Brewing up smart teas

Born out of two sisters’ passion for wellness and a desire to create “an East meets West wellness-tech platform”, Lify claims to be the world’s first natural wellness beverage device. It brews up herbal teas from single-serve discs in 40 seconds, while the accompanying app lets users customise their brewing methods and share wellness goals with the brand’s community.

The product is the core business of its namesake Hong Kong company, co-founded by CEO Mazing Lee, who has worked for luxury brands around the globe, with her product-designer sister Connie Lee, Lify’s CCO and Chief Technical Officer. Having just completed its first round of fundraising, the start-up is keen to build a business-to-consumer (B2C) platform and may open a retail space once it has launched its second funding round next year.

Prior to the product recently going on sale at the start-up’s website, Lify received several accolades, including the A&D China Award and Good Design Award. The start-up is currently concentrating on raising its profile, with a Lify wellness tea bar pop-up to be held in November at homeware store Colourliving in Wan Chai. To tie in with Asian Wellness Day on 23 November, the company will host an outdoor tea bar experience at the Asia Society Hong Kong Center in Admiralty.

At the pop-up events, guests will be able to sample one of three wellness tea collections from the Lify smart device: the Fruit Tea Series, Oriental Functional Series and Herbal Wellness Series. There are plans to expand its range of blends next year following the establishment of partnerships with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) companies.

The sisters hope to also sell through selected retail outlets across the city. The firm is currently in talks with retailers including lifestyle shops at the new mall K11 Musea and the HKTDC Design Gallery store.

Lify was one of 10 winners at the pitching contest held in May as part of the HKTDC’s Start-up Express development programme 2019.  With the support of the HKTDC, the start-up will participate at CES, the huge international consumer electronics fair running in Las Vegas from 7 to 10 January next year. The CEO said participating in HKTDC events such as Start-up Express and various exhibitions can facilitate networking and help the company showcase its products.

Lify was also selected as a tech incubatee at the Hong Kong Science & Technology Park (HKSTP), where it has been based for one year with two more years to go. Mazing said the experience has helped the sisters understand how to commercialise the product. 

Lify hopes to set up another office in town as the business develops. It already has a production site in Kwai Chung, where the compostable tea discs are packed, while the smart machine that creates the wellness blends is manufactured in Mainland China.

The CEO said there is a considerable market for wellness products in a fast-paced city like Hong Kong. “Many people don’t take care of themselves properly, and we wanted to create something that enables consumers to enjoy a wellness beverage in a simple and effective way,” she said.

To gain a comprehensive understanding of wellness, she is studying TCM at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. The entrepreneur sees Lify as the bridge between traditional herbal wisdom and smart technology. “I want to encourage people to be more aware of their body’s condition and moods, and reflect on how body, mind and soul connect so they can stay balanced,” she said, adding that the scientific community does not always understand the complexity of TCM and its holistic approach to wellness.

With a new brand, reaching out for feedback has been crucial. A wellness sharing at co-working space WeWork provides feedback from different nationalities, which Lily has since taken into consideration for further product development.