After selling one million cans in six months, Ultra plans to push beyond DTC and into major retailers as it aims to build the future of functional pouches, offering a healthier alternative to nicotine-containing products like Zyn and Velo
You don’t have to be a professional athlete or an entrepreneur to want an extra edge when it comes to focusing on your work (or your workouts).
For some, that enhanced focus comes from a cup of coffee — for others, it’s a hit of nicotine. But caffeine and nicotine come with their drawbacks, not to mention potential negative health impacts from the latter.
When Eric Drymer founded Ultra in May 2025, he was coming off of a nicotine addiction like many others around him. And while he loved the convenience of traditional pouches, he increasingly worried for his health.
“The form factor of the pouch is something that I really — like a lot of people I know — love,” Drymer told Athletech News. “What if we could make something that’s actually better for focus?”
That led to the nicotine-free pouches on the market today, which just earned Drymer’s company an $11 million Series A funding boost. The round was led by Left Lane Capital, with participation from Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and participation from founders of brands including Harry’s, Grüns and Rockstar Energy.
Focus Packaged In a Pouch
The company is offering a “cleaner” alternative to nicotine and energy products at a time when the nicotine pouches like Zyn and Velo continue to be popular, while, at the same time, consumers are increasingly prioritizing their health and scrutinizing ingredient quality.
“Everybody else is trying to do an energy drink in a pouch, whereas I think a lot of the reason why people are using pouches is actually more for focus than energy,” Drymer said.
Ultra has already seen explosive growth in the short period since its founding, selling one million cans within the first six months of its launch.
While the pouches are caffeine-free, their formula centers on paraxanthine, a metabolite of caffeine responsible for the focus qualities of caffeine, delivered through the brand’s trademark Enfinity, in addition to functional ingredients such as L-theanine, Alpha GPC (which has been linked to neuroprotectivity), B vitamins and ginseng extract.
Drymer pointed out that the company isn’t anti-nicotine, but that his product offers a healthier alternative, especially for those already utilizing pouches for athletic performance, which can be dampened by the effects of nicotine.
An Impressive Early Start
Many of the professional hockey players on the Washington Capitals are already using Ultra to enhance their performance, he said, but the pouches are made for anyone “trying to perform at the highest level,” from salespeople and founders to poker players and athletes.
Ultra is currently operating and 100% direct-to-consumer, Drymer said, but the funding push will help the product go more mainstream, as it targets convenience stores, major retailers like Walmart and Target and activations with key fitness and wellness brands.
Drymer has major plans for the brand moving forward, bolstered by the latest funding round. He’s already doubled his team from three to six employees, with more hires planned in the coming months.
Ultra will also unveil new product lines as the brand grows, targeting sleep and energy, as well as an array of new flavors and strength levels.
Oral pouches have increasingly become one of the fastest-growing consumer packaged goods categories, driven by consumer demand for the discreet, portioned functional products.
“I believe pouches are the next hit functional form factor,” Drymer said. “It’s going through a period of mainstream adoption.”
Drymer wants Ultra to be the “category-defining brand” for the category.
A previous version of this article had mentioned Lindsey Vonn among the investors in Ultra Pouches. Ultra has since announced that Vonn is not a part of the investment group.
