Can Dr. Andrew Huberman, Mateina Make Yerba Mate Popular in the US?
The neuroscientist and wellness influencer sees Mateina’s yerba mate product as a better, more healthy alternative to coffee and tea
Mateina is officially coming to the United States in what could be a major category expansion.
The yerba mate drink product, cultivated in partnership with a fourth-generation farming family in Misiones, Argentina, has been available in Canada since its founding in 2017. However, neuroscientist and wellness influencer Dr. Andrew Huberman and Tiny, a Canadian holding company, announced their intentions to expand south, obtaining a majority ownership stake in Mateina.
Tiny’s support for Mateina comes from its private partnership Tiny Fund I, LP.
“We envision a world where Yerba Mate is a highly accessible and health-forward beverage that is consumed by hundreds of millions of people in the U.S. and around the world, in the same way coffee and tea are today,” said Elodie Simard, co-founder of Mateina.”Partnering with Tiny and Dr. Huberman enables us to introduce Mateina U.S. and globally while also underscoring our commitment to sustainable, organic farming practices in Argentina.”
Dr. Huberman, a neuroscientist and professor at the Stanford School of Medicine, has built a massive following on social media, with over 5 million Instagram followers and 1 million followers on X, formerly Twitter. He received the Cogan Award in 2017 as well, given to scientists making the most significant discoveries in the study of vision.
Mateina’s U.S. launch includes a new sugar-free option, which Dr. Huberman co-developed.
“Yerba mate has been my preferred source of caffeine for more than three decades,” Dr. Huberman said. “Collaborating with Mateina to develop a non-smoked, sugar-free version of cold pressed yerba mate was a thrill and I’m so excited to be able to share this drink with the world. I see it as a truly peerless beverage in terms of its positive effects on mind and body.”
Mateina products are non-carbonated, lightly sweetened cold beverages and come in flavors such as original lemon, peach passion, and grapefruit guava. Along with the new sugar-free option, low-sugar beverages are available as well, culminating in a broad, yet precise and scientific approach to serving the energy drink community.
This move comes as another chapter in what’s been a big year for the energy drink industry. PepsiCo’s Rockstar Energy just launched a functional mushroom-infused drink called “‘Rockstar Focus.” At-home revenue in the sports and energy drink market is at $102.9 Billion in 2024. The market is expected to grow annually by 5.46% through 2028.