C4 Energy
 | |
| Product type | Energy drink |
|---|---|
| Owner | Nutrabolt |
| Country | United States |
| Introduced | 2018[1] |
| Related brands | Cellucor, Xtend |
| Website | https://cellucor.com/pages/c4-energy |
C4 Energy is a brand of non-alcoholic energy drinks owned by Nutrabolt. It debuted in 2018 as a ready-to-drink carbonated extension of the company’s C4 pre-workout line,[1] and later expanded into multiple ranges including C4 Performance Energy (16 oz; labeled 200 mg caffeine), C4 Smart Energy (12 oz; labeled 200 mg caffeine from “natural” sources), and C4 Ultimate Energy (16 oz; labeled 300 mg caffeine).[2][3][4] In 2022, Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) announced a strategic partnership with Nutrabolt that included U.S. distribution for C4 Energy and an equity investment of approximately 30%.[5][6]
History
[edit | edit source]Nutrabolt introduced a sparkling ready-to-drink version of its C4 pre-workout in April 2018, positioning the product at mass retail with zero sugar and a 16 oz format.[1] Early distribution expansion included a 2019 agreement with New York distributor Big Geyser.[7] In December 2022, Keurig Dr Pepper agreed to sell and distribute C4 Energy across most of its company-owned direct-store-delivery territories and invested US$863 million for an approximately 30% ownership stake in Nutrabolt.[8][9]
Certification
[edit | edit source]Selected C4 Energy SKUs appear in the NSF Certified for Sport database under Woodbolt Distribution LLC (DBA Nutrabolt), including multiple C4 Performance Energy flavors.[10][11] In March 2025, Nutrabolt launched a “Made for Athletes. Certified for Sport.” campaign centered on the certification program.[12]
Marketing and partnerships
[edit | edit source]C4 Energy has collaborated with confectionery brands on licensed flavors, including Starburst (2021)[13] and Skittles (2022).[14] In 2024, Nutrabolt announced a broad licensing partnership with The Hershey Company to extend confectionery flavors into energy drinks and adjacent categories.[15]
In April 2024, C4 Ultimate Energy became the first-ever Official Energy Drink Partner of WWE.[16] The brand also signed multi-year team partnerships in February 2025 with the Boston Celtics,[17] the New York Knicks,[18] and the Miami Heat.[19]
Market performance
[edit | edit source]According to Circana’s 2024 New Product Pacesetters (covering items completing first-year sales in 2024), C4 Performance Energy ranked No. 3 among food and beverage Pacesetters with US$144.0 million in year-one sales.[20][21]
See also
[edit | edit source]References
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