{{Short description|American supplement company}} {{Infobox company | name = Ketone-IQ | logo = Ketone-IQ Logo.png | logo_size = | founders = Geoffrey Woo, Michael Brandt | location_city = San Francisco | area_served = United States | key_people = Jon Jones (Co-owner)<ref>{{cite web |title=Jon Jones lands new job after UFC retirement |url=https://talksport.com/mma/3316114/jon-jones-new-job-ufc-retirement/ |website=TalkSport |date= |access-date=June 24, 2025}}</ref> Steven Bartlett (Co-owner)<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-09-19 |title=Ketone-IQ Adds ‘Opportunistic’ Investment, New Retail Partners|url=https://www.bevnet.com/news/2025/ketone-iq-adds-investors-adds-retail-partners/ |access-date=2025-10-30 |website=bevnet.com |language=en}}</ref> | homepage = {{URL|https://ketone.com/}} | industry = Nutrition | type = Private }}
'''Ketone-IQ''' is an American company that specializes in manufacturing and distributing a ketone drink.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Castro|first1=Vicky|title=The 'Brain-Enhancing' Drugs That Are Sweeping Silicon Valley|url=http://www.inc.com/vicky-castro/the-brain-enhancing-drug-thats-sweeping-silicon-valley.html|publisher=Inc.com|accessdate=9 March 2015|date=2015-03-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Don't have time to drink your coffee? Chew it with Go Cubes|url=http://www.cnet.com/news/dont-have-time-to-drink-your-coffee-chew-it-with-go-cubes/|publisher=CNET|accessdate=14 September 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Perks of Fasting, With None of the Work|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/11/keto-in-a-bottle/545129/|publisher=The Atlantic|accessdate=17 November 2017|date=2017-11-07}}</ref> Previously known as Health Via Modern Nutrition, Inc or "HVMN", the company re-branded itself as Ketone-IQ in May 2024. <ref>{{cite web|title=H.V.M.N. is Health Via Modern Nutrition|url=https://hvmn.com/blog/company/hvmn-is-health-via-modern-nutrition|publisher=HVMN|accessdate=19 September 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Introducing ketone.com|url=https://ketone.com/blogs/blog/introducing-ketone-com|publisher=Ketone-IQ|accessdate=29 June 2024}}</ref>
==History== The company was founded as Nootrobox in 2014 by Geoffrey Woo and Michael Brandt.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Buhr |first=Sarah |date=2017-06-27 |title=Nootrobox is now HVMN and will sell biohacking products beyond nootropics |url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/06/27/hvmnafterall/ |access-date=2024-02-05 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}</ref> While forming the company Woo was an Entrepreneur in residence at venture capital firm Foundation Capital,<ref name=TC1>{{cite web|last1=Perez|first1=Sarah|title=Nootrobox Launches Its "Smart Drugs" Subscription Service|url=https://techcrunch.com/2014/07/22/nootrobox-launches-its-smart-drugs-subscription-service/|publisher=TechCrunch|accessdate=9 March 2015}}</ref> while Brandt worked as a Google employee, a freelance photographer, and an adjunct professor at the Academy of Art University.<ref name=BI1>{{cite web|last1=D'ONFRO|first1=JILLIAN|title=This Twenty-Something Ditched His Dream Job At Google And Now He Has A Startup That Sells Brain-Enhancing Pills|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/former-google-apm-michael-brandt-2014-8|publisher=Business Insider|accessdate=9 March 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://creator.wework.com/inspiration/a-pair-of-entrepreneurs-focuses-on-nutrients-for-your-brain/ |title=A Pair of Entrepreneurs Focuses on 'Nutrients for Your Brain' |date=June 18, 2015 |publisher=WeWork |accessdate=June 18, 2015 |archive-date=June 19, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150619002211/https://creator.wework.com/inspiration/a-pair-of-entrepreneurs-focuses-on-nutrients-for-your-brain/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
In October 2015, the company announced that Silicon Valley angel investors including Marissa Mayer and Mark Pincus had invested $500,000 in the company.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/nootrobox-nootropics-startup-raises-seed-round-of-funding-2015-10 |title=Marissa Mayer and Mark Pincus invested in a startup that makes 'brain drugs' and chewable coffee |date=October 13, 2015 |work=Business Insider }}</ref> In December 2015, Andreessen Horowitz led a $2 million venture capital round in the company. Chris Dixon, who has experience at companies like Soylent, led the investment for Andreessen Horowitz.<ref>{{citation |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/04/business/dealbook/andreessen-horowitz-to-invest-in-nootropics-start-up.html |title=Andreessen Horowitz to Invest in Nootropics Start-Up |date=December 3, 2015 |work=New York Times }}</ref>
