Why We Invested In GORGIE
April 29, 2025
I first met Michelle Cordeiro Grant nearly a decade ago with my colleague Robin, when she was building LIVELY in 2016. Right away, it was clear she was a special kind of founder, someone who could see opportunities others missed and reimagine the consumer experience. We were proud to back her first company, and when she sold LIVELY to Wacoal for over $100M, we knew it was just the beginning of her journey. So when Michelle started working on her next venture, GORGIE, it was an easy decision for us to back her again in 2023 during the seed round, and again to lead the Series A.
GORGIE is a better-for-you energy drink. Built for today’s consumer, it offers clean ingredients, bold flavors, and a community-first brand that stands out in a massive $20B+ category that is overdue for change. GORGIE is made with good-for-you ingredients, including green tea caffeine, L-Theanine and Vitamins B6 and B12, designed by a thoughtful, female-led team for everyone to benefit.
Michelle’s superpower is that she builds the best possible product for her audience, by building alongside her community. Before GORGIE even hit the shelves, she was out in the world running blind taste tests, gathering feedback, and listening to what real customers wanted. She didn’t assume; she asked. Then she delivered. This deep product orientation, combined with her instinct for building community, set the foundation for GORGIE's explosive early success. GORGIE is more than a drink, it's a brand people feel a part of, one that is incorporated into their daily rituals.
GORGIE went from idea to shelf in just six months, which is remarkable in CPG where development cycles are traditionally slow and dominated by incumbents. And even more, through GORGIE’s inclusive approach, it’s expanding the category itself. New customers are entering the energy aisle for the first time, drawn by GORGIE's joyful wellness-forward approach that embodies their lifestyle.
None of this happened by accident. In less than two years, Michelle has assembled a team that blends best-in-class CPG experience with the hunger and agility of a startup. She’s built creator partnerships with authentic fans of the brand, launched a collaboration with Erewhon, introduced a Cherry Lime flavor with popular influencer Jordyn Jones, added limited edition merchandise for GORGIE fans to shop, and generated over a billion organic impressions on social media. Most importantly, she’s cultivated a consumer base that’s fiercely loyal, with reorder rates that speak to how essential GORGIE has already become in people’s lives.
The results speak for themselves. GORGIE, which originally launched online, is now available at more than 25 retail chains nationwide, including Erewhon, Kroger, Sprouts, and Whole Foods. Starting on June 1, GORGIE will expand into 1,900 Target locations, where it will launch a new, exclusive Pink Lemonade flavor.
At Notable, we back founders who are builders, founders who spot whitespace, build community, and create brands people genuinely love. Michelle does all three. Her vision for GORGIE is bold, but her execution is even more impressive and deeply in touch with what consumers actually want. We’re proud to lead GORGIE’s Series A and, together with my colleague Cami and our platform team members, we are even more excited to be part of the movement she’s building.
