NEW YORK, April 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — A little-known Amazonian “Super Leaf” is breaking new ground in the beverage world. Guayusa (pronounced “gwhy-you-sa”) has been brewed by Amazonian hunters as a source of energy and focus for thousands of years, containing as much caffeine as coffee and double the antioxidants of green tea.
Brooklyn-based start-up Runa has introduced guayusa to the United States. Founded by entrepreneurs Tyler Gage and Dan MacCombie, Runa has created the world’s first supply chain for guayusa, supporting more than 2,000 farmers in Ecuador, and is now launching its newest product line, Clean Energy drinks.
Already available nationwide in over 4,000 locations, Runa aims to further shake up the beverage market by going against the grain of energy drinks that contain highly artificial, hard-to-pronounce, fluorescent colored ingredients.
Each can of Runa Clean Energy contains only carbonated water, Amazon guayusa, citric acid and natural flavors. Functionally, this natural brew has 120 mg of caffeine (50 percent more than other leading energy drinks) and 680 mg of polyphenol that serve as antioxidants. Guayusa contains no tannins, resulting in a smooth and naturally sweet flavor.
Co-founder, Tyler Gage, first drank guayusa while studying linguistics in the Amazon as a student at Brown University. “As college students we needed energy but were scared by all of crazy ingredients in energy drinks,” Gage says. “With guayusa we saw a source of energy that tasted great, gave us more sustained energy, and was actually good for our bodies.”
Runa worked with NSG/SWAT, acclaimed advertising executive Richard Kirshenbaum’s new boutique branding agency, to develop the bright design, look and feel of Runa Clean Energy. Runa Clean Energy Drinks are now available nationwide at a suggested retail price of $2.29 per can. For more information, please visit www.runa.org.
About Runa
Founded in 2008 by Forbes “30 Under 30” entrepreneurs Tyler Gage and Dan MacCombie, Runa introduced guayusa to the U.S. via their line of loose leaf and bottle beverages. Runa’s ready to drink tea bottles, infusers for hot tea, and now, carbonated energy drinks are available in over 4,000 stores across the country including Whole Foods, Stop and Shop, and Vitamin Shoppe.