Doing our part is our own little ultra-trail! 

Our athletes win trophies. They inspire us. Following their lead, we also want to test our limits. After a long process requiring endurance, strength, and motivation, we achieved B Corp certification in 2021. So, what is B Corp? It’s a progressive and demanding certification that reflects our commitment—both environmental and social.

Within our team, we celebrated this certification as a victory and continue to nurture it daily as a source of hope. Doing our part is our own little ultra-trail and our daily motivation. Because beyond being a sports nutrition brand, we see Näak as a movement—positive, aspirational, and deeply optimistic. We firmly believe: a world that embraces sports and the right kind of energy is a world moving in the right direction!

In this article, Minh-Anh Pham and William Walcker, our co-founders, share why and how they made Näak a committed brand. They discuss concrete initiatives to innovate in eco-responsibility and explain how they see B Corp certification as a bulwark against greenwashing.

What is B Corp Certification?

B Corp isn’t the name of our new energy gel or the nickname of the latest intern at the Näak Lab! B Corp is an internationally renowned certification—progressive and demanding—awarded to companies that act in the public interest. In fact, the ‘B’ in B Corp stands for ‘Benefits for all’, bringing together conscious and forward-thinking businesses within a positive movement aiming to create a beneficial impact on the world.

So, how does B Corp certification actually work? The goal is to accumulate points across five categories, each addressing a different areas of the business: governance, employees, community, environment, and customers. There’s no maximum score, but a minimum score is required to receive the certification. This score can be improved over time through positive initiatives and regular company reports.

“B Corp isn’t the name of our new energy gel or the nickname of the latest intern at the Näak Lab!”

“The B Corp label unites conscious businesses within a positive movement aiming to create a beneficial impact on the world.”

Why is B Corp Certification important to Näak?

B Corp certification is essential to us because, in an industry prone to greenwashing, it serves as an objective measure of a strict commitment to creating a positive impact for our employees, community, and the environment. Minh, one of our co-founders, explains: “Näak was born out of a desire to offer an eco-friendly alternative to what existed in the world of sports nutrition, without compromising on product performance. This commitment is part of our DNA. From the very beginning, the company has embraced a bold vision on this matter.”

Achieving the B Corp label was therefore a goal, an end in itself; but it also became a means to an end. The journey to certification allowed us to assess and improve all our internal processes. Will, our other co-founder, shares: “We worked for nearly nine months to meet the requirements. This goal was a huge challenge for us. It forced us to adopt the right habits from the start, transforming our eco-friendly intentions into concrete actions. It was a real test, because once you commit to this process, every initiative you take directly impacts whether or not you achieve certification. It makes you reflect and pushes you to make meaningful decisions for the greater good.”

“Näak was born out of a desire to offer an eco-friendly alternative to what existed in the world of sports nutrition, without compromising on product performance.”

“We worked for nearly nine months to meet the requirements. This goal was a huge challenge for us.”

Why isn't B Corp Certification just greenwashing? 

With the rise of eco-friendly labels, it’s becoming harder to distinguish true commitments from greenwashing tactics. So, why isn’t B Corp greenwashing? Will explains: “The process to earn this certification is so long, demanding, and thorough that it acts as a safeguard. You can’t buy a B Corp certification—you have to work hard to achieve it!”

Like ultra-trail athletes, earning B Corp requires endurance, strength, motivation, and focus to cross the finish line. Minh adds: “Greenwashing is spending money to buy carbon neutrality—paying for eco-friendly initiatives to offset a company’s negative impact. B Corp certification, on the other hand, focuses on addressing the root cause by reducing that negative impact higher up the value chain.”

The path to certification involved many steps: “We realized that we were already doing a lot of things naturally that aligned with the right direction. However, we had to put significant effort into structuring and formalizing these initiatives: creating guides for our employees, satisfaction surveys, and sourcing documentation for our suppliers. With B Corp certification, there’s no cheating!”

Additionally, to prevent long-term commitments that lack accountability, similar to what sometimes happens at COP conferences, B Corp requires recertification every three years. This leaves no room for empty promises. Perhaps it’s this level of rigor that makes Näak the only sports nutrition brand currently holding this certification!

“You can’t buy a B Corp certification—you have to work hard to achieve it!”

“It’s perhaps this level of rigor that explains why we’re the only sports nutrition brand to have earned this certification!”

What concrete initiatives are we leading as part of our B Corp Certification? 

At Näak, being B Corp certified means embedding eco-conscious values into everything we do daily. Every decision we make and every project we undertake is shaped by this commitment.

Here are some initiatives we’re proud of—bold, innovative, and full of common sense:

1. Sourcing more responsible ingredients

Every time we develop a new product, our R&D team asks the same essential question: Can we find an ingredient that’s both higher-performing and more sustainable than what’s commonly used in sports nutrition? In other words, how can we do better for the athlete and the planet?

