Eric Drymer Ultra Pouches is the story of a founder whose last startup failed, who then noticed that millions of people were putting a small white pouch under their lip to focus, and who asked a simple question: what if the pouch did not need nicotine? Drymer is the founder and CEO of Ultra, a New York-based brand that makes nicotine-free, tobacco-free pouches for focus, energy and sleep. Launched in May 2025, the company says it sold one million cans in its first six months, and in January 2026 it announced an $11 million Series A led by Left Lane Capital. Here is how Drymer got there, what is inside the can, who is backing him and what questions still hang over the category.
Eric Drymer Ultra Pouches: Who Is the Founder?
Eric Drymer is the founder and CEO of Ultra, the company behind Ultra Pouches. According to Crunchbase, he previously founded Studyverse, and citybiz+ describes him as a former co-founder of that company. A professional-profile aggregator lists earlier roles in new ventures at Founders Intelligence, as an associate at Silicon Valley Bank and as a research analyst, along with a degree from the University of Southern California. Those details come from a third-party database, so they are worth checking against his own profile.
What matters most is how he describes the origin. Drymer says the business started with his own story. Like many of his friends, he switched to pouches after listening to the neuroscientist Andrew Huberman discuss research on nicotine’s cognitive effects. Then he looked at the downsides. In the company’s announcement, he said nicotine is still so addictive that he did not want to give up long-term health for short-term focus. That origin is the core of the Eric Drymer Ultra Pouches story.
From Studyverse to a Fresh Start
Drymer’s path to Ultra was not a straight climb. Business Insider reported that when his last startup failed in 2024, the stress of keeping the company alive led him to pick up bad habits, namely vaping. He largely credits hypnosis with helping him quit, but nicotine pouches that eased his cravings also gave him his next business idea.
On the Playbook HQ podcast, he described the same arc in more detail. He wanted to quit vaping, moved to nicotine pouches as a less harmful substitute and became interested in the ritual itself: same small format, no smoke, easy to use anywhere. That fascination turned into an obsession with a better version. For Eric Drymer Ultra Pouches, failure became the starting point.
The Problem: A Pouch Boom With One Big Catch
Oral pouches have become one of the fastest-growing corners of consumer products. Business Insider reported that Philip Morris shipped 880 million cans of nicotine pouches in 2025, a 37% increase from the year before, and that 5.9% of US adults reported using them in 2024. Pouches are discreet, smokeless and easy to share, and they have developed a cultural following, especially among young men in finance and tech.
Drymer noticed the same thing up close. In the Business Insider story, he recalls that a managing director at a friend’s hedge fund had bought 1,000 cans of Zyn for the office. “It’s like a productivity tool, right?” he says. The catch is that nicotine is highly addictive and is harmful to cardiovascular health.
That left a gap. People wanted the pouch format and the focus ritual, but not the dependence. In his own words, he became obsessed with the idea of “something that’s not addictive” and still works as a focus tool. That gap is the opening that Eric Drymer Ultra Pouches set out to fill.
Building Ultra Pouches: Product and Formula
Ultra describes its products as nicotine-free, tobacco-free oral pouches. The pouches are plant-based and sugar-free, and the company says they contain zero calories. According to the Ultra website, the brand uses science-backed blends of nootropics, adaptogens and antioxidants.
The flagship product is Ultra Focus. Its FAQ says it contains six clinically studied nootropics and, notably, no caffeine. Instead, it uses Enfinity paraxanthine, a naturally occurring metabolite of caffeine that the company says delivers alertness with a lower likelihood of jitters, anxiety or sleep disruption, and that clears the body faster than caffeine. Press coverage adds that the formula also includes L-theanine, Alpha GPC, B vitamins and ginseng extract, as Tobacco Reporter noted.
The brand’s timeline for effects is specific. It says users pop one or two pouches, feel focus within five to ten minutes and see effects last one to two hours. The company also notes that a tingling sensation is normal and fades within a few minutes.
