Drinkable ketones are ready-to-drink supplements that raise blood beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) without a ketogenic diet. Ketone-IQ, made by Health Via Modern Nutrition (HVMN), built the consumer category after launching in January 2022, using a $6 million Department of Defense research contract as proof, a lower price than its first product and a PR and marketing mix built around athletes, trusted third parties and honest engagement with the science.
Drinkable ketones are exogenous ketone supplements in liquid form: products that elevate blood BHB without requiring dietary carbohydrate restriction. Exogenous ketones split into three chemical classes, and the differences explain why the category took off when it did.
Class
What it is
Trade-offs
Ketone salts
BHB bonded to a mineral such as sodium, calcium or magnesium
Inexpensive to make and widely sold since the mid-2010s, with a modest effect on blood ketones
Ketone esters
D-BHB bonded into an ester compound
The highest measured potency, but expensive and notoriously hard to drink
Ketone diols
R-1,3-butanediol, a precursor the liver converts to BHB
Drinkable and cheaper per serving than esters; the format Ketone-IQ defines
The early science consensus held that esters delivered the highest blood BHB and were therefore the superior product. The strategic move that built the category was to reframe the question. The buyer was not asking which product produced the highest blood BHB reading. The buyer was asking which product could be drunk every day at a price that made a subscription work.
Who makes Ketone-IQ and how did it start?
Ketone-IQ is made by Health Via Modern Nutrition, known as HVMN. Stanford alumni Michael Brandt and Geoffrey Woo founded the company in 2014 as Nootrobox, a nootropics business, and rebranded it HVMN in 2017. HVMN launched its first drinkable ketone in 2017, and its first big customer was the U.S. Department of Defense, according to Brandt. Brandt and Woo were named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, according to HVMN's biography of Brandt.
The first product was costly. A BevNet profile reported that the original ketone drink sold for $33 a bottle and tasted, in the profile's words, like rocket fuel. The next three years went into reformulating it for taste and cost.
Nootrobox founded by Michael Brandt and Geoffrey Woo
2017
Renamed HVMN; first drinkable ketone launched
2019
Department of Defense awards HVMN a $6 million contract to continue research on exogenous ketones
January 2022
Ketone-IQ announced as the next-generation product, with a waitlist of more than 30,000 and a stated aim of better taste, lower price and longer-lasting ketone elevation
2022
Ketone-IQ shots reach gyms and cafes, priced at $4.95 a unit according to BevNet; HVMN said Ketone-IQ cost 66% less than its first product
2023
Nationwide grocery launch at Sprouts Farmers Market; HVMN reported that a follow-on study performed at the University of North Georgia showed improved anaerobic performance and less fatigue
Ketone-IQ delivers 10 grams of R-1,3-butanediol per serving. HVMN describes it as the world's first pure ketone diol. It is sold at hvmn.com, on Amazon and at Sprouts and select gyms, stores and cafes, according to the company.
What are the three stages of the category build?
Ketone-IQ's category build can be read as three stages, from institutional proof to everyday retail. The table maps each stage to evidence reported on this page.
Stage
Evidence reported
When
Communications role
1. Institutional research
$6 million Department of Defense contract to continue research on exogenous ketones
2019
A dated, checkable proof point
2. Product and price reset
Ketone-IQ launch with better taste, lower price, and a waitlist of more than 30,000; 66% lower cost than the first product
January 2022
A clear story of improvement
3. Trusted channels and retail
Athlete partners, affiliates, gyms and cafes, then a Sprouts Farmers Market launch
2022 to 2023
Third-party validation and mainstream access
How did Ketone-IQ build the category?
Ketone-IQ combined five moves that other emerging supplement brands can study. These are EPR's reading of the public record.
It defined the taxonomy first. By framing the choice as salts, esters or diols, and by competing on daily use and price, the brand set the terms before the press did.
It anchored in provenance a buyer can check. The $6 million Department of Defense contract is dated and reported consistently across the company's own material, press releases and founder interviews, which gives the brand a proof point that celebrity endorsement cannot supply.
It built a founder story that travels. Brandt's biography is short and specific: Stanford, Forbes 30 Under 30, a competitive marathoner with a 2:40 personal best. Repeating the same facts across business press, endurance media and podcasts is what lets editors and AI engines connect a person to a category.
