WHY WE INVESTED: Projo* Power Coffee

The ready-to-drink coffee category is a massive and habitual market — 3 in 4 Americans drink at least one cup of coffee per day. Americans might run on coffee, but the beverage still has a notable downside: coffee gives people energy, but it's nutritionally empty, and for 1 in 3 Americans, it also comes with jitters and a crash.

Projo* fixes that. And we're proud to be backing them.

Projo* is a high-performance coffee brand offering both ready-to-drink (RTD) and instant coffee packets. Both products offer optimal levels of caffeine, combined with protein that packs more nutritional value into consumers’ daily cup of joe. Additionally, their RTD product  is lactose free, low to no sugar, and engineered to deliver smooth, sustained energy without jitters or crashes. Projo*’s products bridge the gap between clean energy and functional nutrition, and (most importantly) taste great. 

The Projo* Difference

We've seen a lot of protein coffee. Most of it is not yet great — it is often chalky, watery, sweetened with artificial ingredients, and functionally underwhelming. Projo* Power Coffee, contrarily, is different in ways that show up in both the science and the taste.

Each can of their RTD product packs 25g of protein (the clinically proven dose for maximum muscle protein synthesis) and 225mg of caffeine (the evidence-based dose for peak cognitive performance). But what makes it work is how those ingredients are combined. 

Published research shows that protein slows gastric emptying and moderates caffeine absorption, which translates to a smoother, more sustained energy curve — and no crash. Projo* engineers this deliberately then adds certified grass-fed collagen, organic coffee fruit extract, real milk, and a lactase enzyme for easy digestion, leaving you with a product that's built to perform. Competitively, nothing else on-shelf comes close. Projo* leads on protein, caffeine, collagen inclusion, absence of artificial sweeteners, and — critically — taste.

The Market Is Moving Their Way

The timing is right. In case you missed it - protein is having a cultural moment. Driven by social media influencers, the GLP-1 (weight-loss drug) boom, and newly updated dietary guidelines, we are seeing a massive protein push that has prompted food companies to cram the nutrient into everything from Cheerios to candy. This craze has even led to major shortages of whey.

The addressable market reflects the opportunity: the RTD coffee market is on track to reach $7.5B by 2030, and the protein-enriched beverage market is growing at nearly 8% CAGR toward $2.4B by 2029. Projo* sits at the intersection of both.

A Growing Fan Club

The brand's early velocity is exceptional. They are carried across retailers including in over 1,900 Target stores. The consumer repurchase rate is high - and they are still expanding their distribution channels via partnerships and going DTC, pointing to only more opportunity to capture market share and win over consumers.  

The industry has also noticed. Projo* won the 2025 BevNet New Beverage Showdown. They were selected as one of 4 companies nationwide for the REI Path Ahead Ventures Navigate Accelerator. They were named to Naturally Network's Minority-Owned Fellowship. The Angel Group voted them "Best on the Block." This is a brand that wins rooms.

Strong Founder-Market Fit 

Projo* was founded by Lisa Hermosillo and Charbel Mawad. Charbel brings 17 years of health and fitness experience alongside a PNBA Men's Physique professional background — he lives the product. Lisa brings 15+ years in retail operations, management, sales, and customer service — so she knows how to execute. Together, they demonstrate founder-market fit at its clearest.

The advisor bench is equally as compelling. Their advisors include industry-veterans like Doug Bouton co-founder of Halo Top Creamery, which exited at a nine-figure acquisition and Mina Yoo founder of Heroclip (which was also acquired).

One thing is clear: this team has the skills and know-how to build this business.

More Than Just A Product, A Lifestyle

Projo* is more than just coffee, it’s a movement. Projo*’s mission is to create a positive impact through products that empower people to live healthier, more fulfilling lives. With a belief that the energy you put into your body shapes the energy you put into the world, every Projo* product is designed to nourish, energize, and inspire, helping people feel their best, so they can do their best. 

The mission and vision for Projo* is a deeply personal one to Projo*’s founders. Projo* was inspired by Charbel’s own journey of overcoming adversity through fitness and nutrition, alongside Lisa’s unwavering strength as a single mother of three.  They have built Projo* with a shared vision and mission that transcends the physical product, helping consumers to craft and demonstrate their own identity and values.

Moving into the Power Era

At Capitalize, we look for consumer brands that: are resonating with consumers (demonstrated via organic growth and the repurchase rate), a team with a deep understanding of consumer behavior and their space, a product that has a positive impact on society, and last - a product that embodies consumers' values and builds a community around it, providing consumers' with value, beyond the transaction. Projo* has all four. 

Lisa and Charbel are exactly the kind of founders who earn shelf space (and apparently our investment dollars), by intimately understanding their industry and product. We are proud to be backing them as they not only create a new kind of coffee, but also motivate a community, and a movement.

The Power Era has arrived. We're glad to be a part of it by backing Projo* Power Coffee. 

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Source(s): 

Yahoo Finance