Flavors are a big part of the appeal. Focus comes in Cool Mint, Wintergreen, Blue Razz, Tropical and Watermelon, and the company sells variety packs. The formula is the technical backbone of Eric Drymer Ultra Pouches.
The Three-Pouch System: Focus, Energy and Sleep
Ultra’s pitch is not one product but a whole day. The homepage lays out what it calls “Your Day on Ultra”: three pouches, from morning to night.
Ultra Energy. Positioned as a coffee replacement for the morning. According to the FAQ, each pouch contains 180 mg of caffeine, L-theanine, B vitamins (B3, B6, B12) and vitamins C and E, with zero calories and zero sugar. The company says L-theanine is there to smooth out the caffeine. Flavors include Wintergreen, Sweet Mint and Black Cherry.
Ultra Focus. The afternoon product for deep work, training or a big meeting.
Ultra Sleep. A caffeine-free, nicotine-free pouch designed to help users fall asleep faster. It uses 1 mg of melatonin plus a set of calming adaptogens. Ultra argues that more melatonin is not better, pointing to a 2024 dose-response analysis it says found benefits peak around 1 to 4 mg, and that higher doses can cause morning grogginess. The recommended method is two pouches: one an hour or two before bed and another 10 to 30 minutes before sleep, removed before falling asleep. The first flavor is Honey Lemon.
The all-day system is the commercial idea at the center of Eric Drymer Ultra Pouches. Instead of selling a single product once, the company wants customers to build a routine around it, with subscriptions, free shipping on orders of $50 or more and shipping to the United States and Canada.
Launch in May 2025 and the One Million Cans
Ultra launched in May 2025. According to the company’s announcement, it sold one million cans within six months, which it says made it the number one nicotine-free pouch brand in the world. Those figures come from the company, not an independent audit, but they have been repeated across trade coverage.
The launch was almost entirely direct to consumer. Nicotine Insider reported that Drymer said the company was DTC at the time, with plans to expand into convenience retail and major retailers.
Marketing played a large role. The brand’s website lists appearances on podcasts including The Joe Rogan Experience, This Past Weekend with Theo Von, The Shawn Ryan Show and Morning Brew Daily. Its testimonials come from figures such as UFC fighter Nate Diaz, Morning Brew co-founder Austin Rief and Calm’s Alex Will. The site also reports a 4.9 rating across more than 500 reviews.
Few launches in consumer packaged goods have moved as fast as Eric Drymer Ultra Pouches.
Inside the $11 Million Series A
On January 20, 2026, Ultra announced an $11 million Series A. The round was led by Left Lane Capital, with participation from founders of consumer brands Harry’s, Grüns and Rockstar Energy, according to a Dealroom summary. Athletes Joe Burrow, Dak Prescott and Lindsey Vonn also invested.
The company said it would use the money to expand product development, grow distribution and build its team. In the press release, Harley Miller, CEO and managing partner of Left Lane Capital, said consumers want cleaner performance habits in formats that fit real life, and that Ultra had built an early brand people return to.
Drymer framed the company’s mission in a single sentence from the release: Ultra exists to give consumers “clean, guilt-free focus in the form factor they love.” The brand is also deliberate about not being anti-nicotine. The company acknowledged that nicotine may have some benefits, but said excess and dependence carry real downsides.
The round gives Eric Drymer Ultra Pouches room to move from direct sales into retail. It also fits a pattern across young consumer brands, such as the Nopalera Series A, where early momentum attracts investors who can open doors beyond the first channel. For more on how rounds like this shape consumer startups, see our Funding News section.
Investors, Athletes and Endorsers
Ultra’s cap table mixes three kinds of backers. Left Lane Capital, a venture firm with offices in New York and London, provides institutional weight. Founders of Harry’s, Grüns and Rockstar Energy bring consumer-brand playbooks. And Burrow, Prescott and Vonn bring visibility among athletes.
