VAE Labs with Founder and CEO , Orri Bogdan feature 93 of Together Talks

KLS
Jan 9, 2024
5 min read

Updated: Apr 14

"Together Talks" feature 93: VAE Labs presented by KLS, freight company

Some Background on VAE Labs

Today's edition of "Together Talks" campaign, KLS had the chance to interview VAE Labs and Founder and CEO, Orri Bogdan. VAE was created by two neuroscience students looking for a better way to handle balancing the late nights of research with varsity athletics.

They wanted a portable caffeine solution they could take anywhere and would keep them energized for a week or more. They also didn’t want it to have any of the chemicals and calories of energy drinks - just a clean caffeine experience.

18 months of research and many sleepless nights of testing later, VAE was born.

The natural caffeine spray powered by 3 simple ingredients providing instant energy anywhere!

College start

VAE Labs began in college when a team studying neuroscience found a problem and wanted to develop a solution. Coffee and energy drinks were not cutting it, and the team believed there was a better option. Creating something that was fast acting, clean, and convenient way to get caffeinated was essential. In 2018 the team found their creation, developing a spray to solve the problem they sought out to accomplish.

A year later the company incorporated, and VAE Labs was crated. Their product provides 20mg of caffeine per spray. As they compare 3 sprays equates a cup of coffee. Pairing that fast-acting boost plus the convenience make it such an innovative product. As they set out to do, they plan to disrupt within the industry. Other similar caffeine spray companies are more focused on tackling bad breath with a side of caffeine. Orri believes that they are top of the class and that their strongest value is their science background. The tech, team, and background are what Orri is most proud about the potential of VAE Labs.

Benefits

Their caffeine spray brings the convenience of fitting in your pocket. Whip it out and 3 sprays equal a single cup of coffee. Zero calories with no sugar. VAE Labs is providing natural caffeine with lightning-fast energy and there is no crash or jitters.

They currently have 3 flavors:

Mocha

Mango

Mint

Determination

Orri shared that prior to this he was a pro gamer and the lessons learned from not only teamwork, but also carrying your own weight resonates with him. Focusing on what his tasks were amongst his gaming competitions are the same mindset he utilizes running VAE Labs today. For Orri the most important part is focusing on what he can control and finding solutions to any problem that arises.

Being a startup, Orri mentioned that a challenge they faced early was having inventory and struggling with money. Learning how to fundraise was the next logical step to keep things moving. Orri shared the strength in leveraging story telling when making those connections and generating interest behind their brand. Over time like all things he tries to tackle he improved through repetition. Orri went in-depth during that process of raising capital, "We wanted to fundraise, but constantly were told we wouldn't be able to pre-revenue. We completed an accelerator program and got an offer from a VC. While the offer wasn't what we wanted, it flipped a switch in the brain showing what we were capable of. This was an example of breaking past imposter syndrome."

Running a company allows Orri freedom. He shared with us that what he enjoys most is the freedom to do whatever he wants, when he wants. He told us that he already does it in his personal life, having the option to do it for work as well is imperative to him. The drive to build his vision, his way matters to him. His goal is to do everything he can to make the business successful.

Company-wide belief

VAE Labs is here to disrupt. Orri shared there are two avenues to disrupt. One is the easy way which is to innovate with something that everyone is using. But the other option is doing it the hard way which is innovating with a completely new product. While it is harder to get the traction it possesses immense upside. VAE Labs and their caffeine spray is the latter.

Orri explained to us that the people that make up VAE Labs is the foundation and the core strength of the company. He couldn't sing their praises loud enough. As Orri previously mentioned overcoming imposter syndrome has allowed the company to continue to build. Their next mission is to tackle energy drinks. While it is high risk to try and enter that market share and ultimately overtake energy drinks, Orri is very confident in the team. Very confident in team.

Entering the new year are big goals for VAE Labs. It will be their first fully operating year. Orri shared they have a huge PO in the works that will set the tone for the year and the team is excited about fulfilling. They want to continue their expansion into retail. VAE Labs has put a priority on marketing to continue to build brand awareness and continue to increase exposure. The company is focused on continuing to move forward. As Orri explained to us, they simply don't get impacted by adversity, they just don't care. VAE Labs has the mindset of "us against the world".

Piece of Advice

The conversation with Orri ended with him sharing his piece of advice:

"Being 27 and an early-stage founder, the biggest unlock was getting involved with a mentor who also is an investor. For 2 years this individual was a very close friend. He built multi-billion-dollar company in similar industry, so they brought vast knowledge and experience to the table for us. Between his connections and relevancy in the space, he has been the most influential person.

Prior to getting him on board, other VCs were low balling or not interested in our company, then it changed once he came on board. Be aware though that mentors won’t only bet on you but bet on you and the product you are bringing to them. Having something that is enticing to that person and getting them to invest into them is the key."

Also check out a passion project Orri has created, Founders Game.

A community built to disrupt startups with a founders first approach.

In Closing

KLS wants to thank Orri Bogdan, Founder and CEO, of VAE Labs for today's "Together Talks" feature. Follow along for the VAE Labs journey with their social handles below!