zefaan
CEO and Founder of XTCY
About
I'm zefaan, the CEO and Founder of XTCY, a beverage company I launched in 2024. I've built this brand from the ground up, blending my background in cinematography with deep technical knowledge of beverage science and scaling. We've already sold over 250,000 cans of our Mango Bango flavour, secured VC funding, and expanded to the US market. I'm passionate about creating more than just a drink—XTCY is about 'transcendence into utopia' as a cultural movement. I'm looking to connect with distributors in New York, TikTok marketers, and partners for pop-up events on the East Coast, while offering insights into rapid beverage scaling and brand building.
Networking
What I can offer
- ›Involvement in a fast-growing, trendy, VC-backed beverage brand movement
- ›Partnership opportunities such as providing free stock for events
- ›Insights into rapid scaling in the beverage and quick-commerce space
Looking for
- ›Connections to distributors for retail stores in New York and other US markets
- ›TikTok marketing agencies/influencers
- ›Opportunities for pop-up events on the US East Coast
- ›Hiring key roles in offline sales, marketing, and graphic design
Best fit for
Current Interests
Background
Career
Started as CEO/Founder of XTCY in October 2024
Education
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Cinematography and Film/Video Production from the University of Southern California, 2018 to 2023
Achievements
- ›Co-founded XTCY and launched its first product (Mango Bango flavour)
- ›Secured venture capital funding from Zeropearl VC and Antler, as well as from individual investors including Deep Bajaj, Mohit Bajaj, Sunjay Kapur, and others
- ›Achieved sales of 250,000 cans within the first 6 months of the mango flavour's launch
- ›Scaled to selling 1,500+ cans per day within 6 months
- ›Secured placement in iconic locations like PVR cinemas
- ›Successfully launched the product in the United States via the company website and Amazon
- ›Had the brand featured/promoted at major events like the Rolling Loud festival in India and the Tuffman Marathon
Opinions
- Beverage formulation is not just about ingredients... it's about heat and mass transfer, reaction kinetics, and process control
- Quick commerce is killing D2C for products like his, arguing that consumer demand for immediate, single-unit fulfillment makes D2C logistics impractical for low-margin, heavy beverages
- XTCY is NOT a 'healthy energy / gym drink'. XTCY is NOT a 'lifestyle drink'. XTCY is transcendence into utopia
- Adopts a combative, confident stance against competitors, e.g., 'Dear opps, we know who you are… and we’re coming for you'