Ace Blend raises $9.9 million, will put nutrition products through clinical trials

Ace Blend, an Indian nutrition brand that sells plant-based protein powders, superfood mixes and health supplements, has raised $9.9 million in a Series A2 funding round led by 3one4 Capital, with its existing investor Fireside Ventures also taking part, according to reports on October 28 and 29, 2026. The company said it will use the money for clinical trials of its products, its supply chain, research and development, and new nutrition formats.

India's market for protein powders and supplements has grown quickly as more people go to gyms, track their diets and buy health products online. That growth has also brought crowded shelves and many claims that are hard for a buyer to check. Most brands compete on taste, price and marketing. Ace Blend says it wants to compete on evidence, by testing its products in clinical trials run by independent research organisations and publishing the results.

A clinical trial here means a planned study in which people take a product under controlled conditions, so researchers can measure what it does. Contract research organisations are companies that run such studies for others. Publishing in a peer-reviewed journal means other scientists check the study's methods before it appears. If Ace Blend does this, it would be unusual for a young direct-to-consumer brand, and the results, whether good or bad, would give buyers more than a label to go on. Until such studies are published, any health benefit remains the company's claim.

The round also shows where consumer investors are putting money. Fireside Ventures has backed the brand since its earlier round, and 3one4 Capital's lead suggests that investors see room for a brand in this category that can show repeat buyers. The company's figure of more than 46% repeat purchase, if accurate, matters because selling to the same customer again is far cheaper than finding new ones through advertising.

For founders in the consumer space, the lesson is that money is following brands that can show loyal customers and a reason to trust their products. For buyers, the promise of published trials is worth watching: it is the published results, not the funding announcement, that will show whether the products do what is claimed.

Short-term: Ace Blend will spend on trials, product development and supply, and is likely to widen its range and reach on online and quick-commerce platforms.

Long-term: If the trials are run and published as promised, they could push other nutrition brands to back their claims with evidence. If the results are weak or the studies are not published, the brand's claims will carry less weight.

Who is affected: Buyers of protein powders and supplements; other nutrition and wellness brands competing for the same shoppers; quick-commerce and e-commerce platforms that sell such products; and investors in Indian consumer start-ups.

Questions and Answers