These Former Professional Tennis Players Are Making $70 Million A Year Selling Superfood Powders

“We all want extra vegetation in our weight loss program,” says Your Super cofounder and CMO Kristel de Groot, pictured together with her cofounder and fiancé Michael Kuech. “That’s actually our mission.”
Your Super

At 24, German tennis participant professional Michael Kuech was identified with testicular most cancers. He spent the higher a part of 2013 present process surgical procedure and chemotherapy. As a part of his restoration, girlfriend and fellow tennis participant Kristel de Groot fed him superfood powdered mixes with wheatgrass, barley grass, chia seeds, spirulina and different good-for-you elements—earlier than lengthy, Kuech regained his bodily power and psychological chutzpah.

“I used to be like, ‘What is wheatgrass? What is barley grass? No thought.’ But once I began utilizing them, I felt so significantly better,” Kuech, now 32 remembers. 
Once cancer-free, the couple determined to carry their restoration combine to the plenty, creating superfood powders of their Amsterdam house earlier than launching Your Super in 2014. Since then, the cofounders (de Groot is CMO and Kuech, CEO) have grown their workforce to 120 staff and raised $18 million in funding led by Beyond Meat-backers Power Plant Ventures. They say their energy-boosting mixes—which are available flavors starting from acai and banana to maca and guarana—generated $70 million in income final yr, a 3,900% enhance since 2017.
Your Super’s progress story is illustrative of the well being meals business development towards dehydrated merchandise. Legacy and new age firms alike are introducing these variations of pantry staples comparable to Trader Joe’s powdered peanut butter and Sakara Life’s Protein + Greens powder, each of which will be whipped into smoothies, oatmeal and different meals. The international powdered superfoods market (a marketer-made time period to indicate nutrient-dense meals) is anticipated to develop at a compound annual price of 9% from 2021 to 2025 to $31.2 billion, in response to Research and Markets’ report. 
Sold largely direct-to-consumer, although its merchandise are additionally in Target, Whole Foods and specialty boutiques nationwide, licensed B-Corp Your Super has been in a position to soar from the super-crowded superfood area with its provide chain transparency and good-for-consumers, good-for-the-world promise. For every Your Super buy, the corporate donates considered one of its snack meals bars to somebody in want. The firm additionally attributes its progress to shoppers’ elevated deal with well being on account of the Covid-19 pandemic. “Coming out of Covid, there are two units of individuals: one set struggled with wholesome consuming at dwelling. Another set stated, ‘Okay, if that is taking place, I have to eat wholesome; I’ve to maintain my immune system up,’” remarks Kuech. “With these two varieties, we’ve seen progress, and persevering with progress.” 
After bringing their product to farmers’ markets in Germany and Holland in 2015, de Groot and Kuech took to the web and started delivery mixes round Europe. Without any advertising concentrating on U.S. shoppers, they discovered 10% of their viewers was primarily based in North America. 

“We had been simply performing some influencer advertising, and the U.S. shoppers figured it out,” says Kuech. “We known as our clients and requested: ‘Why are you ordering from us in Berlin? You have to attend 4 weeks, pay $25 delivery, it doesn’t make any sense.’” Through these conversations, the cofounders discovered that the U.S. clients had been prepared to attend and pay extra for Your Super’s purity and sourcing transparency. And so, de Groot and Kuech packed their luggage and moved to Los Angeles to capitalize on their American fandom.

Superfood powders shouldn’t function an alternative to complete meals diet and never all powders are created equal, cautions nutritionist Melissa Halas, MA, RD, CDE. “Everybody must eat extra plant-based complete meals which are nearer to nature, however powders can provide you a lift—antioxidants, fiber, nutritional vitamins and minerals,” she says. “Nutrition is about ensuring you’re getting meals from all kinds of gear—the identical factor goes for a complement: ensure that it’s really helpful by somebody who’s vetting them.” 
Your Super’s dehydrated mixes aren’t going to interchange instantaneous ramen any time quickly. A seven-ounce can—40 servings—of Your Super’s Super Green combine prices $34.90, making the associated fee prohibitive for a lot of clients. Yet, de Groot and Kuech observe that solely about 30% of their buyer base is situated on the West and East coasts—the remaining 70% make dwelling in the course of America, and hail from various socioeconomic backgrounds. “We hear so many tales of consumers who’re going by way of the identical factor that [Kuech] went by way of, and it appears to be popping out of it, the place you’re cancer-free and something however wholesome—and there’s a second the place you say, ‘let’s change issues,’ and also you understand how can change your weight loss program and rapidly really feel good,” says de Groot. 
Looking forward, the corporate plans to broaden its Los Angeles-based workforce by 10 earlier than the yr’s finish. In this time, Your Super may also launch a espresso different with lupin and chaga known as Super Brew. As for de Groot and Kuech personally, they’ll be turning their 13-year courtship and cofounder-ship into marriage in October. Says Kuech, “We met on a tennis courtroom and by no means regarded again.”