Harry Kane backs functional drinks brand Vital

England football captain Harry Kane has invested in functional drinks brand Vital in a significant milestone for the emerging company.

Kane has previously backed numerous food and drink brands, including Bio&Me, Urban Legend and 3Bears.

Vital offers functional drinks across three health areas: daily vitamins, gut health, and ‘natural’ energy.

Last year, it raised £600k to help bring two new functional drinks to the market. Investors included Fuel10K founder Barney Mauleverer and Michael Saunders, the founder of wine distributor Bibendum.

Vital’s founder Al Duffield said retailers believed the functional drinks category lacked structure and everyday appeal. “What we are building is exactly that. Vital is making functional drinks simple and mainstream, ensuring the fixtures are easy to shop.”

He added: “Our mission is simple: to become the go-to brand for all things functional. The category is fragmented and noisy – we’re here to bring clarity, purpose and trust. Having Harry on board supercharges that mission.”

Kane said he was impressed by the company’s plans to grow both in the UK and abroad.

Functional beverages grew by over 30% in 2024 with drinks such as CBD, kombucha, and prebiotic sodas driving sales in the category.

In the US, functional soft drinks are even more popular. Earlier this year, PepsiCo bought prebiotic soda brand Poppi for $2bn.