Rick Ha (BASc ’00, MASc ’02, PhD ’06) and Karen Wan (BA '02, MAcc ’03) are the founders of Qi Aerista, a smart tea maker that allows you to brew that perfect cup right at home. Not only can you track the brewing process, you can navigate through custom settings, learn more about tea and talk to tea experts, gaining insightful brewing tips.
Recently featured in Hong Kong Economic Times and showcased at the World Tea Expo as New Product Award finalists in brewing gear and innovation, Qi Aerista strives to become a staple in the homes of consumers who love tea. Raising over US $100K in seed investments, the couple and their team will be launching a Kickstarter campaign this month to further expand Qi Aerista.
Alumni Relations had the chance to catch up with Rick and Karen, and ask them more about their company and life after Waterloo.
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Congratulations on your recent accolades at the World Tea Expo! Can you tell us what this accomplishment means to you?
Rick: As first-time WTE participants for the Qi Aerista team, it was truly an honor to be recognized by the tea community for introducing our innovations into the art and traditions of making tea.
Rick, you have a PhD in Engineering and Karen, an Accounting degree from the University of Waterloo. What made you both decide to get into the tea business?
Rick: It all started when I was growing up. My dad is a big fan of tea, so I was exposed to traditional tea culture and its colours, smells and tastes at a young age. And Hong Kong style milk tea is one of the cultural icons of the former British colony, which is known for its richness in flavour with millions of cups served each day in the city and beyond.
But back then I noticed problems with existing methods of tea preparation, including over-steeping the tea, no precise control over the brewing process, difficulties in making good tasting milk tea, etc. I got an opportunity to join a project to brainstorm new tea making solutions. After some background research, successive experiments and a few sparks of inspiration, we have come up with the basic designs that became the Qi Aerista Tea Maker we know today, which solved many of my childhood pet peeves.
Karen: After graduating from UWaterloo and obtaining my Chartered Accountant designation, I have been working in auditing and financial accounting roles at various firms in Canada and abroad for over 10 years. When Rick decided to start his own company, I thought perhaps it was time to explore new fields and tackle unconquered challenges. So I joined him immediately as co-founder and gradually developed a keen interest in tea. Besides taking care of the accounting side of the business, I have recently qualified as a Certified Tea Evaluator and also serve as the tea specialist in the Qi Aerista team.
Can you tell us more about Qi Aerista and why you decided to help consumers brew tea in their own homes?
Rick: Qi Aerista can make all types of great tasting tea simply and smartly, from green tea, black tea, to even milk tea and cold-brewed tea. It is based on a unique patent-pending brewing mechanism we have developed that can optimally manage the four key elements in making a good cup of tea, which are temperature, time, water flow and tea leaf immersion. Qi Aerista is also app-enabled, so users can manage the brewing process and learn more about tea right on their smartphone.
What would you say is the hottest trend in tea today?
Rick: We see continued growth in sweetened teas such as milk tea, bubble tea and iced tea that especially go well with the taste buds of the younger generation. Tea shops serving trendy beverages are springing up everywhere with people flocking to enjoy the sweetness, smoothness and rich flavour.
Karen: We also see a number of new tea making solutions being introduced to the market lately, from capsule-based brewing systems to app-connected tea makers. Then of course we have Qi Aerista.
Has Waterloo influenced your entrepreneurial aspirations in any way?
Rick: While back then I did not really foresee becoming a startup founder, my UWaterloo experiences, including the undergraduate engineering curriculum, hands-on co-op work terms, and graduate studies experience all helped me build a solid foundation of technical skills and work ethic, which helped me quite a lot in my journey to entrepreneurship.
Karen: Actually the intense accounting curriculum at UWaterloo didn’t leave me much time to think about starting my own business! But that experience also taught me how to work under pressure, a trait that serves me well when I became an entrepreneur later on.
What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs?
Rick: Find something you love doing and people want. Then make it happen.
Karen: One entrepreneur cannot do it all, no matter how skillful or experienced he or she is. Form a dedicated team around you with complementary talents and expertise. This will already take you halfway through to success.
