Our story
Hey, we're Dane and Tanaja, co-founders of Stride! A little over a year and a half ago, we were looking for better alternatives to caffeine. Tanaja instead of coffee, and Dane (that's me) instead of traditional energy drinks. We couldn't find one, so we decided to make our own.
Designing the product
From the very beginning, the idea was to make an energy drink based on tea. We don't remember exactly why – maybe we saw a similar product somewhere, or maybe it just seemed like a good idea. We knew matcha, black tea and green tea, and we soon came across yerba mate too – a herbal tea from South America, known for its energising properties, antioxidants, minerals and vitamins, and its positive effect on wellbeing.
We quickly went to the shop for a kilo of yerba and brewed it at home the classic, traditional South American way.
The effect was exactly what we were looking for – a gentle lift in energy and a feeling of focus, without the jitters, stomach trouble or anxiety.
Flavour
The effect was so good that we knew yerba mate was the best source of caffeine, so we chose it as our base.
And that brought us to the challenge of taste...
Anyone who knows yerba mate and has tried it knows it has a strong, earthy, bitter taste that takes some getting used to.
Far from what you'd want in a commercially successful product.
Most brands solve this with sugar and other ingredients that mask the bitterness well, but for us that would have meant a Stride full of calories, added sugar and other additives.
And so began the long road of development and the challenge of creating three great flavours with no sugar, calories or artificial sweeteners.
But we did it! Every Stride flavour is different, yet they all taste refreshing and natural, with a note of mate tea and no bitterness.
The full formulation
To give Stride an even better effect on everyday wellbeing and energy, we added to every can:
- 300 mg of adaptogens (maca and ginseng),
- 30 mg of magnesium,
- 100% RDA of vitamins B3 and B5
And that's it! A completely natural formulation with effective ingredients that is functional, tasty and refreshing – all without sugar.
We'd love to hear what you think,
Dane and Tanaja
