A 28g-protein, 150-calorie bar co-founded by the RXBar creator that hit $1 million in sales in its first week and roughly $131 million in its first year.
Each David bar packs 28 grams of protein into just 150 calories with zero sugar, using EPG (esterified propoxylated glycerol), a plant-based fat that passes through the gut largely undigested. Bars retail around $2.33-$3 through davidprotein.com and roughly 35,000 US stores including Walmart, Target, Costco, and Wegmans. The differentiation is macro-level: no competitor matches its protein-to-calorie ratio, which resonated instantly with the fitness and longevity communities on social media. The company doubled down on the ingredient moat by acquiring Epogee, EPG's sole producer, in May 2025. A line extension into ice cream was announced for 2026.
Peter Rahal co-founded RXBar in his parents' kitchen in 2013 with $10,000 and sold it to Kellogg for $600 million in 2017, then spent years investing in food startups through his family office. Once his five-year non-compete expired, he teamed up with Zach Ranen, founder of low-carb bakery RAIZE, and spent over a year tinkering on a bar designed around one obsessive standard: the most protein with the fewest calories. They raised $10 million in mid-2024 from Rahal himself plus physicians and podcasters Peter Attia and Andrew Huberman, then launched in September 2024, selling $1 million in the first week. First-year revenue reached an estimated $131 million, and a $75 million Series A led by Greenoaks funded the acquisition of Epogee to secure the EPG supply chain. Controversies followed, including an antitrust suit from Epogee customers (dismissed) and a calories-labeling class action (dismissed in March 2026), plus Attia stepping down as chief science officer. Sales kept growing regardless: parent company Medici Brands raised $250 million at a $2.25 billion valuation in September 2026, making Rahal a billionaire on paper, and David bars now sit in about 35,000 stores. The starting team was small and senior, and TIME named David to its 2026 TIME100 Most Influential Companies list.
Figures are compiled from public sources and may include estimates. Always verify before making business decisions.
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