Neutonic raises £4.5m angel round to take research-backed nootropics into mainstream grocery
This article covers Neutonic, a foodtech startup, which has raised £4.5m in a growth funding round from angel investors to accelerate retail and international expansion across the UK, the US and new markets including Australia. The funding is intended to support Neutonic’s expansion into mainstream grocery, convenience and fitness channels and to scale its product, commercial and operational capacity, targeting consumers seeking nootropic-led alternatives to caffeine.
Neutonic, a foodtech startup making functional drinks and supplements, has raised £4.5 million in a growth funding round from angel investors to accelerate retail and international expansion across the UK, the US and new markets including Australia. The injection arrives as demand for nootropic-led alternatives to caffeine grows and the brand moves deeper into grocery, convenience and fitness channels.
Why it matters
The raise highlights how consumer interest in performance and mental clarity products is translating into retail momentum. Neutonic says it is already stocked in more than 10,000 retail doors worldwide and is moving into mainstream grocery channels such as Sainsbury’s meal deals, Ocado and other national listings. That kind of distribution can turn a direct-to-consumer product into a mass-market brand, which is the focus for many foodtech startups moving beyond niche wellness audiences.
Inside the product
Neutonic develops drinks and supplements that use nootropics at doses the company describes as research-backed, combined with a flavour-first formulation designed for everyday use rather than one-off energy boosts. The company positions its range as an alternative to traditional caffeine-led energy drinks, aiming to deliver sustained focus and clarity without the crash.
Planned uses for the funding include accelerating retail roll-out, making strategic hires across product, commercial and operations, expanding distribution across grocery, convenience and fitness channels, and continuing product innovation across drinks and supplements. An Australian launch is explicitly on the roadmap.
Who are the investors?
The round is described as an angel funding round and includes backing from Alan Barrett alongside investors including Ollie Marchon, Ross Edgley, Dan Martell, Codie Sanchez, Nomit Shah and Zach Ranen. Jay Parker has joined Neutonic as a special adviser.
The investor list is largely individual angels rather than institutional VC firms. The deal reflects growing interest from foodtech investors in functional drinks and nootropics as retailers seek differentiated wellness products for mainstream shelves.
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Founder perspective
In the announcement, James Smith, Co-founder at Neutonic, said:
This raise gives us the firepower to keep building Neutonic across both the UK and US whilst also launching in Australia. We have seen strong momentum in retail and this next phase is about scaling distribution, strengthening the team and continuing to meet growing consumer demand.
In the announcement, Chris Williamson, Co-founder at Neutonic, said:
We have always felt there was space for a product that better reflects how people want to perform today. Retail appetite has been incredibly encouraging and this funding allows us to accelerate from a strong base.
In the announcement, Harry Cotgrove, VP at Neutonic, said:
Neutonic combines research-backed nootropics at effective dosages with a truly flavour-first approach, positioning us to lead the fast growing category. Lack of focus and productivity are increasing challenges across a wide range of consumers, and caffeine alone is not sufficient to solve them. Neutonic is built to address this, and this raise gives us the ability to scale that vision faster, bringing the product to more consumers and embedding it into daily routines at a much larger scale.
The company was founded in 2023 by Chris Williamson, James Smith, Luke Betts and Shan Hanif. Williamson brings a substantial public profile: his Modern Wisdom podcast is cited as ranking No.7 worldwide with over one billion downloads, which helped drive early traction.
The bigger picture
Neutonic’s distribution footprint includes grocery, specialist retail and fitness environments. In the UK the brand is rolling out into 500 Sainsbury’s stores as part of the retailer’s meal deal, and is listed with Ocado, Morrisons Daily and Booths, as well as more than 1,200 Motor Fuel Group forecourts and gym chains such as Fitness First and Everlast. In the US it is available in GNC, The Vitamin Shoppe and Central Market, with wider national grocery expansion expected.
This round underlines a broader trend: retailers and investors are increasingly willing to back products that position wellness and cognitive performance as everyday needs rather than niche supplements. For Neutonic, the challenge will be translating current retail listings into repeat purchase and sustained growth as competition in functional drinks intensifies.
As the company expands internationally, the deal is another signal of appetite for UK-founded foodtech companies that can scale distribution quickly across multiple markets, and of investor interest in consumer brands that bridge direct-to-consumer origins and mainstream retail.
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