In August 2016, the company partnered with 7-Eleven locations in San Francisco.<ref>{{citation |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2016/08/04/more-money-is-being-poured-into-start-ups-that-hack-the-human-brain.html |title=More money is being poured into start-ups that 'hack' the human brain |date=August 4, 2016 |work=CNBC }}</ref> In January 2017, Woo and Brandt were named to Forbes 30 Under 30 in Consumer Technology.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Michael Brandt, 28, and Geoffrey Woo, 28 - undefined - 2017 30 Under 30: Consumer Technology |url=https://www.forbes.com/pictures/fjji45kgdh/michael-brandt-28-and/ |access-date=2024-01-26 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref> In June 2017, the company changed its name to H.V.M.N., "Health Via Modern Nutrition".<ref>{{citation |url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/06/27/hvmnafterall/ |title=Nootrobox is now HVMN and will sell biohacking products beyond nootropics |date=June 17, 2017 |work=Techcrunch }}</ref> In 2018, HVMN products affiliated with United States Special Operations Command were tested as part of Operation Tech Warrior hosted at the National Center for Medical Readiness.<ref>{{citation |url=https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/businesses-test-innovations-during-technology-acceleration-event/H35M1XKeaiEqLRP7jMWyXJ/ |title=Businesses test innovations during technology acceleration event |work=Dayton Daily News }}</ref> In 2023, HVMN launched in nationwide grocery retail in Sprouts Farmers Market.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-04-03 |title=Ketone-IQ Launches in Nationwide Grocery Retail |url=https://www.bevnet.com/news/2023/ketone-iq-launches-in-nationwide-grocery-retail |access-date=2024-01-26 |website=BevNET.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
In 2024, the company re-branded itself as Ketone-IQ and ketone.com, which is the name of the company's primary product.<ref>{{citation |url=https://ketone.com/blogs/blog/introducing-ketone-com |title=Introducing ketone.com |date=May 2, 2024}}</ref> Ketone-IQ signed a three year partnership with Visma–Lease a Bike (men's team), a UCI World Tour team.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-01-26 |title=Visma–Lease a Bike signs three-year partnership with Ketone-IQ |url=https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling/visma-lease-a-bike-signs-three-year-partnership-with-ketone-iq |access-date=2024-01-26 |website=CyclingUpToDate.com |language=en}}</ref>
In 2025, Ketone-IQ brought on podcaster Steven Bartlett and UFC fighter Jon Jones as co-owners of the company. Ketone-IQ also launched nationwide in Target.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-09-19 |title=Ketone-IQ Adds ‘Opportunistic’ Investment, New Retail Partners|url=https://www.bevnet.com/news/2025/ketone-iq-adds-investors-adds-retail-partners/ |access-date=2025-10-30 |website=bevnet.com |language=en}}</ref>
==Studies and results== In September 2018, HVMN was the nutrition sponsor for cyclist Vittoria Bussi, who broke the UCI Hour record using HVMN Ketone drinks in the training run up and on the day of the record. <ref>{{cite news|title=Vittoria Bussi breaks Hour Record in second attempt within 48-hours |url=https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/vittoria-bussi-breaks-hour-record-second-attempt-48-hours-394277#CUT7IgCOgTpdzhIl.99|work=Cycling Weekly|date=2018}}</ref> In the 2019 Tour de France, multiple cycling teams including {{UCI team code|TJV|2019}} and {{UCI team code|LTS|2019}} confirmed use of ketone ester for performance and recovery. <ref>{{cite news|title=Does Ketone Ester Supplementation Boost Cycling Performance? |url=https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/915715|work=Medscape|date=July 18, 2019}}</ref>
In 2019, the United States Special Operations Command awarded HVMN a $6M research contract for a two-phase study to investigate impact of ketones on soldier performance at altitude, in mountains, on fighter jets, and in space, and researching how ketones impact cognition, physiological reserve, and oxygen availability under stressors like hypoxia.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-01-13 |title=H.V.M.N. Announces Ketone-IQ: The Next-Generation of Drinkable Ketones |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220113005227/en/H.V.M.N.-Announces-Ketone-IQ-The-Next-Generation-of-Drinkable-Ketones |access-date=2024-01-26 |website=www.businesswire.com |language=en}}</ref>
==Culture== In 2016 the company instituted a weekly intermittent fasting day for staff.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_30109953/hacking-brain-silicon-valley-entrepreneurs-turn-fasting-and |title='Hacking' the brain: Silicon Valley entrepreneurs turn to fasting and 'smart drugs' |date=July 9, 2016 |work=Mercury News }}</ref> This was in line with a fad among Silicon Valley companies and workers at that time to use biohacking techniques in the workplace.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/07/silicon-valley-tech-workers-nootropics-biohacking |title=Silicon Valley Tech Workers are Trading Unlimited Snacks for Fasts and L.S.D. |date=July 14, 2016 |work=Vanity Fair }}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
Category:American companies established in 2014 Category:Companies based in San Francisco Category:Online food retailers of the United States Category:2014 establishments in California