Neutonic

Neutonic is a London-based nootropic productivity drinks brand founded in November 2023 by personal trainer and social media personality James Smith, podcaster Chris Williamson, creator economy entrepreneur Shan Hanif, and manager Luke Betts. The company produces a sugar-free functional beverage formulated with clinically researched cognitive performance ingredients — Cognizin (citicoline), Rhodiola rosea, Panax ginseng, L-theanine, and B vitamins — targeting the growing consumer segment seeking sustained mental focus and clarity without the crash associated with conventional energy drinks.

The global energy drink market is dominated by high-sugar, artificially flavoured products built around a rapid caffeine spike and an equally rapid comedown. As consumer preferences have shifted toward health-conscious, performance-oriented alternatives, a category gap has emerged for beverages that deliver genuine cognitive function benefits without synthetic ingredients. Neutonic was built around the premise that productivity is the next fitness — that the same audience investing in physical performance and evidence-based nutrition is ready to apply the same thinking to their mental output.

Neutonic's Productivity Drink uses its four founding co-creators' combined distribution reach — James Smith has 3.4 million social media followers, Chris Williamson's Modern Wisdom podcast has accumulated over one billion downloads — to build consumer pull before institutional capital. The go-to-market model, which combined direct-to-consumer online sales with Amazon and retail placement, produced exceptional early results: three million cans sold and $10 million in revenue within the first 18 months of trading, reaching the top position on Amazon in both the energy drink and grocery categories.

Neutonic raised £2.7 million ($3.7 million) in its first funding round in July 2025, valuing the company at $20 million. The angel round was backed by industry operators including Grenade founder Alan Barratt, fitness influencer Kayla Itsines, and entrepreneurs Codie Sanchez, Dan Martell, and Mike Thurston. The capital is being used to scale the team, deepen UK and US retail distribution, appoint regional leads for international expansion, and bring new product variants to market.