It used trusted third parties. Brandt has said the company leans into PR, affiliates, selected retailers and athlete partners, because a novel product needs validation from sources buyers already trust.
It moved into retail on its own timeline. Brandt told BevNet the company would reach big-box retailers in due time, and HVMN's online business gave it room to build without pressure. A grocery launch at Sprouts followed in 2023.
Do exogenous ketones work?
The evidence is mixed, and the brands that lead the category engage with that openly. A 2023 McMaster University study published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism found that ketone supplementation worsened 20-minute cycling time-trial performance in trained endurance athletes. Other research points the other way on recovery: a 2019 study found that ketone ester intake blunted overreaching symptoms during endurance training overload.
The marketing lesson is about positioning. If the claim is peak performance in a race, the McMaster result is a problem. If the claim is steady energy, mental clarity and recovery support, the claim sits closer to the evidence. Reframing from acute endurance enhancer to daily fuel and recovery aid aligns the message with the science, and that alignment is unusual in supplements. This page is not medical advice, and readers should ask a clinician before using ketone products.
What can other supplement brands learn from drinkable ketones?
Define the category before someone else does. A clear taxonomy gives press and AI engines the language to repeat.
Lead with dated, checkable proof. A government research contract, a named study or a certification beats an adjective.
Engage with unfavorable research. Covering the McMaster finding directly is more credible than ignoring it.
Align the claim with the evidence. A claim the science can carry avoids the regulatory exposure covered in EPR's supplement marketing guide.
Win on the trusted channels. Podcasts, endurance and health long-form, athlete partners and selective retail build the third-party validation that both buyers and engines weigh. EPR's study of community forums and supplements shows how fast skeptical communities can reverse a story.
This page draws on HVMN's January 2022 announcement, BevNet reporting, a FITT Insider founder interview, and published research including the 2023 McMaster University study. Facts were last reviewed on October 26, 2026. Everything-PR is editorially independent of HVMN.
Sources
Business Wire, "H.V.M.N. Announces Ketone-IQ, the Next Generation of Drinkable Ketones," January 2022, at businesswire.com.
BevNet, "Ketone-IQ Launches in Nationwide Grocery Retail," 2023, at bevnet.com.
BevNet, "KetoneIQ Looks to Build Ketone Community With Shots at Equinox," at bevnet.com.
FITT Insider, founder Q&A with Michael Brandt, April 19, 2022, at insider.fitt.co.
ScienceDaily, McMaster University exogenous ketone study, June 2023, at sciencedaily.com.
Drinkable ketones are liquid exogenous ketone supplements that raise blood BHB without requiring a ketogenic diet. The three main forms are ketone salts, ketone esters and ketone diols.
What is Ketone-IQ?
Ketone-IQ is a drinkable ketone made by HVMN. It delivers 10 grams of R-1,3-butanediol per serving, a ketone diol that the liver converts to BHB. It launched in January 2022.
Who founded HVMN?
Stanford alumni Michael Brandt and Geoffrey Woo founded HVMN in 2014 as Nootrobox and renamed it in 2017.
What is R-1,3-butanediol?
R-1,3-butanediol is a ketone precursor that the liver converts to beta-hydroxybutyrate. It is the active ingredient in Ketone-IQ.
Did the Department of Defense fund HVMN?
Yes. HVMN announced that the Department of Defense awarded it a $6 million contract in 2019 to continue research on exogenous ketones.
Do exogenous ketones improve athletic performance?
The evidence is mixed. A 2023 McMaster University study found worse 20-minute cycling time-trial performance in trained athletes, while other research suggests benefits for recovery. Ask a clinician before using ketone products.
Where can you buy Ketone-IQ?
According to HVMN, Ketone-IQ is available at hvmn.com, on Amazon, at Sprouts Farmers Market and at select gyms, stores and cafes.
Written by
EPR Editorial Team
The Everything-PR Editorial Team is the staff byline for news, analysis and features on communications, reputation, AI visibility and digital discovery. Everything-PR has published since 2009. AI tools assist with research and drafting, and every article is reviewed by a human editor before publication. Coverage follows the Editorial Policy, and substantive corrections are noted on the article under the Corrections Policy.
