KetoneIQ is the first shelf-stable, NSF Certified ketone-ester energy shot that delivers rapid, sugar-free metabolic fuel for brain and body—bridging elite-athlete science and everyday convenience.
About the company
Spun out of DARPA-funded research, KetoneIQ (by H.V.M.N.) converts a chirally-pure ketone diol into a ready-to-drink 2-oz shot that raises circulating ketone levels within minutes, boosting cognitive efficiency and endurance without caffeine, sugar, or stimulants. The formulation sits on a growing IP estate and was vetted through a $6M U.S. Special Operations Command contract focused on metabolic performance.
Commercial traction is accelerating: national sell-in at Sprouts expanded to chain-wide H-E-B in April 2025, with Target.com already live and in-store placement rolling out alongside four new flavored SKUs. All lots are NSF Certified for Sport and WADA-compliant, unlocking pro-team and Olympic channels.
Why We Invested
Global demand for “clean” cognitive and physical energy is moving beyond sugar-and-caffeine spikes toward science-verified metabolic fuel. KetoneIQ translates years of DARPA-backed ketone-ester research into a shelf-stable 2-oz shot priced for mainstream retail—an innovation that collapses the $30-per-dose barrier that kept ketones niche and positions the brand at the forefront of a functional-beverage category projected to surpass $80B.
Three reinforcing moats underpin the opportunity. First, a patented, chirally-pure diol chemistry—validated through a $6M U.S. SOCOM performance contract—provides defensible product differentiation. Second, national distribution traction (Sprouts, chain-wide H-E-B, Target, Equinox) seeds velocity ahead of conventional grocery, club, and RTD extensions already in pilot. Third, NSF Certified-for-Sport status and WADA compliance open elite-sport and military channels, lending scientific credibility that caffeinated “clean energy” competitors lack.