Kirin Holdings Invests in U.S.-Based Nawgan Products, LLC

ST. LOUIS, Aug. 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Nawgan Products LLC, the makers of Nawgan, the innovative functional brain health beverage, and Japan's Kirin Holdings announce Kirin's investment in the LLC. The investment represents Kirin Holdings' minority interest in Nawgan Products LLC and will fund growth initiative plans throughout North America. Kirin Holdings is a world leader in beer and other beverage production in Japan, with annual sales of $25 billion.

"It is our great honor to be part of this opportunity and be able to provide a new value for the ever-evolving health drink market in the United States through profoundly unique Nawgan products," said Mr. Senji Miyake, President and CEO of Kirin Holdings.

Kyowa Hakko Bio, the maker of Cognizin®, is part of the Kirin Holdings Group.  Cognizin is a key ingredient found in every can of Nawgan; each can of the beverage also provides a good source of choline and 50% daily value of natural vitamin E.

Nawgan was recently honored by Beverage Innovation Magazine as Best Concept Drink and Best Alertness Drink at the seventh annual InnoBev Global Beverages Summit in Washington, D.C., besting more than 150 functional drink entries from other countries. It is this innovation and the brand's potential for market preemption that solidified interest from Kirin Holdings.

"We at Nawgan are thrilled that Kirin has elected to partner with us, not simply because Kirin is such a strong beverage company, but because of the company's remarkable expertise in formulation, research and development," said Dr. Robert Paul, Board-Certified Clinical Neuropsychologist and developer of Nawgan.  "Kirin Holdings shares our commitment to bringing science-based beverages to the market.  Nawgan, powered by Cognizin, fulfills that commitment by helping people improve concentration and focus throughout the day."

Nawgan was launched in 2010 with seed funding provided in part by the St. Louis-based Biogenerator and angel investors including beverage veterans from the St. Louis area.  The company is led by a seasoned Board of Directors including co-founding members Peter Wodtke and James S. Tonkin, along with Dan Broderick, Toru Yoshimura from Kirin, and CEO and President Jim von der Heydt.

"This partnership between Nawgan and Kirin illuminates one of the most exciting equity investments in the functional beverage space in the last several years," said Tonkin, a 37-year beverage industry veteran.  "As brain health becomes more important, especially to an aging American population, Nawgan is perfectly positioned for measured and specific market expansion and growth, supporting mental alertness and focus for consumers from college age to seniors."

Available in Red Berries Caffeinated, Berry Non-Caffeinated and Tarocco Orange Caffeinated, Nawgan contains natural ingredients and is low in calories and sodium. The key ingredient, Cognizin works in harmony with the other ingredients in Nawgan to support alertness and concentration.  Studies have demonstrated that healthy adults who used Cognizin daily exhibited significant improvements in performance on tests of alertness and concentration, as well as brain activity visualized on sophisticated imaging techniques.

Nawgan is currently found on shelves at more than 300 stores across the greater St. Louis region, including Walgreens, Straub's Fine Grocers, Dierberg's Markets and Shop'n'Save.

For more information on Nawgan, please visit www.nawgan.com.

ABOUT NAWGAN

Nawgan Products, founded in 2007 by brain health researcher Dr. Robert Paul and lead by CEO Jim von der Heydt, is a developer of products that support optimal brain function.  Nawgan launched its patent-pending beverage designed to sharpen the mind in 2010 and has received accolades from  Beverage World Magazine, Beverage Innovation Magazine and Zenith International.  Nawgan was developed in St. Louis and offers consumers improved concentration and focus in an all-natural beverage.

ABOUT KIRIN HOLDINGS

Established in 1907, Kirin Holdings Company, Limited is one of the leading food and beverage manufacturers in Asia and Oceania. Core businesses cover an extensive range of products from alcohol and soft drinks to dairy foods, health foods and pharmaceuticals. The Kirin Group is an international enterprise employing about 32,000 people worldwide.

Contact: Joanna Barber
organicworks PR
212-253-0474
[email protected]

SOURCE Nawgan Products LLC