I’ve got a favorite new lunch spot right now.
It’s called Cicci Di Carne.
I first learned about it on the TV show, Chef’s Table. That’s where I saw Cicci Di Carne’s founder (Dario Cecchini, an eighth-generation Italian butcher) in action in Panzana, Italy.
Dario recently opened a new spot close to my office in New York. And for the last few weeks, I’ve gotten the Porchetta sandwich. Porchetta is a fatty, boneless pork roast. And the sandwich (they call it a panino) comes with sweet and hot pepper mustard, arugula, and fennel pollen.
I love this sandwich passionately. But I must admit, I’m ready for a siesta after eating it. But now I’ve found a way to enjoy my panino without getting sleepy afterwards.
Today, I’ll share this revelation with you — and then I’ll show you how to invest in it.
Cognitive Nutrition
To set the stage here, let me tell you about a recent trend that’s gathering steam.
The trend is called Cognitive Nutrition.
Essentially, consumers are gravitating towards a style of health care that focuses on health maintenance and prevention, especially as it relates to mental health and performance.
For example, Nootropics — supplements meant to improve cognitive function including attention, memory, creativity, or motivation — have become a $5.9 billion industry. Keto has become a $12 billion industry. And the CBD market is now worth $20 billion.
Here’s a chart that illustrates this growth:
So, if you’re lacking motivation or mental clarity after eating a giant panino, instead of turning to coffee or chocolate, you could give yourself some cognitive nutrition.
And now a new brand is aiming to be your go-to source of this nutrition…
Introducing: TruBrain
It’s called TruBrain. TruBrain is a high-performance cognitive nutrition company with over $17 million in lifetime sales.
Its patent-pending brain food was designed by neuroscientists to enhance our memory, focus, and sleep, and to help us overcome “brain fog” and procrastination.
Each pack of TruBrain is designed for a particular purpose — for example, to help deliver deep, restorative sleep, or to help with focus. A pack costs a few dollars, or you can buy monthly subscriptions to lock-in lower pricing.
I don’t know about you. But here’s the first question I had after learning about TruBrain:
“Is this for real?”
Let’s take a look.
Is This for Real?
TruBrain has been validated by third-party clinical studies and EEG brainwave analysis.
As the company reports,
“The research consensus is that our select nootropics increase alpha brain wave activity, enhance verbal fluency, and improve memory and learning. In addition, at our lab in Los Angeles, CA we validate efficacy with quantitative brainwave data, instead of relying solely on people’s subjective assessments. The main objective we have is to boost high alpha brain waves, which is associated with improved cognitive function.”
Here’s what a few media outlets have reported:
CBS: “Feel sharper, improve your memory, no prescription necessary.”
Bloomberg: “The vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that are in TruBrain each have been studied independently and show they help cognitive abilities.”
CNBC: “It packs a punch that’s much smarter than a jolt of caffeine.”
Now the company is aiming to become a mainstream brand and reach $100 million in annual revenues. And to enable this growth, it’s raising money from investors like you.
Specifically, it’s aiming to raise about $9 million at a $24.3 million valuation. The minimum investment is about $500.
Should you invest? Let’s take a look
The “Pros and Cons” of an Investment
On the “pro” side:
- Proven Traction: The company’s lifetime sales are $17 million, and it’s been profitable since 2019.
- Backed by VCs. The company has raised nearly $4 million from top VCs including Sherpa Ventures (investors in Uber, Airbnb, and Slack), and food- and beverage-focused investor Blueberry Ventures.
- M&A Potential: The “better-for-you” snack and sports nutrition market is seeing significant M&A. For example, RXBAR was acquired for $600 million, and Amplify (makers of snacks including Skinny Pop Popcorn) was acquired for $1.6 billion.
But on the “con” side…
In its efforts to capture market share, the company is expanding into wearables. Specifically, it’s developing a vibrotherapy device for your wrist or ankle meant to “increase blood flow, activate neurons, and enhance neurotransmitter activity.”
Could it work? Potentially. But developing hardware is expensive, and it seems like a distraction from the company’s core business of developing cognitive-nutrition products.
That being said, if you’ve ever wished there was a way to improve your motivation and focus after lunch, this startup might be worth a look!
Happy Investing.
Please note: Crowdability has no relationship with any of the startups we write about. We’re an independent provider of education and research on startups and alternative investments.
Best Regards,
Founder
Crowdability.com
