Ones to Watch: Sharper minds, smarter foods

26 FOOD TECHS TO WATCH IN 2026

Ārepa Co founder Angus Brown explains why the future of functional nutrition begins not with energy drinks or nootropics, but with a molecule hidden in New Zealand blackcurrants

For all the sophistication of today’s food system, one organ remains curiously underserved: the brain. Diets are engineered for satiety and physical fuel, yet cognitive health still leans heavily on high caffeine and synthetic quick fixes that offer little lasting clarity or resilience. It is this disconnect that Ārepa Co founder, Angus Brown, set out to correct.

“We create clinically proven brain nutrition powered by breakthrough New Zealand science,” he says. Specifically, the company develops functional foods and supplements designed to measurably improve mental performance, clarity and mood without the jittery rollercoaster associated with stimulants. At the center of that work is Sarmentosin, a naturally occurring, reversible MAO (monoamine oxidase) inhibitor discovered in its Neuroberry blackcurrant varieties.

Ārepa sits at the juncture of food, neuroscience and medicine, holding patented IP that allows them to compete in a space usually dominated by pharmaceutical approaches. “To our knowledge, this is the world’s first plant-food MAO inhibitor proven in human research,” he says. “MAO inhibition boosts the brain’s circulating neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin and noradrenaline – chemicals needed for better attention, mood, motivation and long-term neurological function – and we are very excited about its first-to-market applications in food and supplements.”

In 2025, Ārepa expanded its human clinical research, completed the pilot phase of its Neuroberry extraction pathway and was one of the only neuro ingredients featured at MISTA’s Future Nutrition Demo Day in San Francisco. The company also published its sixth human clinical trial in adults over 55, showing a significant sleep effect from the patented Ārepa formula compared with placebo. Strong revenue growth across its online supplement business provided commercial momentum.

The goal for 2026 is nothing short of global expansion. The company plans to launch Sarmentosin internationally as a next generation first-to-market brain ingredient, complete the toxicology work needed for an FDA no objections GRAS conclusion, and run a new human study on its Neuroberry extract containing 30% Sarmentosin to prove behavioral effects. Brown’s team will also deliver material for a three-month placebo controlled menopause study in the UK and grow licensing partnerships across the USA and Asia.

Turning persistence into proof

These ambitions build on a decade of technical and commercial problem solving. “Growing a CPG business from New Zealand while spending more than 10% of revenue on R&D each year and staying alive for more than 10 years has been the ultimate challenge,” he says. Balancing capital needs with the dual focus on consumer products and long term B2B ingredient development has demanded discipline. Now the next major barrier is scaling the Neuroberry extraction process for prized bioactives like anthocyanins and Sarmentosin, then pushing that commercial material through gold standard toxicology tests and human RCTs.

Brown knows the discovery of a natural MAO inhibitor invites scrutiny. Many people are familiar with older pharmaceutical MAO inhibitors that required strict dietary restrictions as they could trigger blood pressure spikes. “That is why Sarmentosin is so compelling,” he insists. As it is natural and reversible, it avoids the mechanism that caused the classic tyramine issue. Consumers get neurotransmitter supporting benefits without the baggage of irreversible inhibition.

Ārepa measures its impact across clinical performance data, consumer cognitive outcomes, long-term health benefits and supply chain sustainability. Environmentally, the company uses glass, aluminum or green PET packaging and is exploring waste stream utilization and fermentation pathways to improve efficiency.

Brown sees Sarmentosin becoming a gold standard ingredient used across supplements, functional foods and medical nutrition, with Ārepa becoming the world’s most trusted brain nutrition brand enabling one billion better brain days by 2030. There is an irony at the heart of the discovery. “Sarmentosin was found in a humble berry in New Zealand most people associate with jam, not brain optimization,” he says. “Sometimes world-changing science arrives wearing a very unassuming fruit costume.”