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When Angus Brown left a career in the energy drink industry, he wanted to build the opposite: a product that was good for the brain and body. Alongside neuroscientist Zach Robinson, he began exploring whether you could design a drink that made people calm under pressure, yet focused and alert. In 2012, that vision became Ārepa, a functional brainfood company blending New Zealand botanicals with neuroscience.
Ārepa is a vertically integrated, brain-food-technology company that has developed a scientifically proven and patented platform of functional food and beverage products designed to increase cognitive performance and neurological health.
The path since has been over a decade of experimentation, rejection, breakthroughs, and growth. Angus recalls the naïve optimism of starting out, the brutal cash flow scrambles, and the grind of convincing supermarkets and investors that “neuro-nutrition” could be a category. Today, Ārepa is stocked in major chains, exporting globally, and building a world-first brand at the intersection of food and brain science.
⚡️ Ārepa survived the early years by treating every dollar as a prisoner, building credibility through science, and finding patient investors who believed in brainfood.
“Wouldn’t it be a cool idea… can we make someone calm and focused at the same time? And if you consume these products more regularly, can it actually improve your brain’s overall health?”