$100M BRAND STORY

How Neutonic Hit $10M on 3M cans sold

Neutonic is a nootropic productivity drink co-founded by Chris Williamson (host of the Modern Wisdom podcast) and James Smith. Launched in late 2023, the brand blends clean energy, cognitive support, and sharp storytelling into a fast-scaling product play. The founders’ combined reach—millions of subscribers across podcasting, YouTube, and fitness—made Neutonic a rare example of influencer-led CPG done with both rigour and vision.

Less than a year post-launch, Neutonic:

• Sold over 3 million cans

• Crossed $10M in revenue

• Raised $3.7M at a $20M valuation

• Hit #1 in Amazon UK for energy drinks

Their message? Coffee is chaotic. Monster is too much. You deserve clean, focused fuel.

Neutonic’s blend is built for focus, sustained energy, and mental clarity without the spike-and-crash cycle of most caffeine products. Each can contains:

• 120mg caffeine – enough to energize without overstimulating.

• Cognizin® Citicoline – supports brain energy and memory function.

• Rhodiola Rosea – adaptogen to help combat fatigue and improve mental performance.

• L-Theanine – promotes calm focus and smooths the caffeine edge.

• Panax Ginseng – boosts alertness and cognitive endurance.

• B-vitamins – essential for energy metabolism.

Unlike typical energy drinks, Neutonic pairs moderate caffeine with clinically studied nootropics and adaptogens, creating a more balanced, sustained cognitive lift.

Are They Funded or Bootstrapped?

Neutonic was initially self-funded by both founders—James reportedly put in over £500K of his own capital. That included product R&D, inventory production, and launch ops in both the UK and U.S. In mid-2025, they raised $3.7M from strategic angels, including Kayla Itsines, Codie Sanchez, and Alan Barratt (Grenade), among others.

Their Origin Story

According to James, the idea sparked from a simple insight: productivity is the next fitness. Both he and Chris had experienced the highs (and brutal crashes) of coffee and Monster. James wanted a better option—something clean, clear, and high-performing.

The two founders came at it from wildly different angles:

• Chris, ever the strategist, obsessed over formulation, can copy, and scripting product launches.

• James brought guerrilla-style energy: giving out 300 cans at King's Cross and filming a 2-hour TikTok Shop livestream with no script.

Their tension became a superpower: "We both respect each other's lanes. Chris scripts, I improvise. He optimizes Slack. I make fun of Slack in content. And it works." (Interview)

Their co-founder chemistry isn't all smooth. But it's high-trust, high-respect—and deeply creative.

Core Customer Base

Imagine a 32-year-old tech founder in Manchester, a freelance designer in Sydney, and a CrossFit coach in London—all reaching for the same can. Neutonic’s audience isn’t defined by postcode as much as by mindset: high-performance people who want clean energy without the baggage of traditional options.

• Demographic: 25–40, mostly UK-based but growing globally. Many work in tech, fitness, entrepreneurship, or remote-first roles.

• Psychographic: They care about function, not fluff. Often sober-curious or caffeine-sensitive. Seek alternatives to coffee and traditional energy drinks.

James himself calls Neutonic "his own avatar": someone who wants productivity without the crash, and branding that doesn't talk down to them.

How Did They Grow So Sustainably? (P&L View)

Growth Model: Founder Influence x Taste Obsession x Distribution Discipline

1. Influencer-Led Launch With two built-in creator channels, Neutonic bypassed the typical CAC treadmill. James and Chris drove initial demand through Instagram skits, YouTube breakdowns, and TikTok virality.

2. Taste-First Rigor Chris pulled an entire £60,000 run of product offline when the taste wasn't right. They refused to scale a subpar SKU—even if it meant delay. That level of quality control led to high repeat purchases and organic evangelism.

3. Amazon + TikTok Shop + DTC They crushed Amazon UK early and dominated TikTok Shop with younger buyers. Their DTC site converts on the back of sharp landing pages and James' newsletter-style sales emails..

Key Milestones

• Nov 2023: Brand launch

• Mar 2024: Sold 3M+ cans, $10M+ revenue

• Jul 2025: $3.7M round raised at $20M valuation

• 2025 Q4: Planned U.S. retail and co-packer expansion

Influencer Marketing Mix

Beyond the co-founders, Neutonic has tapped:

• Investors like Kayla Itsines and Mike Thurston

• Cross-promotion on podcasts like Modern Wisdom

• A halo effect from James’ book, newsletter, and training platforms

What’s unique is they treat creator partners more like operators. Most investors promote via their own channels.

Their Marketing X-Factor

James and Chris openly joke about their differences:

• Chris loves scripting and data.

• James improvises, jokes, and memes Slack threads.

They turned their creative tension into public storytelling. TikTok videos play on their contrast. Skits poke fun at internal debates. This builds trust and virality at once.

Neutonic also mastered founder-led education. They break down what nootropics are, why their blend matters, and why you're not crashing post-can.

Takeaways for Wellness Operators

1. Let co-founder tension be a strength. Don’t hide it. Story it.

2. Don’t scale a subpar SKU. Chris’s taste-first rigor paid dividends.

3. Get scrappy with content. James made $100K+ TikTok videos for free using a car, three drinks, and a narrative hook.

4. Email still converts. Their chatbot + email sequence combo drives thousands of leads from carousels alone.

5. Fund later, from believers. They raised after proving demand—not before.

For deeper context, explore:

• "How I Raised $3.7M for Neutonic"

• James Smith & Chris Williamson on Creative Conflict

• Neutonic on Amazon