Sprouts National Checkout Trial · August 3, 2026

Mornings have coffee.
Afternoons have ōku®.

Conscious Energy® for the afternoon lull+.

On August 3rd, ōku® is one of the first brands in Sprouts' inaugural checkout trial program. The pre-seed closes July 31st at a $6.5M cap. Get in while you still can.

Get in before July 31
ōku Conscious Energy gummy snacks in Orange Blossom, Strawberry, Pineapple and Grape
The 2PM Crash

Every afternoon, your body hits the wall.

Not weakness. Biology. Four systems crash at the same time.

I.
Cortisol drops
Your natural wake-up hormone bottoms out.
II.
Adenosine accumulates
Sleep pressure has built all day. Now it peaks.
III.
The circadian dip
Your body clock pulls you toward rest.
IV.
The serotonin dip
Focus and mood quietly slide with it.

So you reach for a default.

CoffeeJitters now. A harder crash later.
Energy drinksSugar spikes and a steeper fall.
Diet sodasA synthetic load your body fights.
CandyEmpty calories. A deeper dip.

The body isn't asking for stimulation.
It's asking to be replenished.

The Fix

Energy that gives, not takes.

Adrenals
Drained → Protected
60mg caffeine
Stomach
Disrupted → Supported
4g fiber
Recovery
Stolen → Replenished
Antioxidants + electrolytes
Weight
Heavy → Lightened
70 friendly calories

Built to give back.

The Product

Meet ōku®.

ōku (奥) · “OH-koo” — to restore the essence within. It’s a clean energy gummy snack made with collaborative ingredients engineered to work with your body, not against it.

ōku Orange Blossom pouch
Orange Blossom
ōku Strawberry pouch
Strawberry
ōku Pineapple pouch
Pineapple
ōku Grape pouch
Grape

Four craveable flavors. Same Conscious Energy® in every pouch.

The Plus (+)

Anchored in the afternoon. Suitable all day.

The "+" in afternoon lull+ is every other moment that asks for energy from morning to night.

The Daily Anchor · 2–4 PM
Afternoon Lull+
The primary moment ōku® was built for.
Daily · AM
Morning Coffee Alternative
A clean morning lift for coffee skippers — no jitters, no crash.
3–7× / week
Pre-Movement
Padel, pickleball, tennis, gym, yoga, hike, run.
Weekly+
Deep Work Sprint
High-stakes meeting, tight deadline, creative block.
Episodic
Travel Day
Flights, layovers, time zones.
Daily / term
Study Session
Cram, late reading, exam day.

Trial to repeat to ritual. The afternoon makes ōku® daily. The other occasions keep it weekly or more.

Traction

This is not a concept. It is already moving.

Going after a ~$21B afternoon energy occasion — largely unclaimed.

Sprouts Inaugural National Checkout Trial
up to483
stores in Sprouts' checkout trial. Distributed by KeHE, a major natural-products distributor, opening doors to future retail.
August 3, 2026
60/90
Sold out the SoCal Sprouts trial38-store SoCal regional trial began August 2025 for 90 days. Sold out in 60, earning a national trial invitation before the regional trial ended.
50%+
Amazon repeat rateMore than half of buyers come back. The product sells itself.
$1M
In before this roundFrom board members, advisors, and angel investors — including the founder herself — committed ahead of this $1M pre-seed.
100
Major CPG incubatorSelected by a major CPG company for their incubator program, including a 100 c-store test launching Fall 2026. Could lead to investment and distribution opportunities.
2026
Naturally Rising FinalistNaturally Rising 2026 Finalist, San Diego Chapter Pitch Competition. Visibility with investors, distributors, retailers, and operators across the natural-products ecosystem.
#1
Padel BeachheadPadel is the fastest growing sport globally and is exploding in the U.S. Signed Brittany Dubins, the #1-ranked American female padel pro. Sponsoring a Pro Padel League team. Live across 26 specialty locations, with 1,000+ U.S. courts and counting. Zero incumbent energy snack brands in the space. ōku® is moving to claim it.
Four channels. One playbook.
Food ServiceHighest-margin, highest-frequency — the captive 2 PM lull at work.
RetailSprouts national checkout trial — the store’s highest-velocity touchpoint.
DTC / Amazon50%+ repeat rate; Subscribe & Save makes the ritual literal.
SpecialtyPadel, fitness & wellness — high-frequency, no incumbent.
What Customers Say

Real people. Real moments. Real results.

