Backed by Agri-Tech Co. Brandt, Hellowater to Launch Immunity Line

Agricultural technology company Brandt has invested in fiber-infused water brand hellowater to bring its proprietary immune support ingredient into the beverage world.

The Springfield, Illinois-based company is leading a Series A funding round for hellowater, which is expected to close in Q1. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. The partnership will also serve as a platform for the development of new functional beverage products, starting with hellowater Defense, an enhanced water that features CYTO PLUS, a patented ingredient that supports immune system defense and boosts toxin elimination.

“My father, who started this business, was the quintessential entrepreneur,” said Rick Brandt, President and CEO of BRANDT, in a press release. “And he never hesitated to pursue a good opportunity when he saw it. I think we have a great opportunity with Tom and Rusty at hellowater to create a whole new beverage category from a technology that we’ve been perfecting for years.”

Speaking with BevNET earlier this week, hellowater co-founder Rusty Jones and Tom Bushkie said that they were introduced to Brandt through networking in the local CPG/agronomics community. From there the company began learning about CYTO PLUS, a proprietary ingredient created by Brandt’s chief science office, Dr. Arthur Nonomura, aimed specifically at supporting Cytochrome P450, a set of enzymes in the human body that are essential for metabolism and bioactivation of drugs and toxicants.

Under the terms of the deal, Chicago-based hellowater will have the exclusive license to use CYTO PLUS in a beverage. The first release will be hellowater Defense, available in 16 oz. square PET bottles and set to launch for direct-to-consumer sales in March.

“They not only saw the vision of what we can do, and they know we work fast and without a lot of red tape,” he said. “They can piggyback on top of what we’ve already built, along with our distribution, sales and marketing teams.”

While further details on the ingredients and product itself have not been revealed, Jones framed its point of differentiation as being more “proactive” than other immunity beverages in supporting “toxin elimination and prevention.”

“Immunity products are treating free radicals that are already in your system,” he said. “The technology that we have is more proactive. That’s what we feel is game changing. We are more treating the root cause rather than the symptom.”

Brandt’s investment in hellowater includes more than financing and ingredient technology: As a long-term marketing partner with NASCAR racing team JR Motorsports, the agribusiness will leverage that relationship to boost awareness and marketing presence for the brand.

The new immunity line will fit in alongside hellowater’s existing fiber-infused flavored waters, but they aren’t the only innovation planned for this year. The brand will also release a non-fiber-infused alkaline water (pH +9.5) direct-to-consumer later this spring, with other functional drinks featuring IP from Brandt likely to also be in the works.

“One of the things that Rusty and I looked at when we did get the partnership and the rights to the patent with Brandt was how do we transition this into more than just a fiber-infused company,” he said. “Pivot isn’t the right word — we think there is so much runway for our current line. But we can evolve into more of a total beverage brand now and moving forward, rather than just being synonymous with fiber-infused (beverages).”