PLŪKT wins prestigious VISA She’s Next award
PLŪKT has been recognized as a winner of the prestigious VISA She’s Next award, standing out among approximately 400 businesses! As PLŪKT’s co-founder and CEO Māra Lieplapa states:
“The mentoring and program support will provide a significant boost in helping our company transition from a ‘start-up’ to a ‘scale-up’ and increase exports to 85%. We greatly appreciate this support and the opportunity to prove ourselves at the next level.”
At Visa, we believe in the power of women-led businesses. That is why we are proud to provide the necessary tools and resources through the She’s Next program to help female entrepreneurs drive their businesses forward,” says Juha Sillanpää, Head of Visa Group in Finland and the Baltics.
Gita Juršāne, Deputy Head of Luminor Bank in Latvia, hopes that this year’s grant will allow two exceptional businesses and entrepreneurs to introduce meaningful innovations in their fields while creating a lasting impact.
“More and more women are choosing to establish their own businesses and take significant steps toward achieving their goals, as demonstrated by this program,” she adds.
She’s Next 2024 Winner
PLŪKT is a Nordic herbal tea brand founded in 2017 by mother-and-daughter duo Līga and Māra Lieplapas. The company was established in Prauliena, Madona region, Latvia, where the PLŪKT tea house is located. Its organic-certified teas are exported to 23 countries worldwide.
PLŪKT is the only company in Northern Europe offering tea bags made from plant fiber, making the packaging fully compostable and environmentally friendly. All herbs are handpicked from organic-certified wild meadows in Latvia, ensuring the highest quality and purity of the product. Currently, 70% of PLŪKT’s production is exported, providing global access to high-quality Nordic teas.
Six Women-Led Businesses Receive Visa Grants in the Baltics
In the Baltics, six women-led businesses were awarded VISA She’s Next grants, including Beebiuni and Raamaturead from Estonia, as well as Tabula Rasa Projektas and Pokalbių Gidas from Lithuania.
Three Years in the Baltics
Since 2020, Visa’s She’s Next grant program has provided over $3.83 million USD in funding to female entrepreneurs worldwide. This is the third consecutive year that the program has been implemented in the Baltics and Nordic countries. Over the past two years, 18 women-led businesses in the region have received financial support and mentorship through this initiative.