★★★★★“Afternoon Energy Done Right”My husband used to grab a Celsius every afternoon — he’s completely switched to ōku instead. Clean, steady energy without the jitters. Delicious and so easy to toss in your bag.Verified Website Customer
★★★★★“These energy gummies are the best!”These energy gummies are so good! Amazing clean ingredients, eats like candy and has just the right amount AND right kind of caffeine kick. Perfect for my afternoon pick me up when it’s ‘too late’ for coffee, or when I’m on the go. Love the flavors!Verified Amazon Customer
★★★★★“My Daily Caffeine Hit”I use these right before a tennis match when I need my focus. Replaced my tea entirely. Delicious, low sugar, no additives. So happy I found ōku.Verified Website Customer
★★★★★“Why Are ōku Gummies My Favorite?”I love the ōku chews. They are easy to keep in my pickleball bag. I just reach for a few chews if I’m feeling low on energy and I get a little boost. Not a jittery boost and not a boost that will keep me up at night. I love the flavor and have to stop myself from eating too many since they taste so good. Grateful that they are lower in sugar and use more natural types of supplements that give you energy!Verified Website Customer
The Founder

A history of being first.

Carolyn J. Hamlet — Founder & CEO.

Carolyn J. Hamlet, Founder and CEO of ōku
CS Pioneer
A Computer Science major when almost no women were in the field.
Wall Street
Thrived on Wall Street in the 1980s.
$300M IPO
International President of mp3.com, the first internet music platform, which went public at a $300M valuation.
3 Companies
Founded three financial services companies.
36,000 CEOs
YPO member since 2001, co-founded the Aspen chapter with access to a worldwide network of 36,000+ CEOs.

Jeff Church co-founded Suja Juice and sold it to Coca-Cola for $300M. He advises ōku®. He also invested.

Every board member and every advisor has put their own money in. They believed first.

Board & Advisors
Ken Hamlet
Chairman. Former President and CEO of Holiday Inns Inc., when it was the largest hotel company in the world. Former CEO, Vistage Worldwide, Inc.
Patti Larchet
Board Member. Former CEO of Jenny Craig.
Jeff Stiefler
Advisor. Former President of American Express.
Jeff Church
Advisor. Co-founder and CEO of Suja Juice, acquired by Coca-Cola for $300M.
Oscar Amador Torres
Advisor. CEO of Ogilvy Nicaragua.
Doug R. Harrison
Advisor. Consumer brand builder. Strategic positioning and scaling.
Silvia Mah
Advisor. Leading advocate for female-led ventures. Strategic funding and structuring guidance.
Women-owned and founder-led

A serial entrepreneur with a history of pioneering in new spaces. ōku® is her next frontier.

Conscious by Design

Conscious in every layer.

Product
Conscious in what goes in.
  • Manufactured in the USA
  • Collaborative ingredients chosen to give back, not take
  • Non-GMO ingredients
  • Plant-based, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free
Packaging
Conscious in what holds it.
  • Made from 40% post-consumer recycled material
  • Single-serving format, portable, on-the-go ritual
  • Designed with minimal material waste
People
Conscious in who's behind it.
  • Women-owned and founder-led
  • B1G1 Business for Good impact partnership, built in from inception, contributions activate at profitability
  • Built for everyone, by people who care about the body, the planet, and the community

Conscious Energy®. For the body, the planet, and the people behind it.

The Exit Opportunity

Better-for-you brands don't stay independent.

PoppiAcquired by PepsiCo, 2025$1.95B
GrünsAcquired by Unilever, April 2026$1.2B
Liquid I.V.Acquired by Unilever, 2020~$500M
OLLYAcquired by Unilever, 2019~$450M
Hu ChocolateAcquired by Mondelez, 2021~$350M

At a $6.5M cap, early investors are buying into the first company purpose-built to solve the afternoon lull+, and to fuel the active community already living in it, at a fraction of what comparable exits have returned.

ōku® is being built to be acquisition-ready as a premium target.

The Ask

Join the Conscious Energy® Movement.

Pre-seed round
$1,000,000
Convertible note 20% discount 6% coupon $6.5M cap
Round closes July 31, 2026
35%Marketing & customer acquisition
30%Retail & distribution expansion
20%Inventory & production scale
15%Operating expenses & legal

Capital carries ōku® from the Sprouts trial through to a priced Seed Round.

The Window

The window closes July 31st.

The round closes before the launch. Early investors get in at the best cap. After August 3rd, the story changes.

Now's your chance to become part of the ōku® story.

This website is only the teaser — the full story lives in the deck. Leave your details below and we'll send it your way before the window closes.

You're in. Carolyn will be in touch before the round closes.

Prefer to talk directly?
Carolyn@okuenergy.com

For accredited investors only. This page is informational and is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy securities.