🟣 Issue No. 74: NeuroGum

In partnership with

$100M BRAND STORY

NeuroGum: How a Cold-Pressed Gum Became a $100M Brand Built on TikTok Discipline

NeuroGum makes functional gum and mints infused with caffeine, L-theanine, and B-vitamins to boost focus and energy. Founded by Kent Yoshimura and Ryan Chen, the brand’s mission is to help people get into the “right state of mind at the right time.” Today, NeuroGum is one of the fastest-growing functional-wellness brands in the U.S., outselling 5-Hour Energy on Amazon—without spending on ads.

In 2024, Neuro achieved 13% national awareness (one in seven Americans recognise the brand), powered almost entirely by TikTok. What started as a biohacker’s side experiment is now a case study in disciplined, data-driven creator marketing.

Are They Funded or Bootstrapped?

NeuroGum is venture-backed, having raised ≈ $8.25 M (Pitchbook).
Early investors include Scooter Braun, Gary Vaynerchuk, and in 2024 Steve Aoki, who also became a brand partner.
The brand’s early phase was scrappy and self-funded via Indiegogo and Reddit virality, giving the founders both bootstrapped muscle and capital discipline.

Their Origin Story

The story began at UC San Diego, where Kent and Ryan bonded over athletics and neuroscience. Kent, a martial artist studying neurobiology, started mixing racetams by hand to enhance mental performance. Ryan, a collegiate athlete who became paraplegic after a snowboarding accident, found those formulas helped him regain focus during recovery. Together they realised no one had applied nootropic science to a gum format—a portable, shareable, accessible vehicle.

In 2015 they launched on Indiegogo, raising $15K in 3 days after Kent posted in the r/Nootropics subreddit. Their patented cold-compression manufacturing process became a moat—no heat degradation, better flavour, and superior ingredient integrity.

Core Customer Base

Neuro’s audience is performance-minded millennials: athletes, entrepreneurs, gamers, and creators seeking clean focus without the crash. Psychographically they sit at the biohacker × lifestyle intersection—people optimising their edge while living fast-paced lives.

They use Meltwater and Epsilon data to identify high-index audiences (runners, gamers, chess players), guiding partnerships with Strava, 100 Thieves, and Chess.com.

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

1. TikTok as the Growth Core

• 2024: TikTok’s fastest-growing brand (YouTube Interview)

• 13 % U.S. awareness from TikTok alone

• Peak ROAS ≈ 68 ×; top creators generate up to $1 M/month GMV

• Discord creator community (500 +) with GMV goals & rewards (Rolex, trips, Times Square billboards)

• 3h orientation + quiz via Notion

• Relentless A/B testing of titles, scripts, hooks; winning patterns shared across creators

2. Omnichannel Marketing Flywheel

• TikTok ≈ 80 % top-of-funnel / 20 % conversion

• Google PMAX captures downstream search from TikTok virality

• Meta ≈ 20–30 % of spend as hygiene channel

• Amazon: organic dominance (no ad spend)

• Retail velocity and DTC lift verified via Nielsen and Epsilon

3. Operational Discipline

• PurpleFire CRO case study unlocked ≈ $1.5 M in incremental annual revenue

• Each employee drives ≈ $1 M annual revenue

• Patent-backed manufacturing ensures quality and pricing power

Key Milestones

Their Influencer Marketing Mix

Neuro built its own affiliate creator engine through Discord tiers with GMV thresholds, luxury rewards, and founder engagement. Hero campaigns like Shark Tank, Joe Rogan clips, and Steve Aoki × Chess.com collabs fueled community. It’s a creator guild, not a transactional program.

Marketing X-Factor

• Daily content before outsourcing

• Speed > polish

• Creator education via Notion onboarding

• Consumer-insight-driven partnerships

• Unified data loop across TikTok, PMAX, retail

Takeaways for Wellness Operators

1. Format innovation = edge.

2. Treat creators like culture.

3. Obsess over inputs > vanity metrics.

4. Use data + instinct to pick partners.

5. Ops discipline = scaling power.

6. Hire via Who Method → 98 % retention.

7. Culture drives performance.

8. Speed beats perfection.

Closing Thoughts

NeuroGum proves that disciplined, community-driven growth can outperform ad-spend blitzes. By combining neuroscience, creator systems, and culture, the brand scaled from Indiegogo to a $100 M business that chews like a movement.

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