Strategic Acquisition Brings Consumer-First, Clean-Label Energy to pair with NBC’s Once Upon A Coconut’s Premium Coconut Water Brand
ORLANDO, Fla., March 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Neighborhood Beverage Company (NBC), parent company of Once Upon a Coconut (the premium coconut water brand known for clean ingredients and mission-driven hydration), announced the acquisition of Punch’d Energy, the original patented natural caffeine gummy brand founded in 2015 by John Pinelli. The move marks a significant expansion of NBC’s better-for-you portfolio into the functional energy category, combining two brands built on the same core conviction: real ingredients, no compromise.
Punch’d Energy pioneered the caffeine gummy category with a patented formula made from green coffee bean caffeine, real superfruit, and 100% all-natural, organic ingredients. Free from artificial additives, high-sugar formulations, and synthetic stimulants, Punch’d offers consumers a genuinely customizable personal energy experience. Individual gummies allow consumers to personalize their intake from 10 milligrams all the way up to a full 100-milligram pack, putting performance in the hands of the person reaching for it. The brand’s portfolio includes single-serve packs, 50-count pouches, and a 200-gummy jar purpose-built 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 isn’t just a great product, it’s a category-defining one,” said John Chiorando, CEO of both The Neighborhood Beverage Company and Once Upon a Coconut. “The idea that energy should be personal, portable, and clean is exactly how we think about hydration. Bringing Punch’d into the OUAC family means we can put the power of real, natural energy into more hands, in more places, at the formats that make sense for how people actually live.”
“Once Upon a Coconut doesn’t just sell products, they build movements,” said John Pinelli, Founder and CEO of Punch’d Energy. “What John Chiorando and this team have done in the coconut water space is exactly what I set out to do with Punch’d: prove that clean, real ingredients can outperform the junk on the shelf every single time. This partnership isn’t the end of the Punch’d story… it’s the chapter where we actually go big. Punch’d has spent ten years building this for the consumer who deserves better, and now we have the platform to reach them.”
The acquisition pairs Punch’d Energy’s patented formulation and category-first positioning with Once Upon a Coconut’s rapidly expanding retail footprint, investment-backed infrastructure, and proven playbook for scaling better-for-you brands into major national retail chains.
About Punch’d Energy
Punch’d Energy joins The Neighborhood Beverage Company’s growing portfolio of better-for-you brands alongside Once Upon a Coconut, and is the original patented natural caffeine gummy brand, founded in 2015 and headquartered in Melbourne, Florida. Made with green coffee bean caffeine and real superfruit, Punch’d gummies are 100% all-natural, non-GMO, gluten-free, and allergen-free, with no artificial anything. The brand’s customizable “Personalize Your Power” approach allows consumers to dial in their exact energy dose from a single gummy to a full pack. Punch’d is an Amazon’s Choice product and is available in single-serve packs, 50-count pouches, and 200-gummy jars. Learn more at punchdenergy.com.
About Once Upon a Coconut
Once Upon a Coconut is a premium coconut water brand redefining hydration with bold flavors, clean ingredients, and a mission-driven approach. Launched in 2020, the brand sources young green coconuts from Vietnam and packages them in eco-friendly slim aluminum cans. Available nationwide in over 6,000 retail stores, on Amazon, and through its official website, Once Upon a Coconut donates 10% of profits from each case sold to nonprofits including the Down Syndrome Foundation of Florida and the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. Once Upon a Coconut is backed by prominent investors including Shark Tank’s Daymond John, NFL stars Rob Gronkowski and Ronnie Stanley, St. Louis Cardinals Manager Oliver Marmol, and Health and Wellness Board members Gary Brecka and Ben Greenfield.
For more information, visit www.onceuponacoconut.com and follow @onceuponacoconut on social media.
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SOURCE Once Upon A Coconut
