Two Houston entrepreneurs are stepping into the booming sports drink industry with hopes of taking on some of the biggest names in hydration and energy beverages.<\/p>\n
The founders behind Noolyte say their drink is designed to combine hydration, clean energy and mental focus into a single product aimed at athletes and fitness enthusiasts.<\/p>\n
\u201cNoolyte is the new era of hydration,\u201d co-founder Leonardo Fernandez said. \u201cWe have hydration, so electrolytes, and also caffeine and nootropics, so it\u2019s a very well-balanced drink.\u201d<\/p>\n
At first glance, Noolyte may look like another sports drink on the shelf, but its creators say the formula sets it apart. The beverage contains nearly 1,000 milligrams of electrolytes, natural caffeine derived from green tea extract and nootropic ingredients intended to improve focus and performance.<\/p>\n
The founders said the idea came from their own interest in health and wellness and a desire to avoid artificial ingredients commonly found in many beverages.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe created this beverage because we were getting into health and wellness,\u201d co-founder Mark Villaneuva said. \u201cWe were trying to figure out what could fuel us, what could keep us hydrated, what could keep our body active because artificial fillers are really what\u2019s killing your body right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
While researching healthier ingredients, the pair discovered nootropics, compounds often associated with cognitive and performance benefits.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we came across them and did more research about it and found out there\u2019s years of studies of these ingredients, we decided to implement them into our beverage,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
But launching a new drink in the crowded sports beverage market has not been easy.<\/p>\n
\u201cGetting to shelves is very difficult,\u201d Villaneuva said. \u201cIt\u2019s like real estate. A lot of these big companies are buying shelves, they\u2019re buying fridges, and the competition there is that we\u2019re not able to put our product there as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Instead, the founders said they are focusing on finding opportunities in smaller retail spaces and local businesses.<\/p>\n
Just two months after launching, Noolyte is already being sold in more than 30 locations across Houston, including gyms, yoga studios, Pilates studios and gas stations. The drink is also available online through the company\u2019s website.<\/p>\n
The founders said the business has been entirely self-funded so far.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s life savings, time savings, it\u2019s everything,\u201d Fernandez said. \u201cIt\u2019s just me and my business partner, Mark, in this. We don\u2019t have any investors and we basically poured all our money into this for a year and a half full-time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now, the two Houston entrepreneurs are hoping their hometown startup can grow into a nationally recognized brand in the competitive sports drink market.<\/p>\n