Beverage USA Holdings snaps up NERD nootropic drinks brand

23 Jul 2020 --- Beverage USA Holdings (BevUSA) has acquired the assets of Nerd Beverage Corporation (NERD), a mental acuity beverage company designed to disrupt the industry. Its flagship product, NERD Focus is touted as enhancing focus, concentration, memory and energy with powerful nootropics and nutrients. The move comes as demand for brain-boosting ingredients is rising. Stress management is also top of mind for consumers, with nootropics presenting a pronounced opportunity in this space.

“We saw a lot of opportunity for growth when we first came across NERD Focus. The company itself was not looking to be acquired but we knew how much potential there was with the brand,” Howard Davner, President of BevUSA tells NutritionInsight.

Launched in Texas, US in 2006, NERD introduced its NERD Focus beverage as the first of its kind to hit the market. NERD Focus contains both nootropics and adaptogens creating a proprietary formula aimed to aid mental acuity for college students, health care professionals, gamers and much more.

The company is targeting college students who need to boost their focus while studying.“We saw how strong the consumers’ brand loyalty was in Texas and we want to continue growing that across the country. This made our team at BevUSA eager to join the movement,” notes Davner. He adds that the financial details of the transaction are not to be disclosed.

“Right now, the drink is available in over 800 retailers throughout the state of Texas and online. We are looking to expand to the Las Vegas market by the end of the year and then continue expanding across the US from there,” Davner says.

NERD claims it paved the way for a focus umbrella in the beverage industry, which is pegged for further growth. According to Davner, the functional beverage industry is on its way to hitting more than US$208 billion in the next four year.

Focus on the brain
Davner details that after seeing the brand explode at the University of Texas, the company realized that there is a need for students and other high-demanding professionals to refocus their mental and physical energy. 

“We primarily service college students and professionals with high demanding jobs such as those in the medical field. With our new strategy in place, we will be establishing partnerships and sponsorships in realms such as eSports and gaming, extreme sports, music and entertainment, fashion, and streetwear, and more,” he adds.

The company’s new growth and market expansion strategy includes: 

• Increase the number of markets where NERD Focus is available to eventually expand globally.

• Roll out to the Las Vegas market by year-end. 

• Hit US$7-10 million in projected revenue by the year 2022.

• Build brand equity through product, packaging, image and associations.

The company also notes that it is the first beverage of its kind to rival energy drinks without hefty doses of caffeine and toxic chemicals. In addition it was designed by a University of Texas student while applying to medical school. They wanted to safely be able to enhance focus and energy, which gives the brand a nice storytelling background, in line with Innova Market Insights top trend of 2020, Storytelling. 

After four years in business, NERD Focus was hitting more than US$1 million in annual sales and with the BevUSA team’s more than 100 years of experience in the beverage, distribution, e-commerce, logistics and finance industries, it is expecting further growth. With NERD Focus’ extreme opportunity for growth in the marketplace, BevUSA says it is continuing to evaluate potential partners in order to expand its strategy for a nationwide footprint.

NutritionInsight recently reported on the nootropics and brain boosting ingredients market, where natural formulations are trending. 

By Kristiana Lalou