If you can dream it,
we can pouch it.
This is where it gets interesting. Novel actives. First-of-category products. Formulations that don\u2019t exist yet. Our R&D team lives for the briefs that start with \u201cwe want to do something nobody else has done.\u201d IP-protectable blends, exclusive flavor systems, and the formulation science to make it real.
Every lever you need to build a category-defining product.
Novel active development
Emerging ingredients, proprietary extracts, combination actives. Our formulation team has deep relationships with ingredient suppliers pushing category boundaries — and the lab work to de-risk them.
Exclusive formulations
IP-protectable recipes unique to your brand. Exclusivity windows on proprietary flavor systems, active combinations, and pouch platforms. Your innovation stays yours.
Rapid prototyping
First samples in 2 weeks. Taste panels, stability runs, and consumer testing built into the R&D cycle. We iterate fast because shipping a bad product is more expensive than extra prototype rounds.
Regulatory pathway design
New ingredients often come with novel regulatory questions. FDA GRAS status, New Dietary Ingredient notifications, state-level exceptions — we've navigated them all. We scope your path to shelf before you commit to the work.
Built for founders, retailers, and brand operators.
Category creators
Founders building products that don’t fit neatly into energy, hydration, or supplement taxonomies. Cannabinoids, psychoactives, exotic adaptogens, metabolic actives — the frontier.
Clinical & medical
Pouch-delivery formulations for actives that historically shipped as capsules, drinks, or sublingual strips. Faster uptake, easier compliance, better patient outcomes.
Lifestyle & experiential
Products that blur the line between supplement, functional food, and lifestyle accessory. If the brand story demands a pouch nobody else can ship, we’re the partner.
Frequently asked.
What's the custom R&D process look like?+
Intake call to scope the brief. Feasibility and regulatory memo within 1 week. First samples 2 weeks in. Iteration cycle of 2-4 rounds depending on complexity. Final formulation lock, stability testing, and production scheduling. Typically 6-10 weeks from intake to first production run for truly novel formulations.
Do you work with cannabinoids?+
Hemp-derived compliant cannabinoids (CBD, CBG, CBN) in jurisdictions where permitted, yes. Delta-8 and other HHC/THCP actives are subject to state-by-state review and rapidly shifting regulation. We scope carefully and commit only where the regulatory path is credible.
Can you help us IP-protect a formulation?+
We can structure formulations to be patentable (provisional and full utility patents), maintain trade-secret protections, and negotiate exclusivity windows on proprietary actives and flavor systems. We partner with IP counsel for the patent prosecution itself.
What's the minimum order for custom R&D?+
First production run typically 100,000 cans to justify the R&D investment and amortize formulation costs. Pilot runs of 20,000-50,000 available for select partners — usually paired with a commitment to a larger follow-on run.
Will you turn down briefs?+
Yes. If the formulation violates regulations we can't defend, if the ingredient sourcing is unreliable, or if the concept has fundamental safety concerns — we'll tell you up-front and we'll explain why. Better that than a product that gets pulled three months after launch.
Let's make something.
A 30-minute call with our team tells you more than any RFP.