients and low sugar content. |
| HQ Country | |
| HQ City | Shenzhen |
| Deal Date | 12 Nov 2021 |
| Valuation | undisclosed |
| EV/Revenue | |
| EV/EBITDA | |
This data is available for Pro users. Sign up to see all HeyTea acquisitions and their M&A valuation multiples. Start Free Trial | |
Investments by HeyTea
HeyTea has invested in 1 company to date.
Latest investment by HeyTea was on August 16th 2021. HeyTea invested in Seesaw Coffee in their $16M Series A round.
Latest Investments by HeyTea
| Description | Seesaw Coffee is a Kunming-based specialty roaster in Yunnan province that sources 100 percent red cherry-picked beans using washed, honey, and natural processing. It trains baristas through its academy and supplies cafes across China with direct farmer relationships. | Seesaw Coffee is a Kunming-based specialty roaster in Yunnan province that sources 100 percent red cherry-picked beans using washed, honey, and natural processing. It trains baristas through its academy and supplies cafes across China with direct farmer relationships. |
| HQ Country | ||
| HQ City | Shanghai | Shanghai |
| Deal Date | 16 Aug 2021 | 22 Jul 2021 |
| Round | Series A | Series A |
| Raised | $16M | $15M |
| Investors | Hony Capital | Hony Capital |
| Valuation | undisclosed | undisclosed |
| EV/Revenue | ||
| EV/EBITDA | ||
This data is available for Pro users. Sign up to see all HeyTea investments and their VC round multiples. Start Free Trial | ||
HeyTea Competitors
HeyTea competitors include listed companies like Charoen Pokphand Foods, China Mengniu Dairy and Suntory, and private ones like Gousto, Naixuecha and Rebel Foods.
| Company | HQ | Status | Revenue | EBITDA | Valuation | Revenue Multiple |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publicly listed | $17B | $1.9B | $5.3B | 1.2x | ||
| Private | $415M | $56M | $2.1B | - | ||
| Private | $725M | - | $1.8B | - | ||
| Private | $173M | - | $1.4B | 8.1x | ||
| Publicly listed | $12B | $949M | $8.9B | 0.8x | ||
| Publicly listed | $11B | $1.5B | $9.2B | 0.8x |
HeyTea Public Comps
HeyTea is still privately-owned, but its public comps include China Mengniu Dairy, Suntory, Mixue Group, Orkla, Master Kong, Luckin Coffee, Brinker International, Domino's Pizza, Hebei Yangyuan Zhihui and Busy Ming Group.
| Last FY | EV/Revenue | EV/EBITDA | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | EBITDA | Last FY | LTM | 2027E | Last FY | LTM | 2027E | |
| $12B | $949M | 0.8x | 0.8x | 10.5x | 7.4x | |||
| $11B | $1.5B | 0.8x | 0.8x | 6.0x | 5.7x | |||
| $5B | $1.2B | 1.4x | 1.4x | 5.8x | 6.5x | |||
| $7.6B | $1.3B | 1.6x | 1.6x | 8.9x | 11.1x | |||
| $12B | $1.6B | 0.7x | 0.7x | 5.5x | 5.7x | |||
| $7.3B | $991M | 1.3x | 1.1x | 9.9x | 8.2x | |||
| $5.8B | $840M | 1.7x | 1.7x | 11.9x | 11.4x | |||
| $4.9B | $1B | 3.0x | 2.9x | 14.2x | 13.5x | |||
This data is available for Pro users. Sign up to see all HeyTea competitors and their valuation data. Start Free Trial | ||||||||
Common questions about HeyTea
| When was HeyTea founded? | HeyTea was founded in 2012. |
| Where is HeyTea headquartered? | HeyTea is headquartered in Shenzhen, China. |
| Is HeyTea publicly listed? | No, HeyTea is a private, VC-backed company. |
| What is HeyTea's valuation? | HeyTea was last valued at $9B in its Series D in July 2021. |
| How much funding has HeyTea raised? | HeyTea has raised $594M across 4 funding rounds. |
| What was HeyTea's last funding round? | HeyTea's last funding round was a $500M Series D in July 2021. |
| Who are HeyTea's investors? | HeyTea's investors include IDG Capital, Longzhu Capital, Boquan He, BA Capital, Temasek, Victor Koch, Tencent, Hillhouse Investment, Capital Today, Coatue and 1 other. |
| What is HeyTea's revenue? | HeyTea's latest recorded revenue is $58M (April 2018). |
| What is HeyTea's revenue multiple? | HeyTea's latest valuation implies a 10.0x revenue multiple ($580M valuation on $58M of revenue). |
| Which companies are comparable to HeyTea? | Companies comparable to HeyTea include Charoen Pokphand Foods, Gousto, Naixuecha, Rebel Foods, China Mengniu Dairy and Suntory. |
| How many companies has HeyTea acquired? | HeyTea has acquired 1 company, including Yecuishan. |
| How many companies has HeyTea invested in? | HeyTea has invested in 1 company, including Seesaw Coffee. |
| What was HeyTea's last investment? | In August 2021, HeyTea invested in Seesaw Coffee's $16M Series A alongside Hony Capital. |
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