Founder Spotlight: Conor Meehan of NU
Meet Conor Meehan
In Kichwa communities of the Ecuadorian Amazon, families drink guayusa early in the morning while they tell stories and interpret their dreams. Conor Meehan spent roughly 10 years applying systems thinking to problems from public policy to supply chains, and he told The Irish Times the work left his impact feeling "a bit abstract and hard to trace." NU, his sparkling guayusa drink made with live water kefir cultures at a County Louth brewery, is now sold in SuperValu stores, and a can in a shop is about as traceable as work gets.
Company:
NU
NU is a functional soda brand bringing guayusa to mainstream consciousness. Guayusa is a superleaf that contains as much caffeine as coffee but more antioxidants than green tea and delivers a uniquely focused energy with mental clarity. We have crafted it into functional sodas, blending it with water kefir and using all-natural ingredients to create a gut-friendly, energising, sugar-free, and all-natural soda.
Location:
Dublin, Ireland
When did you launch the business?
May 2025
Startup Stage?
Bootstrapped
How did this business start?
I discovered the guayusa from a friend from Ecuador, and from the first time trying it, I absolutely loved the effect, the taste, and the rich cultural history that it had. It became a life mission to try and make this part of mainstream culture and help support the guayusa industry in its demonstration of more sustainable agricultural practices in rainforest ecosystems.
What's one thing you're proudest of so far?
Creating a world-first product that blends guayusa and water kefir. I love innovation and doing things which are totally unique to the market and which actually meet consumer needs at the same time.
What's been the most surprising or challenging part of building this business?
The most challenging part has been that no one has heard of guayusa, and we have a limited marketing budget to make them aware of that. However, we focus on small organic growth based on a high-quality product achieving a good rate of sale in-store. We hope that these solid foundations can help us overcome, bit by bit, the challenge of consumers' lack of awareness of guayusa.
What do you bring to this community, and what are you hoping to find?
I'm hoping to find inspiration from other brands, and I think our story can help inspire other vegan entrepreneurs to make a positive impact through their business while also addressing real consumer needs.
What's something people would be surprised to learn about you?
My granddad was born in 1893.
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