# #229 - The Rise of Ketone IQ: Creating a New Energy Category with Michael Brandt

- Show: [The Startup CPG Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast)
- Published: 2025-12-30
- Length: 50m
- Episode: 236
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2025-12-30-229-the-rise-of-ketone-iq-creating-a-new-energy-category-with-michael-brandt
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/184a3585

## Summary

Michael Brandt, founder and CEO of Ketone IQ, explains how he created a new energy category by bottling ketones, a natural energy source for the brain, to avoid the jittery effects of caffeine. He details the early struggles of sourcing ingredients at $30 per shot, securing Department of Defense contracts for R&D, and building initial traction with elite athletes and special operators. Brandt discusses the strategic decision to launch D2C-first to educate consumers, which created a 'nuclear furnace' of brand awareness that fueled successful expansion into major retailers like Target and Sprouts. He also shares insights on maintaining IP moats, the importance of personal founder branding on social media, and his vision for ketones becoming a mainstream vocabulary for cognitive performance.

## Outline

1. Introduction: Michael Brandt and the Ketone IQ Origin Story
2. The Science of Ketones vs. Caffeine and the Keto Diet
3. Early Product Development: $30 Shots and DoD Contracts
4. D2C-First Strategy: Education as a Marketing Engine
5. Retail Expansion: Target, Sprouts, and the 'As Seen on Instagram' Effect
6. Building Moats: IP, NSF Certification, and Competitor Landscape
7. Founder Branding: Why Personal Content Matters for Launches
8. Future Vision: Ketones as Mainstream Fuel

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Retail, wholesale & distribution](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/retail-and-distribution)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Intellectual property](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/intellectual-property)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Ketone IQ (product)
- Gatorade (company)
- Target (company)
- Sprouts (company)
- LMNT (product)
- Alani Nu (product)
- C4 (product)
- Celsius (product)
- Department of Defense (company)
- NSF (other)
- Monster Energy (company)
- Family Fund (company)
- Forest Brands (company)
- Vitamin Shoppe (company)
- Seek Protein (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Catalina Crunch: Krishna Kaliannan. From Homemade Keto Cocoa Puffs to Breakfast Aisle Breakthrough](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-07-06-catalina-crunch-krishna-kaliannan-from-homemade-keto-cocoa-puffs-to-breakfast-ai) (How I Built This)
- [5-Hour Energy: Manoj Bhargava](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2017-03-13-5-hour-energy-manoj-bhargava) (How I Built This)
- [Scrub Daddy: Aaron Krause. How a Failed Experiment Became a Billion-Dollar Sponge](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-03-16-scrub-daddy-aaron-krause-how-a-failed-experiment-became-a-billion-dollar-sponge) (How I Built This)
- [How I Built Resilience: Kara Goldin of Hint](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-04-01-how-i-built-resilience-kara-goldin-of-hint) (How I Built This)
- [Dogfish Head Craft Brewery: Sam and Mariah Calagione](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-08-01-dogfish-head-craft-brewery-sam-and-mariah-calagione) (How I Built This)

## Citing this page

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