Waku with Nicolás Estrella feature 31 of Together Talks

KLS
Jun 6, 2023
6 min read

Updated: Apr 14

"Together Talks" feature 31: Waku presented by KLS, freight company

Some Background on Waku

Today's edition of "Together Talks" campaign, KLS had the opportunity to interview Nicolás Estrella, Co-Founder, of Waku. Waku is a Boston-based beverage brand creating delicious and nutritious wellness teas using 20+ herbs and flowers from the Andes Mountains of Ecuador. This blend of herbs has been consumed for centuries in the Andean region because of its digestive benefits and amazing taste.

As we keep evolving as human beings and due to the influence of technology and globalization, many cultural traditions are being lost and the bridge with the low-income population around the world keeps increasing. Waku is set on a mission to provide this low-income population of farmers in the Andes Mountains of Ecuador with access to a value-added market for their products. In addition to that, Waku products are based on ancestral traditions from this region which aims to preserve the cultural heritage from our indigenous communities while also preserving the cultivation of medicinal herbs that have been part of our diets for centuries. On the other hand, market-facing, the reason why these herbs have been cultivated and used for centuries is due to their medicinal properties. They contribute to the overall body well-being through their anti-inflammatory, digestive, and analgesic properties. As life continues to evolve, we are constantly under more pressure and stress –Waku can encourage consumers to live a more balanced life supporting their gut health while providing better opportunities to underrepresented communities in Ecuador.

The Beginning

Waku was founded in 2017 by Nicolás Estrella and Juan Giraldo. Previously the duo had started an E-Commerce business for courses in Latin America. While the company was successful, neither felt passionate about the project. The yearned for something that brought them meaning and purpose. The biggest goal for them was to create a company that could make an impact on society. And in order to do that they felt they needed to start the product here in the U.S. to scale it globally and make a presence. Nicolás did tell us they are grateful for learning so much about branding and marketing from this business that would benefit them down the road.

Juan was attending Babson Graduate School at the time. And in 2017 they began tinkering with ideas for the company they would soon create. During the summer of 2018, Juan was part of an incubator program at his school for start-up companies. This was the launching pad that Waku used. While the idea took nearly a year to formulate it was important to stay true to their initial goal, "make an impact". How did they set out to accomplish that?

Well the product they were about to launch was directly going to impact Ecuador. The product is manufactured and bottled in Ecuador and shipped stateside for distribution. That is in addition to using the local ingredients and farmers of Ecuador as well. Both gentleman realized that there was a growing desire for people to make health conscious choices including gut-health. They saw the opening and bet on themselves, the longevity of the product, and the impact they were building.

Waku was born.

Heritage

The product is based on a tea that is very common in Ecuador. It is herbal and consumed for the health benefits. In Ecuador it is usually consumed with lemon and sugar. Nicolás told us it is equivalent to drinking iced tea here in the U.S., but with actual health benefits. Being committed to developing and growing a brand here but not losing sight of their mission is important to the company. As Nicolás told us, "We are able to represent the farmers, local community, we can give them sustained opportunities. It is important for us to not let this incredible product get lost over time. We've enjoyed it, past generations have enjoyed it, and we made it our mission to spread the importance."

What makes this product unique is it has 5G of pre-biotics in every serving. Again the duo wanted to pair the wonderful tasting tea and create a focus on gut-health. Often times beverages that focus on health benefits or specifically gut-health might lack quality or struggle to taste well. Nicolás and Juan knew that to get this product to where they wanted to go taste would be paramount. But they never questioned that because they had already experienced the flavor back in Ecuador.

Waku has grown to selling in over 150 stores in the Northeast region. Part of their success is attributed to their marketing efforts both organically and paid. Also Nicolás told us the ROI they have from field marketing has been beneficial as well. The company currently has 5 full time employees and 3 part-time. A big momentum swing considering what the company endured during the Pandemic.

Perseverance

We asked Nicolás the biggest challenge the company had faced and he told us it was the period of the pandemic. They lost their biggest customer at that time and they had just imported FIVE containers of their product. To minimize the damage they had to start selling their product online. However, it was packaged for retail so we had to repackage the entire inventory to accommodate. It ultimately took them a year to sell through that product inventory! Once again they took a negative and turned it into a positive by taking this opportunity to learn about packaging, this process, and improving their brand.

He said that was the realest talk he had with Juan about closing the doors for good. "We had gone under maybe 4 or so times prior, but that was the first time where it felt real like this is it. Our thing is when we need to talk about something important we go for a drive to clear our heads. Juan was driving and I just remember telling him, I believe in this, I don't think we've reached our peak yet. If we had I'd call it quits, but let's give it six months and see if we can turn it around."

And with it the company has grown coming out of the pandemic. Early on the challenges were finding the right market fit for their product. Nicolás told us the main competition is bottled tea, but very few are offering what they are. On top of that, most of the common brands have in excess of 25G of sugar in a single bottle plus added sugar. Waku is able to easily differentiate. On top of differentiating they innovate and continuously improve the product.

In speaking with Nicolás, he told us that the company recently released its 10th version of the product. While the liquid formula and taste are unaltered, they continue to try and improve packaging and design. "It is important we listen to our customers and our audience. We take their feedback and implement what will better serve us. The main focus now is on presentation and packaging. We are looking to get our product into cans as well so we are doing our due diligence on that currently."

Nicolás believes it took the company about 4 years to find its market fit. By not scaling too fast and being selective about their strategic partnerships it has allowed them to grow with purpose. That led to Waku getting into Whole Foods. Nicolás told us it was the greatest moment of "appreciation". But the company isn't satisfied with getting their foot in the door, they want to kick it down. He shared with us the goal for 2023 is to become the best-selling tea on their shelf.

Culture and Impact

Waku means "together", which is why they chose it because they wanted a sense of community and togetherness. As Nicolás told us, "To build a brand it takes a tribe, well we have ours: Our team, the people, partners, farmers, copackers, retailers...but we are all on the same mission with Waku."

Nicolás told us his favorite aspect is creating new products and formulations. He is in charge of the R&D and creating a product and then getting the instant feedback from watching consumers try it is gratifying to him. Knowing the company is making a product that is innovative in the space and can provide real measurable benefits to the consumer is why they believe in Waku so strongly.

As Nicolás told us, "We are the first essentially iced tea product with NO added sugar AND 5G of prebiotic fiber. Some other companies introduced low sugar, but that is in the soda/pop category. We are trailblazing in the tea industry which is a $7B (billion with a B) industry. We are disrupting the industry and we are doing it for the good of the people and we are doing it Together."

Waku indeed.

In Closing

KLS wants to thank Nicolás Estrella of Waku for sharing with us for this week's "Together Talks". You can visit their website here to purchase their different products if you aren't in the northeast region! The company also has a newsletter on its website you can sign up for. Also stay informed with Waku from their social channels: