Led by founders and entrepreneurs Tim Near and Kyle Tyrrell, alongside CPG industry veterans with experience at Red Bull, Mtn Dew, Vitaminwater, and Clif Bar, the team represents a mix of modern entrepreneurship and seasoned expertise. 

GateDrop's CPG 2.0 go-to-market approach emphasizes innovation across both operations and product. The company is lean, flexible, and ready to scale immediately, it notes. On the operations side, this means multi-use merchandisers for retail, disruptive displays on beverage cooler doors, and strategic e-commerce partnerships that enable digital impulse purchasing, all supported by an AI-enabled infrastructure built from day one to enhance decision-making without replacing human expertise, the brand adds.

On the product side, the team has spent two years obsessing over one thing, it says: making the best-tasting, clean energy gummy on the market. Made with all-natural caffeine from green, unroasted coffee beans, GateDrop gummies strive to deliver clean, precisely dosed energy—25 mg of caffeine per gummy, plus added vitamins—in convenient packaging and flavors like Mixed Berry. With just 35 calories and 8 g of sugar per four-gummy pack, the vegan product aims to offer a lighter, better-for-you alternative to traditional energy drinks. GateDrop gummies don't freeze, require no refrigeration, and carry a two-year shelf life, making them as practical as they are portable, the company says.

Challenging a category as dominant as energy drinks isn't for everyone, but it's in GateDrop's DNA, it says. "We saw white space for energy that's cleaner, more flexible, and easier to carry," says Near, co-founder and CEO of GateDrop. "Gummies give people control over their energy, whether they're at the track, on a mountain, in the gym, or grabbing something quickly at a convenience store. It's a format that can live almost anywhere."

GateDrop is beginning limited in-store placements with select independent retailers, and a rollout across every Alltown Fresh location this month. The initial placements reflect retailer interest in alternative energy formats, the brand notes. GateDrop energy gummies are offered at a suggested retail price of $2.99 per pack of four gummies and $14.99 per pack of 25 gummies. GateDrop is also available nationally online at getgatedrop.com.

“GateDrop is exactly the kind of innovation that excites us,” says Nina Peters, director of merchandising and product innovation at Alltown Fresh. “It’s a disruptive energy option that’s both easy to merchandise and meets growing consumer demand for convenient, all-natural energy formats.”

The global energy category is expected to exceed $130 billion by 2030, while alternative delivery formats like gummies, already popular across vitamins, supplements, and other nutrition products, are growing rapidly thanks to convenience, great taste, and no-prep consumption.

The brand has assembled a leadership team with deep experience across global CPG, lifestyle, and performance brands. Founders Near and Tyrrell are childhood friends from New Hampshire who share a lifelong passion for motocross, adventure, and entrepreneurship. Near also comes from a family of CPG experts and food scientists, an influence that helped shape GateDrop’s focus on precise formulation and innovation. The team also includes CMO Frank Hwang, a lover of snow, surf, bikes, and adventure, whose extensive experience spans top consumer brands such as Timberland and SharkNinja, and VP of Finance RJ Thibault, with a background at Bose and Helen of Troy. 

The launch will be backed by a full marketing push including live events, fresh content, and social media strategies, awareness campaigns, and athlete and influencer partnerships across motorsports, fitness, and outdoor communities, as the brand builds toward broader national expansion in multiple channels.

Related: Beverage company acquires Punch'd Energy