March 4, 2024 – Vancouver, British Columbia – Blender Bites Limited (the “Company”, “Blender Bites” or “Blender”), (CSE: BITE, FWB: JL4, WKN: A3DMEJ), is pleased to announce it has entered into a trademark license agreement with, Orgain, LLC (“Orgain”), the #1 plant protein powder brand in the U.S.[1], in connection with its new post-workout smoothie product, Superberry Sport™. This collaboration with Orgain marks a significant milestone as Blender Bites positions itself alongside a true global nutrition leader and enters the sports nutrition market with the introduction of its innovative plant-based 1-Step smoothie product tailored for post-workout recovery.
Founded in 2009, Orgain has risen to prominence as one of the leading providers of clean, organic nutrition. Nestlé acquired a majority stake in Orgain from Dr. Andrew Abraham and Butterfly Equity, in 2022, complementing Nestlé Health Science’s existing portfolio of nutrition products that support healthier lives[2].
The trademark license agreement allows the Company to leverage Orgain’s involvement in developing Superberry Sport™, which will feature Orgain’s trademark on the front of pack. Orgain’s Founder and CEO, Dr. Andrew Abraham, has worked with Blender Bites’ CEO and Founder, Chelsie Hodge, contributing his extensive product knowledge, formulation expertise and sensory skills on this new launch.
The Superberry SportTM 1-Step Smoothie is a USDA certified organic blend containing plant-based protein for optimal muscle recovery, tart cherry to combat oxidative stress, Maqui Berry to reduce inflammation, Turmeric to alleviate soreness, B-Vitamins for enhanced muscle recovery, and 14 essential vitamins and minerals for robust immune support.
Julianne Hough, an Emmy Award-winning performer and Blender Bites investor, played an integral role in the creation of Superberry Sport 1-Step Smoothie. Her influential contributions to the formulation underscore her commitment to the product’s excellence, and the Company looks forward to her promotion of Superberry SportTM in the US protein supplements sector.
“Creating a custom smoothie blend has been a dream of mine for some time now,” says Hough. “I am a huge proponent of smoothies after my exhaustive workout and dance schedules, and I have seen firsthand how supplementing my body properly helps tremendously in my recovery. I use plant-based protein on the daily, and ingredients like tart cherry and turmeric have proven benefits in speeding up muscle recovery while reducing inflammation. When the opportunity came up to create a custom formula with Blender Bites, I knew that I had to do something like my own daily smoothie. I couldn’t be more excited to share this with my fans in a big way, and I know it will benefit others the same way it has benefited me.”
Chelsie Hodge, Founder and CEO of Blender Bites, shared her enthusiasm, stating, “Joining forces with a Nestlé-affiliated brand on a product launch is a major accomplishment for a Canadian brand like Blender Bites. Orgain is one of the highest-quality and most trusted nutrition brands in the North American wellness sector. Dr. Abraham, the founder of Orgain, and I share a lot of similar values and visions for our companies, including our common goal to make healthy, plant-based and organic foods accessible and available to everyone. Blender Bites has been working on developing a product with the inclusion of plant-based protein for some time now, and it was the perfect opportunity to do so with Orgain and Julianne. She embodies what it means to live a clean and healthy life, and her large following is our perfect target market. She will be actively involved in the sale of the product, and we are already discussing a major US launch with one of the World’s largest grocery retailers.”
With this strategic collaboration, Blender Bites looks to capitalize on the potential of the US market for protein supplements. Research published by Acumen Research and Consulting in October 2023 indicates that North America accounted for 41% of the global revenue share of plant-based protein supplements in 2022[1], while another report in Fortune Business Insights forecasts the US protein supplements market to exceed 16 billion by 2029[2]. The launch of Superberry SportTM aligns with Blender Bites’ dedication to advancing nutritional innovation and building a strong presence in the wellness and sports nutrition industry.
ABOUT BLENDER BITES
Blender Bites is a multi- award-winning Canadian company involved in the development and marketing of a line of premium frozen beverage products with a focus on functionality. Blender Bites was founded in 2017 and quickly became a leader in the “easy smoothie” category in North America. With a focus on better-for-you ingredients and convenience, the Company is proud to be pre-portioned without the use of any inner plastic packaging. Blender Bites products are certified organic, non-GMO, gluten free, dairy free and soy free and contain functional ingredients such as whole food vitamins, collagen, and probiotics. Blender Bites 1-Step Smoothies and 1-Step Frappes are distributed across Canada and the US, and are currently sold in over 5000 stores, including Walmart Canada, Loblaws, Sobeys, Walmart USA, Winn-Dixie and the Albertsons group of Companies.
On behalf of the Board of Directors,
Blender Bites Limited
Chelsie Hodge, Chief Executive Officer
Email – chelsie@blenderbites.com
Telephone – 236-521-0626
For further information, contact Blender IR Team at:
Email – investors@blenderbites.com
Telephone – 1-888-997-2055
Media Contact – teamblenderbites@jonesworks.com
CAUTIONARY DISCLAIMER STATEMENT
This news release includes certain “forward-looking statements” under applicable Canadian securities legislation, including with respect to the commercialization of Superberry SportTM, the ability of Blender Bites to capitalize on the sports nutrition market and the US market for protein supplements, projections and forecasts related to the protein supplement market in the United States and the Company’s ability to build a strong presence in the wellness and sports nutrition industry. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon several estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to general business, economic, competitive, political, and social uncertainties, fluctuations in capital markets, foreign exchange rates, availability and pricing of raw materials, energy and supplies; the ability to implement price increases successfully; stability in the competitive environment; no future product recalls; the ability of the Company to access cost effective capital when needed; and no unexpected or unforeseen events occurring that would materially alter the Company’s current plans. All of these assumptions have been derived from information currently available to the Company including information obtained by the Company from third-party sources. Readers are cautioned that actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
[1] https://www.acumenresearchandconsulting.com/plant-based-protein-supplements-market
[2] https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/u-s-protein-supplements-market-107171
[1] Based on data-analytics provided by Circana, Inc. for the 52 weeks ending 10.8.23.
[2] https://www.nestle.com/media/pressreleases/allpressreleases/nestle-health-science-to-acquire-majority-stake-orgain