That is a familiar formula in consumer beverages and wellness. A similar approach powered Throne Sport Coffee, another functional brand that paired experienced operators with athlete investors. The logic is simple: athletes lend credibility to a product designed for performance, while operators supply the supply chain, retail and marketing knowledge a first-time CPG founder may lack.
The brand’s site also carries a line of endorsements from founders and executives, including a general partner at a venture firm and the CEO of a consumer company. Whether those endorsements translate into long-term loyalty is a separate question. In the short term, they help the brand feel like a habit among ambitious people instead of a niche supplement.
That mix of capital and credibility strengthens Eric Drymer Ultra Pouches.
Customers and Early Traction
One of the most interesting data points in the announcement is who is buying. In early customer surveys, Ultra found that roughly 30% of buyers had never used nicotine products. That suggests the product is not only a step-down tool for people leaving nicotine but also a new focus ritual for people who were never in that world.
Customer reviews on the brand’s site reflect both groups. One reviewer says he tried to quit Zyn three times and that the pouches let him step down. Another says an afternoon slump disappeared after he switched from coffee.
Those are testimonials chosen by the company, so they should be read as marketing, not research. Still, the combination of rapid unit sales and a customer base that extends beyond nicotine users is what attracted investors. Early customer signals suggest Eric Drymer Ultra Pouches reaches beyond nicotine users.
Where Ultra Pouches Stands in the Pouch Boom
The pouch format has attracted a long list of entrepreneurs. Business Insider described what it called a “pouch palooza,” in which companies are stuffing pouches with caffeine, CBD, THC, melatonin and even teeth-whitening ingredients. Some are Zyn copycats, while others use the pouch as a delivery system for something entirely different.
Within that field, Ultra’s differentiation is clear. It avoids both nicotine and, in its Focus line, caffeine. It leans on paraxanthine as a signature ingredient. And it presents the pouch as part of a daily system, with energy, focus and sleep products rather than a single flavor-driven item.
A Dealroom summary of the announcement cites a global oral pouch market of roughly $5.4 billion in 2024 that could reach $25 billion by 2030. Treat forecasts like that with caution, but the direction is easy to see: pouches are moving from a niche into a mainstream format.
Distribution is the next test. The company sells direct, offers wholesale through Faire and runs an affiliate program, and has said it wants to reach convenience retail. In a crowded field, Eric Drymer Ultra Pouches competes on formulation and brand.
The Questions Around Functional Pouches
A responsible look at Ultra has to include the open questions, and Business Insider raised several.
First, regulation. Supplements are treated as a category of food in the US, not as drugs, so the FDA does not test them to see whether they work or are harmful. Companies can experiment with fashionable formats while making wellness claims that have not been rigorously tested. Ultra itself carries the standard disclaimer that its statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, and it recommends consulting a doctor before use if you are pregnant, nursing, on medication or have a health condition.
Second, the science of the format. Researchers quoted by Business Insider noted that pouches work well for drugs needed in very low doses, such as nicotine, but may be a limited route for ingredients that need larger amounts, such as many vitamins.
Third, oral health. A dental researcher told Business Insider that holding anything against the lining of the mouth for many hours a day can irritate the tissue, though that comment was about nicotine pouch use patterns.
Finally, marketing tone. The article notes that some of Ultra’s marketing has described the product as if nicotine and Adderall “had a baby,” a line that shows how boldly the brand talks about its effects.
Ultra says that all of its active ingredients have been studied in peer-reviewed trials and have published safety data, and it sells only to adults 18 and over. Readers should treat these as company claims and speak to a doctor about any supplement. How the brand handles those questions will shape Eric Drymer Ultra Pouches in the years ahead.
Leadership Style and What’s Next
Drymer’s management approach comes through on the Playbook HQ podcast. He describes a strategy of hiring ambitious, hungry people, giving them ownership and letting them run, while staying aggressive about building the category and keeping the brand focused on performance rather than hype.
His own habits reflect the product. He says he uses Ultra Focus for workouts and deep work, and he has moved away from the full-stack optimizer culture of trackers and gadgets toward a simpler routine.
