UK natural energy drink brand ‘Onest Energy has been named Best Sports/Energy Drink at the UK Soft Drinks Awards 2026, less than a year after entering the market. The London-based startup secured the category win ahead of established international competitors including Ghost Energy, Holy Energy and NOCCO. The brand was also shortlisted as a finalist in the Best Packaging & Label Design category.
Organised by FoodBev Media, the UK Soft Drinks Awards recognise innovation and excellence across the beverages sector, with entries judged independently on criteria including taste, ingredient quality and overall brand execution.
Founded in 2025 by entrepreneur Maya Bedeau, ‘Onest Energy has positioned itself as a cleaner-label alternative within the energy drinks category, focusing on simplified ingredients and transparency. Its formulation combines 80mg of natural caffeine sourced from coffee beans with magnesium citrate and B vitamins, delivering 30 calories and 4g of natural sugar per can.
The company currently offers two flavours: Sparkling Apple Berry and Sparkling Tropical Peach.
“We started ‘Onest with a belief that the energy drink market was ready for transparency and honesty: better ingredients, no nonsense, and a brand that customers can actually trust,” said Ms Bedeau. “Winning Best Sports/Energy Drink at the UK Soft Drinks Awards, against brands with decades of history and hundreds of millions in funding, means everything. It tells us the product is right. Now we continue to build the brand around it.”
The recognition comes as ‘Onest continues to build momentum with investors. Bedeau secured £225,000 in pre-seed venture capital funding before the company had launched a product, bringing total funding raised to date to £475,000. The company is currently raising additional capital.
The achievement is notable given the well-documented funding gap facing Black female founders in the UK. Research from Extend Ventures found that Black female entrepreneurs received just 0.02% of UK venture capital funding between 2009 and 2019.
‘Onest’s award win also highlights the scale of competition it faced within the category. Ghost Energy was acquired by Keurig Dr Pepper in 2024 in a deal valuing the brand at approximately $990m. Berlin-based Holy Energy has raised more than $13m in venture funding and reports annual revenue of around $22m, while Swedish performance drink brand NOCCO operates in more than 40 markets as part of the Vitamin Well Group, which reported €650m in revenue.
Winning one of the UK beverage industry’s most recognised awards within eight months of launch represents a significant early milestone for the startup and reflects growing consumer interest in lower-sugar, more transparent energy drink propositions.
Founded in 2025, ‘Onest Energy is available online and through selected UK retail stockists.
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