Caffeinated candy startup Ruly raises £500k for UK retail rollout

‘Energy candy’ startup Ruly has secured a £500k investment to accelerate its rollout across UK retail.

The funds, raised from angel investors – will support efforts to raise brand awareness and develop a “robust” NPD pipeline. Ruly’s first two flavours – Tropical and Red Berry – are currently being trialled in forecourts and independent retailers ahead of a wider trade rollout.

Ruly was founded in 2024 by restaurant founder-turned-management consultant Sophie Murray and finance director Lydia Franks.

The duo came up with the idea for a caffeinated gummy-style sweet to “power through the afternoon slumps” as an alternative to “the office birthday cake, sickly energy drinks, or a bit-too-late-in-the-day cup of coffee”.

Each 42g pack of Ruly sweets contains 80mg of caffeine, alongside guarana and B vitamins.

The gummies were designed for “micro-boosting” to “control your energy boost and not experience the crash that sugary energy drinks can cause”, according to the brand.

“We’re giving consumers control, retailers a fresh impulse line, and the energy category a serious boost,” said Murray. “We want to control energy through our delicious products. Energy drinks are typically consumed in one go, while Ruly gives you ultimate convenience and control: grab a bag and snack at your own pace – we’re calling it ‘micro-boosting’.”

With the sports and energy drinks category accounting for 34% of the £9.2bn carbonated soft drinks market in 2023, a similar share of the £1.9bn confectionery category would make ‘energy candy’ worth £640m in the UK, Ruly’s founders predicted.

“We believe that the energy market needs an innovative new product and is ripe for disruption” added Franks. “We have analysed data and used the relationship between energy drinks and soft drinks and then applied this to energy sweets versus sweets, and we believe that energy gummies made by confectioners could be worth up to £640m in the UK.”