Looking ahead, the Series A priorities are clear: more hiring, wider retail distribution and new product formats. The test will be repeat purchase. A first can is easy to sell on novelty, but a subscription business depends on whether people keep using it. The brand also has to build trust in a category where claims are hard for consumers to check and regulators are paying attention. That discipline will define the next chapter of Eric Drymer Ultra Pouches.
Lessons From the Eric Drymer Ultra Pouches Journey
The Eric Drymer Ultra Pouches journey offers five practical lessons for founders.
First, build from your own problem. Drymer started with his own habit and asked whether a better version existed. Founders who solve for themselves tend to understand their customer’s reality.
Second, borrow a format people already love. Pouches were already a cultural habit. Ultra did not have to teach people how to use the product, only why they might want something different inside.
Third, sell a routine, not a single product. Focus, energy and sleep turn one purchase into a daily system.
Fourth, let the data surprise you. The finding that about 30% of buyers had never used nicotine opened a bigger market than the original step-down story.
Fifth, be honest about the limits. In a category with loose regulation, clear labeling, safety disclaimers and measured claims are a competitive advantage over time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Eric Drymer?
Eric Drymer is the founder and CEO of Ultra, the company behind Ultra Pouches. He previously founded Studyverse and launched Ultra in May 2025 after quitting vaping and looking for a nicotine-free alternative to pouches.
What is the Eric Drymer Ultra Pouches story?
It is the story of a founder who turned his own journey away from nicotine into a functional pouch brand that sold one million cans in six months and raised $11 million.
What are Ultra Pouches?
Ultra Pouches are nicotine-free, tobacco-free oral pouches for focus, energy and sleep. They are plant-based, sugar-free and zero calorie.
Do Ultra Pouches contain nicotine or caffeine?
No product contains nicotine or tobacco. Ultra Focus contains no caffeine and uses paraxanthine instead, while Ultra Energy contains caffeine, which the company lists at 180 mg per pouch.
How much funding has Ultra raised?
Ultra announced an $11 million Series A on January 20, 2026, led by Left Lane Capital, with participation from founders of Harry’s, Grüns and Rockstar Energy and athletes including Joe Burrow, Dak Prescott and Lindsey Vonn.
When did Ultra Pouches launch?
The brand launched in May 2025 and says it sold one million cans in its first six months.
What flavors do Ultra Pouches come in?
Focus comes in Cool Mint, Wintergreen, Blue Razz, Tropical and Watermelon. Energy comes in Wintergreen, Sweet Mint and Black Cherry, and Sleep comes in Honey Lemon.
How long do Ultra Focus effects last?
The company says users feel focus within five to ten minutes and that effects last one to two hours.
Are Ultra Pouches safe?
The company says its ingredients have been studied in peer-reviewed trials, but the products are supplements and are not evaluated by the FDA. Consult a doctor before use, especially if pregnant, nursing, on medication or managing a health condition.
Where can I buy Ultra Pouches?
They are sold at takeultra.com, with free shipping on orders of $50 or more, and the company ships to the United States and Canada.
Conclusion
Eric Drymer Ultra Pouches shows how a founder’s own setback and habit can become a company. By swapping nicotine for paraxanthine and other functional ingredients, packaging them in a format millions already use and selling a three-product day, Drymer built a brand that says it sold a million cans in six months and raised $11 million from investors who know consumer products. The open question is whether the habit lasts and whether the claims hold up under scrutiny. If Ultra answers both, it could help define what functional pouches look like at scale.
For more founder journeys in consumer brands, see Freddie Martignetti’s Rosaluna, Genki Ito’s Tippsy Sake and Marcos del Pilar’s Pro Padel League on Denote Press, or browse all Founder Stories.
This article is for information only and is not medical advice. Ultra Pouches are dietary supplements and have not been evaluated by the FDA. Speak with a healthcare professional before starting any new supplement.
