Reston Startup Sees Revolution in a Drink Bottle

A new Reston company wants to do for electrolytes what Keurig pods did for coffee and fitness Apps did for your steps walked in a day.

LifeFuels, with offices near Plaza America, officially launched last week. The product pairs nutrition drink pods with a smart water bottle, giving health-conscious folks feedback (via App, of course) on how their caffeine and hydration day is going.

“We are changing the way people consume vitamin supplements,” says Jonathon Perrelli, LifeFuels’ co-founder and CEO. “This way you are taking vitamins throughout the day.

Perrelli, a Virginia Tech grad and angel investor in several area companies, says LifeFuels bridges the gap between nutrition and wearable technology.

Here’s how it works:

1. Purchase the Dispensing Bottle (Preorder for $99; will be $199 when sales begin in the fall).

2. Visit the The FuelPod™ Marketplace online. LifeFuels has teamed with a number of vitamin, mineral, supplement and flavor products, which package their product in a recyclable pod for easy consumption and tracking.

3. Use the LifeFuels App. The App will pick up other info from your other fitness Apps and wearables (i.e., a Fit Bit) to bring you a complete picture of your nutrition, hydration and activity information.

“Today, fitness wearables measure basic output like steps, heart rate and pace, but activity tracking is only a partial view into our wellness picture,” said Perrelli. “The LifeFuels system uses intuitive products and concepts to smartly automate and track the missing piece: what we put into our bodies.”

The BPA-free bottle holds 16 ounces of liquid, plus five, one-ounce recyclable FuelPods which can each provide up to 30 servings. Perrelli envisions a child-size bottle in the future as well.

LifeFuels plans to build product through social media and brand ambassadors, active people who can spread the news about LifeFuel at the gym, the running trail, basketball court and other high-hydration locations, says Perrelli.

In the meantime, more than two dozen employees are working on the product development and launch at the offices at 11501 Sunset Hills Rd. LifeFuels is also hiring. It is especially looking for a Chief Marketing Officer and a iOS Developer.

Learn more about LifeFuels on its website, and on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram.

Photo: LifeFuels bottle/Courtesy LifeFuels