Odyssey Raises $6M for Mushroom Energy

Mushrooms are going mainstream.

The latest: Odyssey Elixir added $6M to scale its adaptogenic energy drinks.

Fusing lion’s mane, cordyceps, and caffeine, its low-sugar Red Bull alternative targets Gen Zers and millennials — marketing at festivals, on college campuses, and in influencer ads.

Counting 7-Eleven, CVS, and Wegmans among its 6K wholesale partners, it’s transcending specialty grocers to tap the masses.

Why it matters: Mushroom-infused food and bev grew 19.5% from 2022–23 as demand for functional ingredients continued.

Here to stay, mushroom drinks are refining messaging and niching down.

• Four Sigmatic rebranded around mental wellness and entered Albertsons last year.
• MUD\WTR opened a coffee-free cafe + coworking and event space in LA.
• NA tonic maker hiyo sells itself as a social drink.

Secret ingredient. Neutral in flavor and shown to help with stress, mood, cognition, hormones, and immunity, functional shrooms are an easy add-on for CPG brands.

Tweaking the recipe, Beam rounded out its CBD offerings with a mushroom latte mix, and Pepsi launched “Rockstar Focus” with lion’s mane.

Punchline: More than a passing fad, expect to see more adaptogenic products hit shelves as studies reinforce their therapeutic benefits.