"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 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 Nawgan; each can of the beverage also provides a good source of choline and 50% daily value of natural vitamin E.

"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."

From the August 23, 2011, Prepared Foods' Daily News.