The Ryl Company Receives Additional Funding From Morgan Wallen, Austin Neal, Seth England, Cam Fordham, More

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Morgan Wallen & Blodin Ukella.

The Ryl Company, which includes Ryl Tea, has received $15 million in Series B funding.

Created in 2022 by Blodin Ukella and Morgan Wallen, the new funding will fast track the tea company’s expansion, marketing campaigns and product creation. This adds to the brand’s $7.5 million Series A funding in 2024, marking $30 million in growth equity total.

This funding will also get Ryl Tea into over 40,000 stores by the end of the year, including chains such as Walmart, Kroger, Albertsons, Costco, Publix, HEB, Meijer, 7-Eleven and more. Additionally, the investments will help Ryl expand its team to over 100 employees by the end of 2025, when they started with just nine in 2023.

“The Ryl Company is surging into an exciting phase of hyper-growth, and this capital raise will assist us in scaling to new heights, especially as we expand our retail presence and national distribution,” shares Chairman of The Ryl Company Leigh Feuerstein. “Under the direction of Founder and CEO Blodin Ukella, the team’s deep connection with consumers has set the stage for great success. Blodin is a remarkable leader with a clear vision and indefatigable energy, and we’re backing him with unbridled confidence in his ability to fuel Ryl’s expansion.”

The Series B funding round included investments from Wallen, Get Engaged Media’s Cam Fordham, Alex Dermer, Ben Hiott, Austin Neal of Sticks Management and Seth England of Big Loud Records.

“I’ve been a believer in Ryl Tea from the beginning and keep them stocked at home and while touring out on the road,” adds Wallen. “It’s exciting to see the brand continue to expand and grow, and I’m proud to be a part of it.”

Ryl Tea is guided by a leadership team with extensive experience in building and scaling beverage brands. At the helm is Ukella, a former Chief Strategy Officer at OWYN, acquired by The Simply Good Foods Company, and a former Data Scientist at Bai. He is joined by President Ken Kurtz, known for his leadership as former President of Bai, which was acquired by Dr Pepper Snapple Group, and as former SVP of Fiji Water. Also on the team is Chief Operating Officer Ruben Rafaeli, who previously held the roles of COO at Crook & Marker and SVP of Operations at Bai.

“This round isn’t just a financial milestone — it’s a signal of confidence in our mission, our momentum and our belief that Ryl Tea is on track to redefine what a modern beverage brand can be,” says Ukella. “We are in the ‘leap’ phase of our business journey — scaling rapidly with new distribution channels, exciting marketing initiatives and product development. This investment will help us expand our offerings and expand our distribution by 4x, all while maintaining the same level of quality and commitment to our customers’ health and well-being.”

Madison Hahnen
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