UPDATE Energy Drink Relaunches With Kim Kardashian -- and a Formula That Actually Holds Up

UPDATE is back -- and this time it's bringing Kim Kardashian along for the ride. The paraxanthine-powered brand announced a full relaunch on February 24, 2026, adding Kardashian as co-founder and landing a 4,000-store Walmart deal starting March 1. That's a big jump for a brand that spent its first few years selling almost entirely direct-to-consumer.

The mainstream coverage is going to lead with the celebrity angle. Fair enough -- 364 million combined Instagram and TikTok followers isn't too shabby of a real distribution channel. But if you're reading Bevlab, you want to know what's actually in the can. And here, UPDATE has a case to make on its own.

We've been following paraxanthine as an energy ingredient since the early days of enfinity® paraxanthine coverage on PricePlow, and UPDATE was the first energy drink brand to launch with it. The relaunch is a new chapter for a formula that's been quietly doing something different from day one.

What Changed

The relaunch isn't cosmetic. Kardashian pushed the brand to rethink its packaging -- the original look was described by CEO Daniel Solomons as too "masculine, tech bro" -- and UPDATE also reformulated its core flavors (Berry, Peach, and Mandarin) to pull them closer to the actual fruit profiles. Two new flavors, Grape and Pineapple, round out the lineup to five. The brand also reset pricing to $2.99 per can online, which puts it in impulse-buy range for a functional Enny.

What's Inside

The formula is where UPDATE still earns its credibility. Each 12 fl oz can is zero sugar, zero calories, and zero caffeine. The energy comes from a small stack of targeted actives -- and the doses are on the higher end for this category.

• Paraxanthine (enfinity®) (300mg) - the compound your body naturally makes from caffeine, isolated and delivered directly. It blocks the signal that makes you feel tired without the jitters or sleep disruption caffeine can bring. At 300mg, UPDATE is running a full clinical dose.
• Alpha-GPC (GeniusPure®) (315mg) - feeds your brain the raw material for sharp focus and fast recall. This is a nootropic you rarely see in an energy drink at any meaningful dose. GeniusPure is a stabilized form of Alpha-GPC that's shown up in clinical research -- 315mg is a real, working amount.
• L-Theanine (dose undisclosed) - smooths out the energy without killing the focus. A common pairing in better Ennies. Dose isn't listed separately on the label, which is worth noting.
• Vitamin B12 (Methylcobalamin) (2.4mcg / 100% DV) - common for an energy drink, great to avoid deficiency. Methylcobalamin is the more bioavailable form.

The formula now uses sucralose as its sweetener, no artificial flavors or colors, and no caffeine at all (although paraxanthine is a stimulant, so don't call it "stimulant-free" because it's not). That last point is the brand's core bet: paraxanthine does the work caffeine would, with a drastically reduced side effect profile.

What's notable from a category standpoint is the choice of Alpha-GPC. Most energy drinks skip nootropic depth entirely, or include a cosmetic 50mg that does nothing. Getting 315mg of GeniusPure in a 12 fl oz RTD is a genuine differentiator, and recent clinical work on GeniusPure backs up the cognitive performance angle at doses in this range.

For an energy drink at these prices, this is a phenomenal research-backed formula.

Flavors Available

• Berry
• Grape
• Mandarin
• Peach
• Pineapple

Who It's For

• Caffeine-sensitive drinkers: If caffeine gives you jitters, crashes, or wrecked sleep, paraxanthine is a legitimate alternative to explore. We've found that paraxanthine can be taken slightly later into the afternoon without disrupting sleep, although your mileage may vary!
• Focus-first consumers: The GeniusPure Alpha-GPC and L-theanine stack tilts this toward cognitive performance, not just raw stimulation.
• Mainstream wellness shoppers: Kardashian's involvement and the Walmart rollout are clearly aimed at the same audience buying Alani Nu and Celsius -- but UPDATE's formula is doing something structurally different from both.

Conclusion: Kardashian Gets the Attention, the Formula Keeps It

UPDATE has always had the right ingredient story. Paraxanthine at 300mg, Alpha-GPC at 315mg, zero caffeine, clean label -- on paper, that's a formula that can hold up to scrutiny. The celebrity partnership gets it shelf space and trial at Walmart scale starting March 1, 2026. Whether it builds repeat purchase from there is a distribution and taste execution question, not a formula problem.

If you're curious about paraxanthine and haven't cracked one yet, this relaunch at $2.99 is a low-risk entry point. You can find UPDATE at drinkupdate.com or in Walmart stores nationwide starting March 1.

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