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Food & Agriculture
Special Report: A Brisbane entrepreneur is harnessing AI to propel a healthy drinks brand nationwide.
At just 29, Brisbane-based tech entrepreneur Alexa Stathakis faced a pivotal choice when launching her healthy drinks startup, Tea Industries: Invest heavily in a sales and marketing team or let AI do the work. She chose AI, creating a virtual sales assistant named “Sarah”, which helped scale the business at lightning speed.
Within a week of launch, the chatbot had connected with more than 8000 schools across Australia, resulting in orders from more than 1000.
Soon afterwards, Tea Industries’ product line was picked up by IGAs, service stations and other retailers thanks to Sarah’s ability to handle everything from initial outreach to order fulfilment.
Stathakis says this decision has made all the difference. “I knew I couldn’t afford to bring on a full team early, but with Sarah we’ve achieved rapid growth that would have otherwise been impossible.
“She manages sales calls, inventory, and even customer support – she’s essentially the backbone of the company.”
Stathakis says the company’s sales approach is as innovative as its product: “We’ve shown that using AI isn’t just for large corporations; even lean start-ups can make a big impact quickly.”
Driven by a passion for health and fitness, Stathakis launched Tea Industries with a lineup of naturally sweetened, low-sugar drinks that provide an alternative to sugary beverages. Each drink is crafted to support wellness without compromising taste and retails at around $4 per bottle.
“Tea Industries fills a clear gap in a crowded market of sugar-laden drinks. We wanted to offer consumers a choice that’s nutritious, tasty and aligned with healthy lifestyles,” Stathakis said.
AI-driven business operations can transform traditional startup hurdles, reducing overheads while meeting market demand.
The highly efficient model has been so successful that Tea Industries is now exploring partnerships with international retailers and influencers. Stathakis has also started seeking investors to scale operations globally.
This article was developed in collaboration with Tea Industries, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.
This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.
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