Food Technology startup from Kaunas aims to conquer Europe

Not only were they the first to bring the nootropic energy drink to the UK market, but they are also at the forefront of this rapidly expanding market. The bold goals of the Brite Drinks’ founders include becoming the leaders in this field across Europe. Indeed, it was not by accident that the Brite company won in the Kaunas Startups program. Soon it appeared on the prestigious list of the world’s TOP 500 food technology startups.

According to Andrius Ratkevičius, co-creator, and CEO of the innovative beverage, the product idea was born while climbing a career ladder in a company in Scotland. A busy schedule led to the search for an additional source of energy, which usually came from regular cups of strong coffee.

“Coffee contains caffeine, which activates adrenaline hormone and increases heart rate. This state is more appropriate for physical rather than an intellectual activity, thus, the idea was born to create a product that would be suitable for professionals doing intellectual labor. This is how Brite came about – a more efficient and healthier alternative to coffee and energy drinks,” Andrius remembers the several years old history.

The research, showing that enough people are willing to pay money for this new product, helped the creators of the drink to make a decision of leaving their jobs and focusing on this project.

Between London and Germany

Then the work began: first, the idea of a drink and the basic parameters had to be clarified. To achieve that the young people received help from the master’s students of the University College London. The final product was developed in collaboration with a company in Germany that provided access to state-of-the-art laboratories.

The final product was a drink with nootropic substances, which improve intellectual activity, concentration, memory, creativity, motivation. Brite creators have no doubts that nootropics will replace coffee and energy drinks in the future.

The end users of the product are professionals who want to achieve more and who take care of their health. The product developers reach them through online sales, in addition, the drink is supplied to stores, restaurants, and gyms. A large number of drinks ordered online go directly to offices such as WeWork and Goldman Sachs. Currently, the main product market is the United Kingdom, but orders from customers in other countries, including Lithuania, are increasing.

You can also purchase Brite on Amazon. Andrius says that they are planning on joining the Amazon Launchpad program, which helps startups increase brand awareness and achieve even better sales results.

Objectives and recognition

The creators of the drink are pursuing growth, awareness and the development of general competencies via all possible channels. Kaunas Startups program has become one of them.

“Our main goal was to get guidance for further business development and the program fully met that expectation. We want to successfully sell the beverage in Lithuania as well, so we hoped to gain insights from local experts. An additional benefit was the opportunity to meet like-minded people who are creating innovative solutions in Kaunas. We believe that it is very important to communicate and share the early-stage business experience,” Andrius tells about his impressions from the Kaunas Startups program.

He mentions the ability to hear all the opinions (but to choose wisely and make one’s own decision) as one of the greatest lessons learned during Brite’s development. “For example, in our case, a few market experts were convincing us that selling drinks online is neither possible nor necessary. But we didn’t despair and still managed to find a way to do it. As a result, we now have the opportunity to enter new markets more quickly, communicate directly with end users, gain insights and change accordingly.”

Speaking of achievements that he is proud of, Andrius mentions not only recognition in Kaunas – the first place in the competition of Kaunas Startups program but also a successful entry into the top 500 food-tech companies of the world. This list was based on the evaluation of the applications of the most innovative companies. 500 top companies were selected on the basis of relevant indicators, for example, growth of the company, business plan, environmental protection. The purpose of the list is to publicize the startups worth noticing due to their potential to positively contribute to all of our lives. According to Brite’s creators, being on this list has brought not only more self-confidence but also very tangible benefits: the company has gained even more awareness that has opened up new business opportunities.

Further plans include more ecology and international development

The startup is currently aiming to take first place in the UK market for nootropic drinks.

“This market is growing rapidly and we are the first to offer a natural nootropic drink. We have already obtained permission to trade in prestigious retail chains in London,” Andrius says.

Entrepreneurs’ immediate plans include a greater emphasis on ecology and preparation for further development. Taking the consumers and environmental protection into consideration, they are completely abandoning plastic. A drink will soon be available in a glass container. Meanwhile, the long-term start-up plan is to increase the number of sales points and become a well-known brand across Europe.

Information by “Kaunas IN” Business Division.

Photos by “Brite”.