Maker of Optimum Nutrition and BSN Shows Interest in Keurig-Like Device to Prepare Protein Shakes

Update (September 25, 2018): 

In an Xtalks interview, Gian-Carlo Ochoa, the founder and executive chairman of Güdpod Corp., spoke about the company’s future initiatives.

“I think a play in the weight loss/weight management area, there are some great players out there, I think is something that we’re interested in and believe could be one of our next partners. Partners outside of the US in sports nutrition as well. In Asia, the Middle East, Latin America are all potential places for partnerships,” said Ochoa.

“We also think there’s room for beauty within products as well and bariatric, pre- and post-bariatric surgery is also a market that we’re very interested in and believe we’ll have a partner in that channel as well.”

Originally published on September 12, 2018:

In a world where popular beverages such as coffee and sparkling water can be made at home with a touch of a button, it’s no surprise that there is now a similar device that can be used to make liquid supplements such as protein shakes. Now that Glanbia Performance Nutrition, the world’s number one performance nutrition business, has signed a letter of intent to partner with the developers of Güdpod, the startup has an even better chance at success in the multi-billion dollar sports nutrition market.

As part of the agreement, Glanbia will be making some of its popular sports nutrition products, such as Optimum Nutrition, BSN, thinkThin and Amazing Grass, in Güdpod’s “pod” format so that they will be compatible with the device. This deal is a big opportunity for Güdpod, which launched its Keurig-like liquid supplement maker in 2016.

This partnership will pair Güdpod’s patented liquid supplement delivery system with Glanbia’s premium powdered whey protein, amino acid, pre-workout and post-workout products. Güdpod claims that their device makes premium nutritional beverages at home or at work without the messy clean up that is commonly associated with shaking and mixing nutrition powders by hand.

“More people in the US take nutritional supplements every day than drink coffee, so we believe the market potential for offering recognized and trusted branded ingredients alongside a revolutionary pod-based functional beverage delivery system is substantial,” Gian-Carlo Ochoa, Ph.D., founder and executive chairman of Güdpod Corp. said in a release. “Working with a nutrition powerhouse like Glanbia, and offering consumers their proven protein brands through our Güdpod delivery system, is a great start.”

The Güdpod device works by automatically mixing powdered supplements in any beverage of choice with the push of a button. Compatible pods come with a mixing tip inside of them that releases powdered supplements and spins at a high velocity once activated. Users can place any beverage of their choice in a glass below the mixing pod and watch as their powdered supplement gets blended into their beverage quickly and effortlessly. This blending pod differentiates the machine from Keurig devices that rely on a drip method to prepare their beverages.

Glanbia’s CCO, David Strickland told Nutra Ingredients USA that the company hopes this partnership with Güdpod will counteract flat powdered supplement sales. The sports nutrition company’s revenue growth was down by 4.4 percent and their EBTA (earnings before taxes and amortization) was down by 16.4 percent, according to their half-year results. Strickland believes that do-it-yourself technology has been gaining momentum in the food industry and he’s right.

SodaStream, which was recently acquired by PepsiCo, posted a 31 percent year-over-year sales increase for 2018 and the company has been experiencing double-digit revenue growth for the past nine consecutive quarters.

CPG giant Nestlé has also been investing in do-it-yourself technology for making nutritious beverages. The company recently launched a pilot program in Japan where participants received personalized nutrition capsules that make fortified nutrient-rich beverages and snacks through an at-home single-serve device.

So, it seems that as we move forward in the food industry, convenience is becoming a top factor for at-home food applications. Considering the fact that the single-serve coffee pod industry accumulated $3.8 billion in sales in 2017 and $3.7 billion in 2016, it is likely that the single-serve nutrition industry will see success as well.

As part of their partnership, Glanbia and Güdpod are currently working together to find retailers that are interested in tapping into the $84 billion global vitamin, mineral and supplement (VMS) market with their innovative system.

“As the market leader in whey protein, we understand what our customers need and want in a nutritional shake, and quality ingredients and convenience are at the top of the list,” said David Strickland, chief commercial officer at Glanbia Performance Nutrition, in a release.  “We see this pairing with Güdpod as a great way to deliver both to a broad spectrum of consumers from bodybuilders and performance athletes to weekend warriors – really, anyone looking to add the benefits of lean protein to their diet in a delicious and convenient way.”