Odyssey Raises $6M for Mushroom-Infused Energy Drinks
The brand makes ready-to-drink beverages infused with Lions Mane and Cordyceps mushrooms to enhance cognitive function
More monetary support is on the way for the energy drink industry. Odyssey, a mushroom-infused functional beverage brand founded in 2021, is the latest recipient after announcing the completion of a $6 million funding round.
Richard Laver from Rocket Beverage Group joined the investor group alongside existing stakeholders, who contributed 50% of the capital.
“Odyssey is taking an all-new approach to energy beverages,” said Scott Frohman, founder and CEO of Odyssey. “Unlike other brands on the market, we’ve formulated Odyssey to support cognitive energy and prioritize aspects like focus, clarity and mood through a proprietary functional mushroom-based formula.”
According to Odyssey, the brand makes the first-ever ready-to-drink energy beverage infused with a high-potency extract of Lion’s Mane and Cordyceps mushrooms. Those ingredients plus L-Theanine, ginseng and green tea caffeine, allow the drink to reduce the jitters that often come with other energy drinks, while still providing a consistent and lengthy energy boost without a crash at the end.
“We’re excited to bring the fresh take on energy drinks that younger Gen-Z and millennial audiences are keeping with a preservative and artificial sweetener-free product,” Frohman added.
Odyssey will use the investment to expand in sales, marketing and inventory. There are plans to recruit new team members in areas where the company has already seen growth or in markets deemed to have untapped potential. Odyssey also aims to expand its brand visibility via events such as festivals or ambassador programs.
The trail-blazing beverage company already offers three different product lines with varying caffeine levels. Revive is a completely caffeine-free drink, while Original has 85mg of natural green tea and 222 contains 222 mg. All are free from added sugar, preservatives, artificial flavors or sweeteners — adhering to vegan, non-GMO and kosher standards. Retailers carrying Odyssey products include CVS, GNC, 7-Eleven, Thrive Market and Wegmans.
The Rise of Nootropics
The mushroom compounds found in Odyssey are part of the nootropics family, a category of supplements designed to improve cognitive functions. Thesis, a nootropics supplement company founded by Dan Freed, raised $13.5 million during a May 2023 funding round.
In other recent energy drink news, Mateina partnered with neuroscientist and wellness influencer Dr. Andrew Huberman and Tiny, a Canadian holding company, to make their yerba mate drink available in the United States. At-home revenue in the sports and energy drink industry reached $102.9 billion in 2024, and the market is expected to grow annually by 5.46% through 2028.