Our Story

Antoine didn't come to Taiwan to start a drink company. He came because he fell in love — with the country, the culture, and the woman who became his wife.

What struck him most was how much Taiwan cares about drinks. The convenience store beverage wall is a cultural institution. The tea shop on every corner isn't commerce — it's ritual. People here don't just drink. They choose. They debate. They post.

But there was a gap.

The Discovery

Visiting a coffee farm in Taiwan, Antoine saw mountains of red fruit pulp rotting behind the processing shed. The farmer said:

"This is 85% of what we grow. We throw it away."

The coffee bean is a seed inside a fruit. The fruit — coffee fruit — is discarded during processing. Twenty million tons every year. But coffee fruit contains gentle, natural caffeine and has been consumed for centuries in Ethiopia and Yemen. It's not new — it's forgotten.

The Problem He Couldn't Unsee

At the same time, Antoine watched the women around him — his wife, her friends, colleagues — caught in the same daily compromise. 3pm. Exhausted. Coffee gives palpitations. Bubble tea brings guilt. Sparkling water is boring. Energy drinks aren't even in consideration.

They post "so tired" on Threads. They join the office bubble tea order and feel bad about it. What they want isn't "try harder" — it's "you've worked hard, you deserve something better."

Two problems, one answer. Coffee fruit — the part everyone throws away — has gentle, natural caffeine. About 1/3 of coffee. No palpitations, no crash. And formulated right, it could actually taste good.

The Team

Yann Guerould was the first person Antoine called. The kind of person who can't let a formulation problem go — 50 batches, every variable documented, three new approaches by morning. Making a zero-sugar drink that doesn't taste like punishment took 18 months and iteration #47. That's not luck — that's refusal to ship something mediocre.

Stéphane joined to build the brand. What he understood — crystallized in one line — was that Kiara's job isn't to give her more energy. It's to give her permission. "For the version of you that showed up today anyway." That's not marketing copy. That's the mission.

What We're Building

Kiara is not an energy drink. It's not a supplement. It's not telling you to hustle harder.

It's a sparkling drink made from upcycled coffee fruit. Zero sugar. Low calorie. Gentle caffeine. Genuinely delicious.

We're launching in Taiwan first because this is home. The women Antoine sees every day — on the MRT, in the office, at the tea shop — they're who we built this for.

A gentle lift. Zero burden. Awaken Your Senses.