Gainful, a startup providing customized subscriptions to protein powders and hydration merchandise, is saying that it has raised $7.5 million in Collection A funding.
COO Eric Wu, who based the corporate with CTO Jahaan Ansari, informed me that Gainful started along with his personal expertise experimenting with totally different protein powders and finally discovering the mixture that labored greatest for his objectives and dietary wants.
“In my private expertise, looking for a protein powder could be a very overwhelming expertise,” Wu mentioned. “There are one million components, and also you simply need someone to speak to who can minimize by way of all that noise.”
So when once you first join Gainful, you’re taking a quiz about issues like your top, weight, train patterns, health objectives and the way usually you propose to devour the protein product. The corporate will then advocate a powder for you, in addition to offering ongoing entry to a registered dietitian who can reply any extra questions.
Wu mentioned that behind the scenes, Gainful developed “lots of and lots of of various [protein] blends,” then labored with its science advisory board (which incorporates diet consultants who’ve labored with the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings) to “hone in on a set variety of blends.” When requested for extra particulars about what number of merchandise the corporate is definitely promoting, Wu mentioned it’s “greater than a handful” they usually’re “continuously being iterated on.”
Picture Credit: Gainful
All Gainful merchandise are made with out synthetic colours, flavors or sweeteners, they usually’re gluten-free and soy-free as properly. With the brand new electrolyte drink mixes (which I’ve tried and loved), the startup is transferring past protein, and Wu mentioned it can proceed so as to add new merchandise and new flavors. On the similar time, you continue to want a subscription to the protein powder (pricing begins at $39) to get entry to extra merchandise.
To elucidate this comparatively excessive dedication strategy, Wu mentioned, “We actually imagine that we’ve created a system of merchandise that each one have complementary advantages and work actually synergistically. In case you’re hydrating correctly, you possibly can work more durable throughout your train, and your customized protein powder is working more durable for you. All of those are supplied … not as a magic bullet, not as a lose-weight-fast answer, however as a approach of being wholesome. It’s not purported to be a flash within the pan.”
The Collection A spherical was co-led by BrandProject and Courtside Ventures, with participation from AF Ventures, Round13 Capital, Barrel Ventures and the founding father of Polaris Sports activities.
Gainful was a part of Y Combinator’s winter 2018 batch. It additionally had a management transition early final 12 months, with Wu shifting from CEO to COO (the place he mentioned he might focus extra on product growth), whereas Dean Kelly joined as chief govt.
Wu added that the corporate has seen vital progress throughout the pandemic, as a result of basic shift towards e-commerce, in addition to “folks reflecting on what it means to guide a full, wholesome, joyful life in a time when it was actually troublesome.”
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