Congo Brands

Method

Congo Brands is the Louisville, Kentucky company co founded by Max Clemons and Trey Steiger that operates Prime Hydration and until 2025 operated Alani Nu, the energy drink founded in 2018 with fitness creator Katy Hearn. Congo handles formulation, co packing contracts, distribution and retail sales for creator fronted beverage brands, which is why Louisville rather than Los Angeles is where Prime's jobs sit. Celsius agrees in February 2025 to buy Alani Nu for 1.8 billion dollars including tax assets and closes on April 1, 2025, with Clemons and Steiger among the sellers. Congo dissolves its field sales organization, cuts jobs across the UK and other countries in January 2026, and its Australian arm enters voluntary administration in July 2026 with about 85,000 Australian dollars in cash against 7.9 million in liabilities. The founding year is not confirmed in a retrieved source.

Open on the map Directory Suggest a correction

The path: money and goods moving

• makesAlani NuCongo Brands operates and produces Alani Nu from its 2018 founding until the Celsius sale.2018 to 2025
• invested inAlani NuCongo co founders Max Clemons and Trey Steiger are sellers in the Alani Nu sale.2018 to 2025
• spawnedAlani NuCongo Brands co founds and operates Alani Nu with Katy Hearn from 2018 until the Celsius sale. (partly verified)2018 to 2025
• invested inPrime HydrationCongo Brands holds a reported 60 percent of Prime and operates the brand from Louisville. (partly verified)2022 to present
• makesPrime HydrationCongo Brands formulates Prime and manages its contract bottlers and distribution.2022 to present
• makesLunchlyCongo Brands is reported to handle Lunchly's beverage component and logistics; the co packer for the kits is unconfirmed. (unverified)2024 to present