Steeped Tea (now operating as Sipology) began with a transformative moment in 2006 when founders Tonia and Hatem Jahshan discovered the remarkable difference between loose-leaf tea and conventional tea bags during a retreat in Nova Scotia. That single cup of Earl Grey de la Crème sparked a mission to bring premium loose-leaf tea—and innovative flavored matcha powders—to North American homes through a direct sales model that builds community around quality tea.
The brand’s credibility skyrocketed in 2012 when Tonia and Hatem pitched their vision on CBC’s Dragons’ Den, securing $250,000 in funding and partnerships with investors Jim Treliving and David Chilton. What started in a basement has grown into a multi-million dollar company with over 6,000 consultants across Canada and the United States. Steeped Tea has been recognized as one of Canada’s PROFIT 500 Fastest-Growing Companies, while Tonia earned recognition from Ernst & Young and Forbes as a top female entrepreneur.
While many brands offer traditional matcha, Steeped Tea distinguishes itself through creative flavored matcha options designed for modern lifestyles. Their line includes ten unsweetened varieties and six lightly sweetened options in flavors like vanilla, chocolate, and peach—formulated specifically for cold preparation to appeal to North American preferences. Every product contains real, whole ingredients without artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.
As a member of the Ethical Tea Partnership, the company maintains rigorous quality standards and works closely with Health Canada and the FDA to ensure product safety and compliance.
The Sipology catalog extends beyond matcha to include:
What sets Steeped Tea apart is their commitment to connection. Each product serves as a catalyst for bringing people together—whether through consultant-hosted tea parties, online Facebook events, or simply sharing a cup at home. The brand proves that quality matcha and tea can be both accessible and community-driven, transforming an ancient tradition into something fresh, approachable, and genuinely Canadian.
Sipology (formerly Steeped Tea) has established itself as an innovative player in the matcha (green tea powder) market with a diverse range of flavored products designed to appeal to modern consumers. The company emphasizes high-grade matcha specifically formulated to be enjoyed cold, catering to contemporary preferences for refreshing beverages.
Sipology offers an extensive selection of flavored matcha powders that blend traditional Japanese tea culture with contemporary taste preferences. Their current product lineup includes:
The brand organizes its matcha offerings into three distinct categories:
Designed as a healthy replacement for soda pop and energy drinks, these products provide sustained energy without the typical caffeine crash associated with traditional energy beverages.
Featuring 10 calories or less per serving, these products cater to health-conscious consumers seeking flavorful alternatives to high-calorie beverages.
Traditional matcha products that maintain the authentic Japanese tea experience while meeting modern quality standards.
Sipology maintains strict quality standards across all matcha products, ensuring they are free from artificial colors, flavors, irradiated ingredients, preservatives, and fillers. This commitment aligns with growing consumer demand for natural and wholesome products. The company emphasizes handcrafted and small-batched production methods to maintain quality consistency.
For more information about their complete product range, visit Sipology’s matcha collection.
Steeped Tea, now operating under the brand name Sipology, represents one of Canada’s most notable entrepreneurial success stories in the specialty tea industry. The company was founded in 2006 by husband-and-wife team Tonia and Hatem Jahshan, who built their business from the ground up with a vision to revolutionize the tea drinking experience.
The company’s breakthrough moment came in 2012 when the founders appeared on CBC’s Dragons’ Den, delivering a successful pitch that secured partnerships with prominent investors Jim Treliving and David Chilton. This television appearance catapulted Steeped Tea into a phase of rapid expansion and national recognition, establishing the brand as a household name across Canada.
Recognizing the evolving market demands and the need to diversify beyond traditional tea offerings, the company underwent a strategic transformation and rebranded as Sipology. This evolution allowed them to extend their product line beyond conventional teas to include a comprehensive range of beverage and wellness products, positioning themselves as a lifestyle brand rather than just a tea company.
The entrepreneurial excellence of the company was further validated in 2016 when Tonia Jahshan received recognition as Canada’s top female entrepreneur, highlighting the significant impact Steeped Tea had made on the Canadian business landscape. This achievement underscored the company’s role in inspiring other entrepreneurs and contributing to the growth of the specialty beverage industry.
Today, Sipology’s product portfolio encompasses loose-leaf teas, accessories, tea powders, baking mixes, spice blends, kombucha, and medicinal teas. Their matcha offerings stand as a cornerstone of their innovation, featuring unique flavored varieties including peppermint, sweet strawberry, pineapple punch, lemon, vanilla, fruit punch, and mocha – each crafted to appeal to modern consumer preferences while maintaining quality standards.
Tonia and Hatem Jahshan founded Steeped Tea with a vision to revolutionize the tea drinking experience, starting their entrepreneurial journey in the specialty tea industry from the ground up.
The founders delivered a successful pitch on CBC’s Dragons’ Den, securing partnerships with prominent investors Jim Treliving and David Chilton, which catapulted the company into rapid national expansion.
Tonia Jahshan was recognized as Canada’s top female entrepreneur, highlighting the significant impact Steeped Tea had made on the Canadian business landscape and inspiring other entrepreneurs.
The company underwent a strategic transformation and rebranded as Sipology, diversifying beyond traditional teas to include a comprehensive range of beverage and wellness products, positioning as a lifestyle brand.
Find below some answers to the most common questions about Steeped Tea.
Fruit Punch Matcha combines green tea with banana pieces and natural flavor, creating a tropical blend with actual fruit components. Pineapple Punch Matcha focuses specifically on pineapple flavoring without the banana pieces, offering a more targeted tropical taste profile.
Both are formulated to be enjoyed cold and contain no artificial colors or preservatives, but the Fruit Punch variety provides texture from the real banana pieces while Pineapple Punch delivers a cleaner, more focused pineapple experience.
Yes, the matcha quality standards remained consistent through the rebrand from Steeped Tea to Sipology. The company maintained their commitment to high-grade matcha specifically formulated for cold preparation.
The rebrand in the years following their 2012 Dragons’ Den success was primarily about expanding beyond traditional teas into broader beverage and wellness products, not changing their core tea quality standards. All matcha products continue to be free from artificial colors, flavors, irradiated ingredients, preservatives, and fillers.
Sipology’s Mocha Matcha serves as an excellent introduction to matcha for newcomers, especially coffee drinkers. This blend combines green tea with natural coffee flavoring, creating a familiar coffee-like taste that bridges the gap to traditional matcha.
Traditional matcha has a more pronounced grassy, umami flavor that can be intense for beginners, while the Mocha variety eases the transition with recognizable coffee notes.
Sipology’s cold-formulated matcha addresses a common problem with traditional matcha – it often doesn’t dissolve well in cold liquids and can become clumpy or gritty. Their specific formulation ensures smooth mixing in cold beverages.
This innovation aligns with modern drinking preferences for iced matcha lattes, smoothies, and cold-brew style drinks. The cold formulation also preserves the integrity of their flavored varieties like Sweet Strawberry and Peppermint Matcha, which maintain their distinct taste profiles better in cold applications than traditional hot preparation methods.
Sipology’s Sweet Strawberry Matcha incorporates real strawberries along with green tea and natural flavor, distinguishing it from products that rely solely on artificial strawberry flavoring.
The inclusion of actual strawberry pieces provides natural sweetness and authentic berry notes, while maintaining Sipology’s commitment to no artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, or fillers. This approach delivers a more complex flavor profile with the nutritional benefits of real fruit, rather than just synthetic strawberry taste.
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