Chi Forest
Chinese beverage company
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Chi Forest (Beijing) Food Technology Group Co., Ltd. (Chi Forest; Chinese: 元气森林; pinyin: Yuánqì Sēnlín) is a Chinese beverage company that focuses on low-calorie sparkling drinks and flavored teas.
| |
| Chi Forest | |
Native name | 元气森林（北京）食品科技集团有限公司 |
| Formerly | Genki Forest |
| Company type | Private |
| Industry | Beverage |
| Founded | 2016 |
| Founder | Tang Binsen |
| Headquarters | Beijing, China |
| Website | www |
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The company was originally founded in 2016 as Genki Forest by Tang Binsen. Tang was a tech entrepreneur who previously founded ELEX Technology (creator of Clash of Kings) before selling it off for $434 million in 2014. Frustrated at the overwhelming dominance of Tencent and NetEase in the gaming sector, Tang decided to switch to consumer goods, in particular the beverage sector, which he believed was yet to be transformed by technology. Tang also founded Challenjers Venture, a venture capital firm that focused on companies in the FMCG sector.[1]
Genki Forest initially struggled to launch a product that resonated with consumers due to the team's lack of experience. The first batch of products was a disaster and Genki Forest had to pay a significant cost to destroy the shipment. This set back the company and for a long time the company survived almost entirely on loans from Challenjers Venture.[1]
Genki Forest eventually managed to generate enough funds through crowdfunding on Weibo to launch Burning Tea, a low-calorie, low-sugar Oolong tea.[1]
After the success of Burning Tea, in 2018 Genki Forest entered the carbonated beverage market which was an immediate success.[1]
Genki Forest differed from its peers as it started out online and then entered traditional sales channels. A self-described technology company, it takes a data-driven and high-tech manufacturing approach. Marketing relies significantly on E-commerce and social media platforms.[1]
In 2021, Genki commence expansion into the U.S. market. An initial pilot trial sale deal was signed in Costco mostly in San Francisco Bay Area outlets.[2]
Genki Forest marketed its products using Japanese-style packaging to give the perception of high quality.[1] However in 2023, Genki Forest re-branded to Chi Forest to have a more China-focused image.[3]
In January 2026, it was reported that Chi Forest was considering holding an initial public offering on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. At the time backers of Chi Forest included Warburg Pincus and Temasek Holdings.[4]