Yanni Hufnagel Quotes

Publix, Ralphs, and Stew Leonard's are among America's most iconic retailers, and the early velocity data we're seeing in each account is very exciting. We're absolutely thrilled.

The beverage landscape is dynamic. On-trend, well-packaged, and inclusive emerging brands will become the iconic brands of tomorrow. Our goal at Lemon Perfect is to be at the forefront of the better-for-you, for everyone movement by building products that meet at the intersection of flavor and good-for-you. That so many tastemakers and industry insiders share our vision of disrupting an American beverage ecosystem still largely dominated by high-calorie, high-sugar options is very motivating.

We’re going to change the way people drink water. To do that, you have to be able to play on price.

There’s nothing in the category with our flavor profile, the freshness of our flavor profile, our nutritional deck, and zero sugar. We’re bottled in 100% recycled plastic, and we’re organic. I think we’ve got magic inside the bottle. When people drink the brand, they come back in a big way, and the data suggests that.

Beverage is an expensive game, and access to capital is the only way to drive a fast-scaling brand forward. We want to be a disruptive player in a large category and want to put fuel on the fire. We felt like we were able to drive great execution, but still have room to grow and want to build a big margin story for tomorrow.

I have to tell you, Ray, I’ve been obsessive about protecting our IP, really from second one. So I think the registration was not that far behind, yes. And when I speak with other founders — not only in food and beverage — the first thing I always ask is, “Have you filed to trademark your IP, your name?” Because without that, generally speaking, you’re back to zero. I mean, a name change after you launch is very challenging, if not impossible. And so one of the first things I ask after, “Are you well capitalized?” and “Let me try the product. How does it taste?” would be, “Do you own your IP?”

Our partnership with Jared is exciting for Lemon Perfect as we dive meaningfully into the NIL ecosystem. That Jared is both an NBA prospect and social media star is unique. He is a one-of-a-kind basketball prospect and content creator whose talent in front of the camera and on the court will help drive brand awareness as Lemon Perfect continues its quest to become the number one brand in the enhanced water category by dollar share.

The early investor enthusiasm for Lemon Perfect has been energizing and humbling. The brand is resonating broadly across multiple demographics, and that diversity is well represented by our investors.