Dietary supplements don’t need approval from the Food and Drug Administration before they are marketed, which means the industry is rife with dubious claims. Revere, a new startup that sells monthly subscriptions of its workout and energy drink powders, wants to cut through the buzz with straightforward mixes of plant-based ingredients, such as pea protein and sweet potato powder. The company announced today that it has raised $2 million in seed funding from Lerer Hippeau Ventures, with participation from Sterling VC and Brand Foundry Ventures.
CEO Matthew Scott, CMO Alex Blodgett, and COO Jasper Nathaniel founded Revere because they say that even though almost everyone knows you need to eat nutritious foods to stay healthy, there is a lot of confusion about what to eat and how it ties into exercise plans.
Scott says the company’s advisory board helps make sure all decisions about its products are based on empirical data. It currently includes Jen Sachek and Abbie Smith Ryan, who hold PhDs in nutrition science and exercise physiology, respectively, and fitness trainer Mike Barwis, whose clients include the New York Mets.
Revere’s drink mixes are vegan and also free from gluten, nut and soy products. The ingredients it uses include tart cherry, which can help reduce muscle soreness, green tea for energy and sweet potato powder to curb appetites.
“We are not claiming to have created a new super-pill with mythical powers, rather we’re making it simpler and easier for people to adopt the basic principles of whole-food nutrition that decades of research and intuition have proven to be true,” Scott told TechCrunch. “For instance, sweet potatoes are a nutrient-dense source of complex carbohydrates, which are essential for endurance and energy during exercise.”
Revere’s site says it offers “natural nutrition for supernatural powers,” but natural means different things to different people, which can be confusing for consumers.
Scott says that for Revere, “natural” means that “with the exception of a few basic minerals and vitamins, all of the core ingredients once existed in nature.” To sign up for Revere’s subscription, which includes mixes for pre- and post-workout drinks, users first fill out questions about their age, body type, activity level and workout routines to personalize their boxes. The company plans to use a lot of its new capital on customer support and outreach, which Scott says is critical for a direct-to-consumer e-commerce brand.
“We know that today people expect a relationship from digital-first brands and we plan to fully deliver on those expectations,” he says.