Gymshark began in 2012 as a garage-born fitness apparel brand created by Ben Francis, a 19-year-old student in Birmingham. What started with a screen-printing press and Shopify storefront evolved into one of the most successful DTC-to-global retail transitions of the last decade.

Huel, founded in 2014 by Julian Hearn and James Collier, set out to redefine food as “complete nutrition.” The brand’s mission — delivering convenient, affordable, nutritionally complete meals — made it a pioneer of the “functional food” category.

AG1 was founded in 2010 by Chris Ashenden to simplify daily nutrition with a single, comprehensive greens formula. The company has since evolved into a discipline‑led wellness brand known for a “one product, one promise” focus (AG1) — recently expanding into complementary SKUs while preserving DTC subscription economics.

BRĒZ launched in 2023 to create a credible, feel‑good alternative to alcohol: micro‑dosed, hemp‑derived THC + CBD beverages stacked with lion’s mane and adaptogens — later expanding into THC‑free functional tonics (e.g., Flow).

OLIPOP launched in 2018, founded by Ben Goodwin and David Lester to reinvent soda with prebiotics, plant fiber, and a fraction of the sugar. The brand stands for “a new kind of soda” — nostalgic flavors delivered with digestive‑health support — and has rapidly evolved from a challenger in natural grocery to a national retail force with a growing DTC subscription base.

WHOOP was founded in 2012 by Will Ahmed (with early co-founders John Capodilupo and Aurelian Nicolae) to decode human performance through continuous physiology — turning recovery, sleep, and strain into daily coaching.

Eight Sleep was founded in 2014 by Matteo Franceschetti and team to solve a universal pain point: sleeping too hot or too cold. The company reframed “mattress” as sleep technology, led by the Pod — an active heating/cooling cover and mattress system with biometric sensing and an app‑layer (“sleep OS”) that turns temperature into a performance lever.

Poppi began as a kitchen experiment by Allison and Stephen Ellsworth to make apple‑cider‑vinegar (ACV) more enjoyable, then rebranded from “Mother” to Poppi after a successful Shark Tank appearance. The brand’s mission is simple: bring back soda’s joy with modern nutrition — bright, nostalgic flavors with a light‑touch functional benefit (prebiotic fiber from inulin + ACV) and a fraction of the sugar.

Harry’s launched in 2013 (founded by Jeff Raider and Andy Katz‑Mayfield) to fix a familiar pain point: overpriced, over‑engineered shaving sold by incumbents. The brand reframed men’s grooming around quality at a fair price, with a direct relationship, transparent design, and its own blade manufacturing.

Therabody (originally Theragun) was founded by Dr. Jason Wersland to solve a personal pain problem and, in doing so, mainstreamed percussive therapy. The company rebranded in 2020 to reflect a broader mission: science‑backed recovery and wellness technology spanning muscle, face, sleep, and stress.

Ketone‑IQ (originally H.V.M.N., founded in 2014 by Michael Brandt and Geoffrey Woo) set out to deliver clean, crash‑free energy by putting exogenous ketones into an accessible, great‑tasting format. The flagship is a caffeine‑free ketone shot and multi‑serving drink that raises blood ketone levels to power training, focus, and travel — a modern alternative to sugar and stimulants.

Glossier was founded in 2014 by Emily Weiss, evolving from the beauty editorial platform Into The Gloss into a consumer brand built on community dialogue and “skin first, makeup second.” The company turned real‑people routines and conversational tone into a modern identity that prizes ease, dewy finishes, and everyday use.

Chamberlain Coffee launched in 2019, founded by creator-entrepreneur Emma Chamberlain, with a mission to make high-quality specialty coffee approachable, fun, and planet-minded. The brand translated Emma’s editorial voice into a modern café-at-home system — beans, cold-brew singles, instant sticks, matcha, and RTD lattes — wrapped in vivid, character-driven packaging.

billie launched in 2017 (co-founded by Georgina Gooley and Jason Bravman) to redesign women’s shaving around fairness, design, and skin health — without the “pink tax.” The brand’s early message cut through category fatigue: honest pricing, great razors, and body-positive storytelling.

NOBULL was founded in 2015 by Marcus Wilson and Michael Schaeffer (ex-Reebok) to serve athletes who value work over hype — minimalist footwear and apparel built for training, not trends. The brand broke out inside functional fitness, then pushed into mainstream performance through high-visibility sports partnerships and a broader training portfolio (cross-training, lifting, running, golf practice, lifestyle).

Athletic Brewing was founded in 2017 by Bill Shufelt and John Walker to make great-tasting, non-alcoholic beer for modern, active lifestyles. The brand reframed “NA” from compromise to advantage — taste, recovery, and social belonging without alcohol.

Lorna Jane was founded in 1989 by Lorna Jane Clarkson in Brisbane to create performance-led activewear designed specifically for women. The brand’s ethos — Move, Nourish, Believe — positions movement as a lifestyle, not a siloed workout, and its products balance functional fabrics with fashion-forward silhouettes.

Magic Spoon launched in 2019 to reinvent the breakfast cereal aisle for adults: a high-protein, low-sugar, gluten-free cereal packaged with nostalgic flair.

Rhone was founded in 2014 by Nate Checketts (with Ben Checketts and Kyle McClure) to build premium performance apparel for modern men — pieces that move from training to travel to work without compromising on fabric, fit, or polish.

MUD\WTR was founded in 2018 by Shane Heath to offer a calmer, more functional alternative to coffee: a masala-chai base with mushrooms and adaptogens designed for focus, energy, and ritual without the jitter-crash cycle.