Mark Curry was a corporate lawyer running on caffeine and heading for burnout when he started making nootropic powders at his desk. In this Crumb Wire profile, the Savvy Beverages founder talks science-backed nutrition, 24 awards, and why healthy alternatives still have a visibility problem.
Tell us a bit about yourself – what’s your background and what led you to the world of food and drink?
I used to be a corporate lawyer, fuelled by endless coffee and heading straight for burnout. To survive the grind and long days, I looked for alternatives beyond another coffee, or ADHD medication or anything like it. Soon, I found myself making my own nootropic superfood powders at home, which I would bring into my office. These helped me with sustained focus and energy, without a crash, while also improving my ability to handle stress.
Before long, colleagues were turning my office into a café as they would come every day asking for another one of the “brain potions” I had made. This nootropic powder quickly gained a big reputation. Realising I was the only person making this, their excitement sparked a huge epiphany: this was how I could make a real difference.
So, I took a leap, quit law, and launched Savvy to give everyone a way to truly optimise their mental health, performance, and overall wellbeing.
Tell us about the product. What makes it unique?
Across our 20 products, we focus on two main outcomes: promoting calm while reducing stress and anxiety -OR- long-lasting energy, focus, and performance.
What makes us unique is that we use 25 times more active ingredients than anything else remotely similar on the market. Our products are made by health experts using science backed ingredients and proven doses.
This is why we have become Australia’s most-awarded nutrition business.
Talk us through the journey of your brand. What have been some of the key achievements and challenges along the way?
It was very hard to get started. It took over a year of getting rejected by Australian manufacturers before anyone would take a chance on us, as what we were doing was “too new”. It took over a year before we finally made our first 11,000 drinks, and we sold out in 5 weeks. This was the proof that people really wanted this.
We have grown to 20 products by listening to our customers and making what they want. When people asked for coffee alternatives, or ways to calm stress and anxiety while staying sharp, we formulated them. Expanding into delicious drinks, collagen bars, and superfood powders has earned us 24 awards, making us Australia’s leading nootropics brand.
How has the Australian market responded to the brand and what has surprised you most?
The response from Aussies has been incredible. So many people want healthier ways to manage stress and get lasting energy without coffee jitters. This meant there were two huge markets for us to disrupt and improve.
What surprised me most was how fed-up people were with nutrition products that are all marketing fluff, but do not work.
Delivering great-tasting, sugar-free nutrition solutions that genuinely perform was a breath of fresh air. We are transparent with everything we use, and have built incredible loyalty, with customers staying since 2020, and fuelled our growth into Australia’s leading functional nootropics business.
What is one thing you wish more people knew about the work you do?
I wish more people knew that genuine, healthy alternatives like Savvy actually exist. We are taking on two massive markets dominated by giant international players with enormous advertising budgets. Cutting through all that marketing noise is easily our biggest challenge.
At the end of the day, it is simply about letting people know that healthy products that reduce stress and anxiety do exist.
How do you see food and drink culture in Australia evolving and how does your brand fit in?
Australia’s food and drink culture is evolving brilliantly as people move beyond basic refreshment. Aussies are far more intentional now, actively seeking functional products that offer benefits they can feel, such as long-lasting energy, reduced stress or an improved mood.
People want their daily choices to work harder for their health.
Savvy sits right at the forefront of this shift, delivering science backed nutrition that makes everyday wellbeing effortless.
What keeps you inspired as a founder?
What keeps my fire burning is the daily feedback from our customers and community. We constantly get emails asking us to stock Savvy everywhere, from cafes, supermarkets and gyms to high schools, universities, police stations, fire stations and overseas too.
Knowing we are creating unique products that actually improve people’s health and wellbeing is incredible. Seeing that real-world difference every day makes every single challenge worth it.
What’s next for you and the brand?
Right now, I am focused on expanding our core range. We are rolling out exciting new flavours and unique product formats within our Energy and Calm categories, giving people even more delicious, accessible ways to tune their focus or unwind.
Then we will be expanding into the next emerging areas across brain health, mental wellbeing, and functional nutrition. We are genuinely just getting started, and the future looks incredibly bright.
And finally, what do you like to do when you’re not at work?
When I am not at work, I really enjoy spending time with friends and family around Australia. I’m lucky to be in Byron Bay, and so getting out in nature as much as possible is something I find really enjoyable.
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