Australian bush flavours drinks model Yaala Glowing has landed a $125,000 funding from Shark Tank ‘shark’ Dr Catriona Wallace.
The Queensland Indigenous-owned enterprise, cofounded by Wiradjuri Yinaa girl Tara Croker and her mom Mel Davey, is growing a spread of alcohol-free drinks flavoured with native components sourced from Indigenous wild harvesters and native farmers.
Yaala interprets as ‘the current second’ in Wiradjuri, was launched earlier this yr, and has already discovered shelf house at drinks retailer Dan Murphy’s with its two flavours: lemon myrtle and native blossom; and Davidson plum and waratah.
Croker mentioned Dr Wallace ‘s deep information and expertise will likely be precious in taking our enterprise to its subsequent stage of development as they provide a wholesome different to alcohol and common comfortable drinks.
The preliminary Yaala Glowing vary
“The quickly rising native meals and botanicals trade is regarded as price as much as $50 million a yr, and but lower than 2 p.c of companies within the native meals sector are Indigenous-owned,” she mentioned.
“Our mission with Yaala Glowing is to ascertain an Indigenous-owned enterprise within the native meals trade and enhance First Nations illustration within the trade.
“At Yaala Glowing we work with First Nations suppliers all through our provide chain and enterprise, together with wild harvesters, native farmers, and artists. Any enterprise utilizing native vegetation and information handed down over generations has an obligation and accountability to protect conventional information and make investments again into the neighborhood”.
Croker pitched on second episode of Shark Tank final week, catching the attention of Wallace, a man-made intelligence knowledgeable, ethicist and human rights advocate, extra on the wobbegong than nice white finish of the present’s sharks.
“My cause for investing in Yaala Glowing is that the enterprise and product fills a at present unmet want within the comfortable drink trade,” she mentioned.
“Indigenous impressed and Australian native plant flavoured glowing water will likely be massively profitable, not solely in Australia, however internationally. The care, crafting and high quality of those drinks is second to none and the entrepreneurs are distinctive. I’ve labored with many Indigenous led companies previously and I’m so thrilled to be teaming up with Mel and Tara to deliver this enterprise to scale”.
The pair plan to make use of the funds to ramp up manufacturing and distribution of Yaala Glowing.