Issue No. 329: Amped Up

Energy is in endless demand.

Overstimulated

Balancing work, parenting, and the pursuit of wellness, 57% of adults are sleep-deprived — and the pressure to push through has people craving clean fuel.

From reformulated coffees and novel nicotine sources to controversial substances like kratom, consumers are on the hunt for healthier uppers.

Full Throttle

Unlike chronic fatigue, feeling tired is a natural function of life, but one many would rather avoid.

Engineering safer highs, brands are pitching everyday performance aids.

Perks. The world’s most popular psychoactive drug, coffee keeps ~75% of Americans going.

Containing healthy antioxidants, moderate intake protects against all-cause mortality, but that hasn’t stopped brands from adding functional benefits.

For athletes, GIANTS Coffee features collagen while Throne Sport Coffee includes B vitamins, electrolytes, and BCAAs. Reducing jitters, Four Sigmatic and Everyday Dose mix in adaptogens. A clean break, Rarebird replaces caffeine with the anxiety-cutting metabolite paraxanthine (Px).

Stims. Quickly absorbed and effortless to consume, nicotine is back in the zeitgeist.

Coming for ZYN, brands are wrapping tobacco-free pouches in lifestyle-specific packaging. As Athletic Nicotine corners sport, Tucker Carlson’s ALP sells conservative politics, and Lucy’s Excel line teases corporate irony.

Clinically validated, Sett developed a “superior nicotine alternative” by mixing novel ingredient Ceretine with stress-reducing L-theanine.

Sips and sups. Crowded yet lucrative, energy drinks remain a go-to form factor, leading Keurig Dr Pepper to buy GHOST, while Celsius acquired Alani Nu.

Still, concern over sky-high caffeine content has led companies like Mateína and Ketone-IQ to develop more natural options rooted in yerba mate and ketones, respectively.

Spacing dosage, Zest and B-Sync’s time-released caffeine pills promise to make waking easier while preventing a crash.

Comedown

Counterbalancing, consumers reach for downers to relax after work.

Made specifically for stimulant takers, Stasis’s twice-a-day supps are designed to offset their negative effects. Meanwhile, the sleep sector continues to launch wide-spanning solutions.

But with shift work tied to reduced well-being, it’s worth flagging potential danger in manipulating the body’s natural rhythms. While acute boosts are generally safe, regularly abusing anything risks masking underlying conditions that might be causing a lack of energy.

Punchline: A sense of purpose, healthy diet, exercise, sun exposure, breathwork, and solid sleep should be enough to get through the day. But time-poor or addicted to the grind, consumers are unlikely to ditch stimulants anytime soon.

🎙 On the Podcast

Purpose Brands CEO Tom Leverton discusses scaling a global wellness ecosystem.

The product of the recent merger between Self Esteem Brands and Orangetheory Fitness, Purpose Brands is a health and wellness supergroup serving 6M+ members.

We also cover: International expansion strategies, using tech to enhance member experience, and building synergies across brands.

Listen to today’s episode here.

🩺 AI health coaches take shape

Wearable makers want to 10x well-being.

Vital signs. Oura released its AI-powered Advisor to all members, upstaging a new report on Apple’s strides toward an “AI doctor.”

According to CEO Tom Hale, Oura views itself as a “healthcare company.” A critical step, Advisor is the proactive layer on top of ambient monitoring, designed to deliver personalized insights.

Likewise, chief exec Tim Cook believes Apple’s greatest impact will be in human health. Tapping data from Apple Watch, AirPods, iPhone sensors, and third-party devices, the tech giant promises a proactive coach.

TBD. The holy grail, nearly every competing app claims they are or could become the unifying AI-driven health hub that bridges wellness and healthcare. But for now, all stop short of an end-to-end solution.

Missing link. Population health breakthroughs will happen when platforms go beyond passive insights, becoming personal LLMs. They’ll link cause and effect, convert insight to action (order supplements, deliver meals, schedule care, write prescriptions), sync with your PCP, and actively optimize daily behavior.

