Robson-Kanu, who enjoyed a successful career in professional football within the Premier League and for Wales, founded the business Innate-Essence in 2018 while still playing for West Bromwich Albion.
Today, Innate-Essence is primarily recognized for its turmeric shots brand, The Turmeric Co.
AG Barr, renowned for producing the popular soft drink Irn Bru, has yet to reveal the scale of its investment in Innate-Essence.
Further details about the investment will be disclosed during AG Barr’s upcoming trading update, scheduled for 29 July.
“We have acquired a stake in Innate-Essence Ltd, which owns a number of speciality health drinks, including The Turmeric Co,” a spokesperson for AG Barr detailed to Food Manufacture.
“These brands are positioned within the high-growth sectors of functional beverages and vitamins & supplements, and we’re eager to leverage our extensive industry experience to foster their future growth.”
In response to this development, Robson-Kanu expressed his excitement on LinkedIn and confirmed his continued role as CEO.
He stated: “They said it was too fresh. Too functional. Too hard to scale. Now one of the UK’s biggest drinks companies just backed it.”
“I am delighted to announce that AG Barr has acquired a stake in our functional beverage manufacturing business, Innate-Essence. Trading primarily through brands such as The Turmeric Co. & Raw Hydrate, our passion has always been to deliver pioneering ranges of high-quality beverages that heal. This move speaks volumes.”
Robson-Kanu reflected on his journey of building the business over the past eight years, noting that functional drinks “weren’t built to chase short-term profit.”
“They were built to solve real problems,” he emphasized.
“Now, the industry is beginning to recognize just how powerful that can be. We’ve had over 15,000 people tell us our products changed their lives. That kind of impact doesn’t go unnoticed. We’re proving that products which do good can also go big.”
“Of course, I’ll still be leading from the front as CEO[,] and I’m more fired up than ever.”
At 36 years old, Robson-Kanu made his professional debut in 2008, accumulating 425 appearances at the club level before retiring from football in 2021. He also earned 46 caps for Wales, scoring five goals.
