Start-up Spotlight: India's Bira91, Singapore's Curated Culture, New Zealand's AF Drinks and more feature in our round-up

‘Healthier and more experimental’: Indian brewery Bira 91 lifts the lid on consumer trends guiding innovation​

Delhi-headquartered brewery Bira 91 has detailed how consumer demands for ‘healthier and more experimental’ products are guiding its innovation strategy, while also revealing its plans for a ‘premium’ Indian beer.

It recently received funding of USD$10m Japan’s MUFG bank and USD$70m from brewery giant Kirin, which will be channelled towards expanding its production capacity and distribution networks domestically and globally.

Tea with a twist: Curated Culture eyes APAC ‘sports and wellness’ space with probiotic tea products​

Singapore-based Curated Culture has big plans to enter the ‘sports and wellness’ space in the APAC region with its probiotic tea products, which the firm has stressed is ‘not kombucha’.

According to the firm’s CEO and Co-Founder Christian Eviston-Pusch, its probiotic teas are the ‘first of its kind’ anywhere and its unique fermentation technology enables the final products to be sugar-free and dairy-free yet chock full of probiotics.

‘Whole different beast’: Retailer education key to cracking US low- to no-alcohol category – NZ’s AF Drinks​

Retailer education and collaboration is vital to cracking the US’s fledgling zero and low-alcohol sector, says New Zealand’s AF Drinks, which believes American consumers are ready to embrace the category.

The non-alcoholic cocktails brand, operating as Free AF in the US, recently started distributing with US Amazon and health foods supermarket chain Sprouts in 400 stores in 23 US states.

Australian opportunity: Plant-based and better-for-you alternatives centre stage in Woolworths-backed FMCG accelerator​

Plant-based, better-for-you alternatives, and functional snacks dominate the latest accelerator cohort in Australia led by a Woolworths-backed accelerator.

Nine out of 15 businesses in the plant-based, better-for-you alternatives, and functional snacks space feature in the latest batch of firms identified by Seedlab Australia.

‘Treasure to be discovered’: English Tea Shop eyes APAC as next major target on the back of rising gifting and premiumisation trends​

Premium organic tea brand English Tea Shop has designated the Asia Pacific region as its next major target market after a decade of growth in Europe, citing growing consumer demands for premiumisation and products designed for gifting as strong drivers.

English Tea Shop is based in the United Kingdom, and has made a name for itself as a premium tea brand by privately sourcing its own organic tea leaves as opposed to the mainstream method of bidding via tea auction systems.