For example, we use Canola protein to replace pea and soy proteins in our Ultra Energy™Drink Mixes. Produced in France and certified non-GMO, this plant-based protein has a reduced environmental impact: its farming produces half the CO2 emissions of soy and uses five times less water than pea protein. Additionally, our Ultra Energy™Drink Mixes contains palatinose—a beet sugar that requires 10 times less water to extract than fructose.

“Can we find an ingredient that’s both higher-performing and more sustainable than what’s commonly used in sports nutrition?”

2. Using upcycled ingredients

We all know materials like packaging and plastic can be recycled, but did you know food can be recycled too? At Näak, we embraced this idea. Will explains: “We use upcycled ingredients in our products. The idea is to create value from zero—from food that would otherwise go to waste.”

The most striking example? “Maple Syrup. It’s the only sugar whose extraction doesn’t harm its plant source. The syrup is tapped without uprooting the tree, creating a virtuous cycle as maple trees also absorb CO2. Beyond that, we partner with a company that recovers maple syrups that are too light or too dark—syrups that would otherwise be discarded for not meeting standards. This upcycled maple syrup integrates perfectly into the composition of our Ultra Energy™ Gels."

Minh, his associate and our second boss, adds: “The beer-making process produces spent grain, a natural cereal byproduct that’s incredibly rich in protein and fiber. We’ve partnered with the world leader in the brewing industry to upcycle this byproduct into a sustainable barley and rice protein, used in the composition of our Ultra Energy™ Purees.”

“We use upcycled ingredients in our products. The idea is to create value from zero—from food that would otherwise go to waste.”

“We’ve partnered with a microbrewery to recycle protein-rich spent grains for our energy bars.”

3. Planting a tree for every online order

This initiative aims to offset our carbon footprint. While we know we’re not perfect, we’re committed to doing our best. For every order placed on our website, we plant a tree to help restore biodiversity. These trees are planted in Northwest Canada to revive forests devastated by severe wildfires in 2021. We partner with Veritree, a company that ensures each tree is genuinely planted after every online order.

“For every order placed on our website, we plant a tree to help restore biodiversity.”

4. A company culture focused on sports and well-being

B Corp certification is not just a commitment to the planet but also to people. That’s why our initiatives are both environmentally and socially focused. Will explains: “The passion for effort is at the core of our creation. It’s essential that outdoor values are reflected in how we manage the company. Internally, we promote sports, advocate for work-life balance, and nurture team spirit.”

Minh enthusiastically shares a story: “Florin, our art director, joined us over a year ago. He wasn’t very athletic at the time, but he caught the bug. Recently, he ran his first trail race after training hard for it. It was inspiring to witness!”

“B Corp certification is not just a commitment to the planet but also to people.”

“It’s essential that outdoor values are reflected in how we manage the company.”

What about your packaging? Is it eco-friendly?  

To implement meaningful initiatives, everything starts with assessment. After analyzing our impact, we realized that a large portion of our carbon footprint comes not from the packaging but from the design of our products. Our two co-founders agree: "Packaging is the visible tip of the iceberg. We focus on it because it’s tangible and visible, but in reality, it’s not the major contributor to high carbon footprints. The main culprits are transport and ingredient sourcing."

However, we’re still dependent on an industry where innovation is slow: "In the packaging sector, innovations are sluggish, and our voice carries less weight compared to the industry giants." Despite this, we continue to explore solutions: "We do our best. We maximize the use of recyclable packaging whenever possible, especially in our Ultra Energy™ Drink Mixes Single Packets."

"A large portion of our carbon footprint comes not from the packaging but from the design of our products."

What is the 'Eco Race' initiative?   

We view every partnership as an opportunity for synergy and creating a positive impact. Our collaboration with the UTMB circuit prompted us to think about ways to provide more eco-friendly support for these events. That’s how the ‘Eco Race’ initiative was born. Its goal? To reduce waste during races by limiting single-use plastics and unnecessary packaging.

While this is just the beginning, for the 2024 UTMB edition, our Barritas energéticas were delivered in cooking sheets sealed with 200 units per sheet. Instead of opening and discarding 200 individual wrappers, we only had to cut them and serve them in bulk at the aid stations! Offering the energy bars in bulk saved us from discarding 9 775 individual wrappers. As for the Energy Waffles, they were cut into quarters so runners could easily grab them at the aid stations, having been delivered in bulk in packs of 10. Our Ultra Energy™ Drink Mixes, the most consumed product by ultra-runners at UTMB, followed suit, being served in pitchers instead of individual portions, which further reduced packaging waste!

"Reduce waste during races by limiting single-use plastics and unnecessary packaging."

"Instead of opening and discarding 200 individual packages, we only had to cut them and serve them in bulk at the aid stations!"