Munich Startup: What problem does your solution address?
Sophie Prinz, founder: More and more people are looking for a healthier and more natural alternative to coffee and classic energy drinks. At the same time, the retail market often lacks a high-quality matcha product for on-the-go consumption. With Prinzz Matcha, we bring the quality of a freshly prepared matcha latte from a café into a convenient ready-to-drink format. Our goal is to make natural energy practical for everyday use—without complicated preparation, without refrigeration requirements, and without compromising on taste.
Specializing in matcha
Munich Startup: What can only you do right now?
Sophie Prinz: We are one of the few brands in Europe that has fully specialized in matcha. While many large companies see matcha merely as an extension of their existing product lines, we are building a brand that stands exclusively for matcha.
What also sets us apart is our speed. Less than twelve months after founding, we are facing national Edeka distribution, even though our new products have just come to market. At the same time, we are already developing new varieties. Being rather small is an advantage at our stage. We are like a fast sailboat: agile, flexible, and close to the market. Large corporations have more resources, but we can often make decisions within hours, not after months.
Munich Startup: What was the trigger for founding?
Sophie Prinz: The idea came about mid-2025 from a personal experience. As a 23-year-old competitive athlete and student, I was constantly on the go and searching for a healthy energy source for everyday life. Coffee was often too heavy or led to energy crashes; classic energy drinks didn’t fit my lifestyle. Matcha was the perfect solution for me, but it was usually only available in cafés.
When I saw at the same time how strongly matcha is growing worldwide and how few high-quality ready-to-drink solutions exist in Europe, I realized that a real opportunity was emerging. Not just for a product, but for building an entirely new beverage brand.
“It always goes on somehow”
Munich Startup: Was there a moment when you thought about giving up?
Sophie Prinz: Yes, yesterday. There are constantly situations that become more difficult than planned. Supply chains, financing, production, retail, or simply things you don’t see coming beforehand.
But I’m convinced that it always goes on somehow. Sometimes faster, sometimes slower. Sometimes straight ahead and sometimes with a few detours to the right or left. If the vision is strong enough, giving up doesn’t help anyway. Then you find the next solution and keep going.
Munich Startup: How would you know in a year that you’re on the right track?
Sophie Prinz: If in a year we no longer have to explain what Prinzz Matcha is, but people actively search for it. We’re currently launching with national Edeka distribution and bringing new products to market at the same time. If we’re successfully represented in other retail chains within twelve months, have entered Austria and Switzerland, and sold the first millions of units, that would be a strong sign.
But even more important would be if consumers perceive Prinzz Matcha as the brand for matcha. Then we would have taken the first step in actively shaping a new beverage category.
Prinzz Matcha was founded in 2025 by Sophie Prinz and develops ready-to-drink matcha beverages for the European market. The goal is to bring the quality of a freshly prepared matcha latte into an everyday-practical beverage format.
Sophie Prinz studied forest sciences and resource management and has a competitive sports background. The idea for Prinzz came from her own search for a natural energy source for studying, sports, and daily life. She founded the company on her own and currently holds all shares in the brand.
Munich Startup: Would you found in Munich again and why?
Sophie Prinz: Yes, definitely. Munich offers an extraordinarily strong network of entrepreneurs, investors, universities, and innovative brands. At the same time, the city is international, trend-savvy, and open to new consumer trends. Many exciting partnerships, contacts, and opportunities probably wouldn’t have emerged this quickly without this environment.
The right capital at the right time
Munich Startup: Bootstrapping or venture capital?
Sophie Prinz: I ask myself that every day… I don’t believe in an “either-or”, but in the right capital at the right time.
We built Prinzz Matcha very entrepreneurially and quickly demonstrated that there is demand for the product. At the same time, there are moments when speed becomes critical. When the opportunity arises to establish a new beverage category early on, external capital can be a powerful accelerator. That’s why our goal isn’t to raise as much money as possible, but to find the right partners who share our vision and support us in building a leading brand.
