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Key people at Honey Stinger.
Honey Stinger, based in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, manufactures a range of honey-based sports nutrition products, including energy gels, waffles, bars, chews, and hydration powders, designed for sustained energy during physical activities. These convenient items utilize wholesome, organic ingredients like honey to help athletes prepare, perform, and recover across various sports. The company fuels over 1,000 professional and collegiate teams, with some reports indicating up to 2,000+ teams, and maintains a workforce of approximately 40 employees. In November 2022, Honey Stinger secured $15 million in equity funding from investors including Factory LLC and Chaos Ventures, alongside professional athletes such as Justin Turner of MLB and Angel McCoughtry of the WNBA. The organization was founded in 2001 by Bill Gamber, Bill Gamber Sr., Bob Stahl, and John Miller.
Honey Stinger is a Steamboat Springs, Colorado-based company specializing in honey-based sports nutrition products, including energy waffles, gels, chews, bars, protein bars, and hydration powders.[1][2][4][5][6] It serves athletes—from elite endurance competitors and over 2,000 professional and collegiate teams to recreational fitness enthusiasts—solving the problem of providing great-tasting, natural, organic fuel for preparation, performance, and recovery during physical activities.[2][4][5][6] The company has demonstrated strong growth momentum, with average annual rates near 30% in recent years, over 250% expansion since broadening beyond endurance sports in 2019, and a $15M equity round in recent years backed by professional athletes and investors like Factory LLC.[1][3][4][5]
Privately owned with around 40 employees, Honey Stinger leverages its mountain-town roots to align products with consumer trends toward healthy, natural options, distributing through sporting goods retailers, grocers, convenience stores, and online internationally.[1][2][4][5]
Honey Stinger traces its roots to the Gamber family's Dutch Gold Honey, founded in 1946 by Bill Gamber's grandparents, who pioneered the honey-based En-R-G Bar in 1954 and honey energy packets.[1] Bill Gamber, an entrepreneur and athlete who co-founded outdoor gear company Big Agnes, revived this heritage by co-founding Honey Stinger in 2002 (with founding dates variably reported as 2001-2003 across sources) alongside his father William (honey industry veteran), food developer Bob Stahl, professional beekeeper John Miller, and possibly Rich Hager.[1][2][3][5][8]
The idea emerged from a need for better-tasting sports fuel during Colorado mountain activities like skiing and trail racing, starting as a homegrown effort with limited resources amid Big Agnes' early days.[1][6] Early traction built slowly through word-of-mouth among athletes, accelerating with product launches and partnerships; pivotal moments include Lance Armstrong's 2008-2010 minority investment and endorsement after racing with team members, plus certifications like NSF's True Source Honey.[2][4]
Honey Stinger rides the wave of the clean sports nutrition boom, capitalizing on rising demand for natural, honey-powered alternatives to synthetic gels and bars amid health-conscious consumerism and organic trends.[1][4] Timing aligns with post-2010s shifts toward functional foods for wellness, amplified by its 2019 pivot from niche endurance to mainstream team sports and retail, fueling 250%+ growth as grocery and convenience channels exploded.[5]
Market forces like e-commerce expansion, athlete endorsements (e.g., Lance Armstrong), and investments from pros enhance credibility, positioning it to influence the $50B+ global sports nutrition ecosystem by normalizing honey as a superior carb source and supporting U.S. manufacturing in outdoor hubs like Steamboat Springs.[1][2][5] It indirectly boosts startup-like agility in CPG, mirroring tech's rapid iteration through investor-backed scaling.[3][4]
Honey Stinger's trajectory points to accelerated retail penetration, product diversification (e.g., more team-sport formats, hydration innovations), and international growth, powered by its $15M athlete-led round and Factory's operational muscle.[4][5] Trends like personalized nutrition, sustainability (via True Source Honey), and hybrid athlete-consumer markets will shape it, potentially evolving from endurance darling to everyday wellness staple.
With stubborn founder drive and proven momentum, expect Honey Stinger to hive-build into a dominant natural fuel player, sustaining 30%+ growth while staying true to its Colorado honey roots that hooked athletes worldwide.[1][5]
Key people at Honey Stinger.
