Maya Bedeau, Founder of Onest, on Reinventing the Energy Drink

At 29, Maya Bedeau is already reshaping a $57 billion global category. Last year, the London-based entrepreneur left nearly a decade-long career in drinks marketing to launch Onest Energy, a clean, low-sugar energy drink powered by natural caffeine, magnesium citrate, and B-vitamins. In under 12 months, she raised £225,000 in pre-seed funding despite Black female founders receiving just 0.02% of UK VC investment.

Bedeau’s mission is simple, build the energy drink she always wanted, one that delivers a natural lift without crashes, crashes in credibility, or hidden compromises. BRAINZ Magazine sat down with the founder to discuss transparency, taste, and taking on Red Bull and Monster with nothing but honesty in a can.

Walk us through your journey to founding Onest. What sparked the idea for a truly healthy energy drink?

I wasn’t allowed energy drinks growing up, and when I finally tried them as an adult, I got it. The jitters, the crash, the numerous teaspoons of sugar. After eight years in drinks marketing, I saw how “natural” claims were misleading. No-added-sugar labels hiding 10g+ of sugar just because it’s natural. “Clean” formulas filled with preservatives and artificial sweeteners.

I couldn’t find a version I trusted, or even liked. So when I left my job in 2024, I built it: real energy from simple, transparent ingredients. No checking labels. No guilt. That’s Onest.

You’re part of a generation that grew up with social media and side-hustle culture. How has your age shaped your approach to building a startup?

We’re the first generation that watched anyone launch a brand from our bedrooms, and saw a lot fail fast, but many win. That transparency made entrepreneurship within reach. We don’t just accept “how it’s always been done.” We question, learn, and build in public.

Onest Energy uses just three core ingredients. What are they, and why do they outperform the usual caffeine-and-sugar formula?

We kept it to three, all natural, all functional: Natural caffeine from coffee beans for a clean lift, with no synthetic edge. Magnesium citrate which supports energy metabolism and fights fatigue (something 99% of energy drinks ignore). And then finally B-vitamins (B3, B6, B12, B7) which unlock energy at the cellular level.

Most brands chase a spike. We built a bridge, clean energy that solves why you reached for the can in the first place.

In a market dominated by Red Bull and Monster, what makes Onest’s formula innovative?

We didn’t invent energy drinks, we’ve tried to reinvent them. Onest Energy is under 30 calories, ~4g natural sugar, zero artificial anything. Light, refreshing, drinkable daily. It’s not a pre-workout desperation play, it’s a functional energy boost. We’re carving a new lane and that’s energy you can trust.

Raising £225,000 pre-product is rare, especially as a mixed-race female founder. How did you secure the round?

We had no finished product, just market data, drinks-industry experience and a strong brand concept. We led with full transparency, every cost, every risk, every supplier quote. Investors just didn’t fund an idea, they funded a business with honesty at its core and a product invented by demand. We managed to find some great investors who were willing to bet on a business that is trying to challenge the market.

What were the biggest early hurdles, and how did you stay true to your vision?

Taste. Most natural ingredients are bitter. That’s the reality. We refused to compromise with chemicals. Too many samples to count later, we nailed a flavour that people love. We were persistent and patient and that's how we got there, that’s the formula.

With funding secured, what was next?

We had three priorities, scale Direct To Consumer sales via our website, align strategically with selective on-trade partners and we’re now co-creating the next flavour with our audience. This year, we’re expanding our DTC channels into Amazon and TikTok Shop as well as on-trade and retail partners, increasing production, dropping new SKUs and growing with value-aligned national partners.

How do you envision Onest impacting the broader wellness industry?

We want energy drinks to graduate from “guilty pleasure” to “daily essential.” Forcing transparency into a category built on smoke and mirrors. And prove diverse founders belong at the top table, permanently.

How will Onest scale without losing its soul?

By staying true to our non-negotiables. Authenticity isn’t a launch tactic, it’s our business model. Never lose our values.

Keep founders visible.

Grow through community, not corporates. Partner only with those who share the mission.

Advice for young, female, or underrepresented entrepreneurs?

Don’t be afraid to start messy. One “no” isn’t a verdict, it’s a challenge. Believe the dream enough to keep going no matter what.

Maya Bedeau is the founder of Onest, A Natural Energy Drink Brand. To find out more about her and the brand go to drinkonest.com