Gainful
Series BRaised Since FeaturedNutrition, personalized
Personalized protein powder and sports nutrition supplements tailored to individual fitness goals.
About
Gainful is a personalized sports nutrition company that creates custom protein powders, pre-workouts, and hydration products tailored to each customer's unique body and fitness goals. When customers sign up, they take a quiz about their height, weight, exercise patterns, dietary preferences, and fitness goals, after which Gainful's algorithm recommends a personalized powder blend. Every subscriber also gets ongoing access to a registered dietitian for guidance. Founded in 2017 by Eric Wu and Jahaan Ansari — who met at UC Berkeley and experimented with mixing different protein powder combinations to find their optimal formula — the company went through Y Combinator's Winter 2018 batch. Under CEO Dean Kelly's leadership, Gainful has expanded beyond protein into hydration, pre-workout, and other performance nutrition categories. Over 3 million people have completed the personalization quiz, and the company has fulfilled over 850,000 orders. Gainful reached profitability in early 2023 and has since expanded into retail through a partnership with Target.
DailyDropout Take
Gainful caught our attention as a standout in the crowded supplement space — instead of one-size-fits-all tubs, they built a personalization engine that tailors protein blends to individual bodies and goals. With YC backing, a path to profitability, and expansion into retail via Target, they proved that DTC nutrition can scale beyond the Instagram ad playbook.
Discovery signal: Y Combinator pedigree, strong repeat purchase metrics, early profitability in a capital-intensive DTC category, retail expansion with Target.
What Makes Them Unique
Gainful is the only major sports nutrition brand offering fully personalized protein powder formulas based on individual body metrics and fitness goals, paired with ongoing access to a registered dietitian — combining DTC convenience with clinical-grade personalization.
3M+
Quiz Completions
850K+
Orders Fulfilled
$26.3M
Total Raised
Profitable (2023)
Profitability
Target Markets
Founders
Eric Wu
Co-Founder & COO
Co-founded Gainful after experimenting with mixing different protein powders to find the optimal formula. UC Berkeley graduate.
Jahaan Ansari
Co-Founder & CTO
Co-founded Gainful with Eric Wu at UC Berkeley. Built the personalization algorithm and technology platform behind the product.
Key People
Previously: Joined as CEO to scale the business and expand into retail
Funding History
Lead: Y Combinator
Lead: BrandProject & Courtside Ventures
Lead: District Ventures Capital