SAN FRANCISCO (BRAIN) — Chris Matthews, Specialized Bicycle's former international marketing director, is using Indiegogo to crowdfund a new vitamin company, Vitalete.
Vitalete will offer vitamins on a subscription sale basis, in three varieties tailored for active adults and athletes. The varying formulas are designed for people who exercise three, six, or nine hours a week. The company will also offer a nighttime pill to aid sleep and overnight recovery.
Matthews said the vitamins differ from what is currently available because they are tailored for recreational or competitive athletes and because the pills are produced in a certified lab.
"The multivitamins out there now make one of two big promises: either get ripped, or lose fat. But if I am a cyclist who rides eight or nine hours a week, I don't want to look like the guy on the cover of a muscle magazine, and I don't need to lose weight. I just want to make sure my levels are topped off," Matthews told BRAIN this week. "We tried to approach this in a smart and transparent way. A lot of the multivitamins have proprietary, secret blends. So you don't know what's in there, and if it doesn't come from a certified lab, there's no guarantee that what they say is in there really is in there."
The vitamins are being manufactured in New York by a company that Matthews said has the "highest levels of certification."
"That's the only way to guarantee that what it says on the label is in it. The vitamin industry is not very well trusted. There are a lot of lies and deceit. That doesn't make vitamins bad, but if you take vitamins at random, they aren't going to help. So we are being very specific about what goes in and why, and what quantity," he said.
Matthews worked at Specialized from 2004 to 2013. After leaving the company he helped launch GeneSolv, a premium health care brand, where he was the chief marketing officer.
He launched Vitalete this spring. The company is currently trying to raise $90,000 through its Indiegogo campaign.
With 20 days left in the campaign, the goal is just 5 percent complete. But Matthews said Vitalete won't live or die based on the campaign.
"We want the crowdfunding to validate the business. Then based on how that goes, we'll make a decision about whether we need to raise more money and how," he said.
He said some upcoming media exposure will boost the campaign, as will support from pro bike racer Freddie Rodriguez, who has been promoting the campaign on social media.
While Vitalete will initially sell direct to consumers on a subscription basis, Matthews said the company may eventually explore other distribution options, including the use of speciality retailers.
