Startup CPG Newswire:
The Neighborhood Beverage Company, Parent Company of Once Upon A Coconut, Acquires Punch’d Energy, Expanding Its Better-For-You Portfolio into the Functional Energy Category
PRESS RELEASE — NEWS PROVIDED BY Mick Olinik for Once Upon A Coconut
ORLANDO, FL (APRIL 2026) — The Neighborhood Beverage Company (NBC), parent company of Once Upon a Coconut, announced the acquisition of Punch’d Energy, a patented natural caffeine gummy brand founded in 2015 by John Pinelli. The move expands NBC’s better-for-you portfolio into the functional energy category, bringing together two brands built on a shared commitment to real ingredients and transparent formulation.
Punch’d Energy’s patented formula is made from green coffee bean caffeine, real superfruit, and natural, organic ingredients, free from artificial additives and synthetic stimulants. Individual gummies allow consumers to personalize their intake from 10 milligrams up to a full 100-milligram pack. The portfolio includes single-serve packs, 50-count pouches, and a 200-gummy jar designed for large-format retail, including club store environments like Costco, where Once Upon a Coconut recently launched its Coconut Water + Chocolate line across the Southeast and Texas.
“Punch’d is a strong product with a clear market position,” said John Chiorando, CEO of The Neighborhood Beverage Company and Once Upon a Coconut. “The idea that energy should be personal, portable, and clean aligns directly with how we think about hydration. Bringing Punch’d into the OUAC family means we can offer natural energy options to more consumers, in more retail formats.”
“Once Upon a Coconut has built something real in the coconut water space,” said John Pinelli, Founder of Punch’d Energy. “This partnership gives Punch’d the platform to reach the consumers we have been building for over the past ten years.”
The acquisition pairs Punch’d Energy’s patented formulation with Once Upon a Coconut’s growing retail footprint, investment-backed infrastructure, and experience scaling better-for-you brands into national retail.
About Once Upon a Coconut
Once Upon a Coconut is a premium coconut water brand launched in 2020. The company sources young green coconuts from Vietnam and packages them in eco-friendly slim aluminum cans. The brand is available in over 6,000 retail stores nationwide, on Amazon, and through its official website. Once Upon a Coconut donates 10% of profits from each case sold to nonprofit organizations including the Down Syndrome Foundation of Florida and Tunnel to Towers Foundation. The company’s investors include Daymond John, Rob Gronkowski, Ronnie Stanley, Oliver Marmol, Gary Brecka, and Ben Greenfield.
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