Looking ahead: A work in progress, if Apple, Oura, and others want to move from wellness companion to clinical expert, their AI must prove it can prevent users from becoming patients in the first place.

Presented by Fitstop

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Smarter, not harder. 12-week structured programming prioritizes movement quality over burnout, keeping members engaged long-term.

Community-driven fitness is booming, and Fitstop is leading the way — here’s your chance to be part of it.

Bring Fitstop to the US. Request a franchise info pack today.

🌮 Talo Organic plots expansion

Following a viral pop-up, the seed oil-free restaurant closed a funding round to open its first physical location in LA.

Less is more. Serving organic eats free of gluten, seed oils, and UPFs, Talo’s tacos, rice bowls, and fries are made with 100% grass-fed beef tallow. Minimizing toxins, it ditches plastic cutting boards and nonstick pans while using reverse-osmosis filtered water.

Smash hit. Spurred on by social media, Talo amassed 50K+ Instagram followers, with patrons lining up before opening and fries quickly selling out.

Raising capital via inbound DMs, backers include tech investor Vinny Lingham, health advocate Calley Means, NBA star Spencer Dinwiddie, and more.

Well-timed. Acknowledging the cultural moment as “fortuitous timing,” founder Graham Honig leans into RFK Jr’s MAHA Movement, using the fight against food additives as a rallying point.

Looking ahead: Scaling up, Talo will open in Venice, California’s Colony food hall this May ahead of statewide expansion in CA, TX, AZ, plus hotspots like NYC and Miami.

📰 News & Notes

Superboutiques transform luxury fitness.
Garmin adds premium AI-powered app tier.
Noom syncs with LillyDirect for expedited GLP-1s.
Bandit, ASICS collab on Novablast 5 running shoe.
Remedy Place adds exclusive experiences to Boston club.
On launches holistic training academy for young triathletes.
Startup Q&A: Somnee CEO Tim Rosa on sleep performance.
Gyroscope upgrades AI food tracking, expands beyond calories.
RAW Nutrition, Europe’s The Quality Group join forces to scale up.
GymNation targets fitness-obsessed with in-gym “Airbnb-like” accommodations.
Featured roles: VP of Engr @ longevity platform, Head of Product @ hardware co, Head of Growth @ hormone startup, R&D Herbalist @ wellness co.

💰 Money Moves

US 🇺🇸 / Canada 🇨🇦

Better-for-you energy drink maker Lucky Energy landed $14.2M in a round led by Maveron.

Professional padel circuit Pro Padel League added $10M in a seed round led by Left Lane Capital.

Seed oil-free fast-casual restaurant Talo Organic closed a “seven-figure” funding round.

Wearable breast pump maker Willow acquired UK-based femtech company Elvie.

Layer Health, an AI medical chart analysis platform, raised $21M in a funding round.

Padel facility operator Conquer Padel closed a $1.1M funding round.

Jones, a nicotine replacement brand, secured $10M in a Series A round led by Foundry.

Nixie, an organic, low-sugar beverage brand, raised $27M in a funding round.

Europe 🇪🇺

UK-based better-for-you soda brand Something & Nothing closed a £2M ($2.6M) equity round led by Spadel.

Swiss eldercare startup Eldy raised CHF 400K ($453K) in seed funding.

Austrian CrossFit gym management platform Boxbase announced a “six-figure” pre-seed round.

British short-course triathlon operator supertri acquired Toronto Triathlon Festival.

Germany’s Schwabe Group acquired a majority stake in BRAINEFFECT, a cognitive wellness supplement maker.

Asia 🌏

UAE-based at-home health and wellness platform Valeo Health secured $12M in a Series B.

Indian fresh produce delivery platform Pluckk raised Rs 85 crore ($10M) in its Series A round from Euro Gulf Investment.

Today’s newsletter was brought to you by Anthony Vennare, Joe Vennare, Ryan Deer, and Jasmina Breen.