Protein Pints

What Protein Pints does

Protein Pints, Inc. is a U.S. functional frozen dessert company founded in 2022 in Hudsonville, Michigan, co-founded by Paul Reiss (CEO) and Michael Meadows (manufacturing and operations), with Chris McKellar — founder of Love's Ice Cream — joining as principal formulator. The company develops and sells high-protein, low-sugar ice cream derived from whey protein isolate, sweetened with allulose and monk fruit, and formulated with all-natural ingredients (no artificial colors, dyes, flavors, or seed oils). Its core product line, Protein Pints, delivers 30g of complete protein per pint with 85% less sugar than traditional ice cream, and is available in 10 flavors; the company launched Protein Pops in 2026, a chocolate-dipped frozen novelty bar with 10g of protein per bar in four flavors.

The business operates a CPG retail model with a $6.99 MSRP per pint, distributed through 15,000+ U.S. retail locations across national grocery, natural food, and convenience channels — including Target, Kroger (2,200+ stores), Sprouts, Meijer, Albertsons, HEB, and Harris Teeter — supplemented by same-day delivery via Instacart, DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Amazon Fresh. The brand also sells apparel (t-shirts at $30, snapback hats at $25) direct-to-consumer through ProteinPints.com for ancillary revenue and brand-building. Customer segments center on health-conscious athletes and fitness enthusiasts tracking macros, with secondary reach into Gen Z and millennial consumers discovering the protein trend via social media, and sports/entertainment venue visitors activated through partnerships such as the San Diego Padres / Petco Park.

The go-to-market combines rapid national grocery expansion with grassroots community engagement through the Protein Pints Collective athlete ambassador program, experiential activations such as the Golden Pint Scavenger Hunt, and earned media coverage in outlets including WSJ, TODAY Show, CNBC, and Access Hollywood. The company is described as bootstrapped, with funding rounds in 2025 from Cofounder Ventures and earlier non-dilutive awards from the Rice Business Plan Competition and MSU Product Center. Recognition includes Forbes 30 Under 30 (Class of 2026) for both co-founders and TheSkimm 2026 Good For You Awards – Best Dessert.

Name

Protein Pints

Legal name

Protein Pints, Inc.

Website

https://proteinpints.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Protein Pints is a U.S. functional frozen dessert company selling high-protein ice cream pints (30g protein, 85% less sugar) and chocolate-dipped Protein Pops bars through 15,000+ national retail locations, targeting health-conscious consumers, fitness enthusiasts, and Gen Z/millennial buyers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Functional Frozen Desserts

NAICS

Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (311520)

SIC

Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024)

akta.pro primary industry

Dairy-Based Protein & Meal Replacement Shakes (RTD Dairy Shakes) (AFAFAEAD)

Keywords

• High-protein ice cream
• Functional frozen desserts
• Low-sugar ice cream
• Whey protein snacks
• Better-for-you frozen novelties

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand Rapids

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. High-Protein Ice Cream Pints (Retail): Protein Pints generates revenue primarily through one-time retail sales of its high-protein ice cream pints and Protein Pops bars through national grocery chains, natural food retailers, and convenience stores. Consumers purchase individual pints at $6.99 MSRP at retailers including Target, Sprouts, Kroger, Meijer, HEB, Albertsons, and Harris Teeter.
2. Protein Pops Frozen Novelty Bars: Protein Pops are sold as chocolate-dipped ice cream bars, expanding the product format into the frozen novelty category. Rolling out to Sprouts Farmers Market and Harris Teeter nationwide.
3. Direct-to-Consumer Apparel (The Pint Collection): The brand sells branded merchandise including t-shirts ($30) and snapback hats ($25) through ProteinPints.com, providing ancillary revenue and brand-building.
4. Home Delivery via Third-Party Platforms: Products are available for same-day home delivery through Instacart, Amazon Fresh, DoorDash, and Uber Eats, providing additional consumer purchase pathways beyond physical retail.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels10 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Protein Pints manufactures and sells high-protein, low-sugar ice cream pints (30g complete whey protein per pint, 85% less sugar than traditional ice cream) and chocolate-dipped Protein Pops bars (10g protein each, with a quinoa-studded milk chocolate coating) made from all-natural ingredients. Products are distributed primarily through national grocery chains and natural food retailers in the U.S., with ancillary branded apparel sold direct-to-consumer via ProteinPints.com.

Product overview

Protein Pints is a functional frozen dessert company offering two primary product lines: Protein Pints (high-protein ice cream pints) and Protein Pops (chocolate-dipped protein ice cream bars). The core pints deliver 30g of complete protein per pint with 85% less sugar than traditional ice cream, while Protein Pops provide 10g of protein per bar with a crispy quinoa-studded chocolate coating. The company also sells branded apparel merchandise. Available at major U.S. retailers including Target, Kroger, Albertsons, Sprouts Farmers Market, Meijer, Harris Teeter, and through direct-to-consumer home delivery via Instacart, DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Amazon Fresh.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Protein Pops: Chocolate-dipped protein ice cream bars with quinoa-studded milk chocolate coating, containing 10g of protein per pop with 80% less sugar than traditional ice cream.

Products and services

• Protein Pints (High-Protein Ice Cream Pints) High-protein, low-sugar ice cream pints delivering 30g of complete whey protein per pint with 85% less sugar than traditional ice cream, made with all-natural ingredients (no artificial colors, dyes, or flavors), gluten-free. Available in 10 flavors including Cookie Dough, Peanut Butter Chip, Mint Chip, Chocolate, Strawberry, Cookies & Cream, Coffee, Salted Caramel, Banana Graham Slam, and Fudge Brownie. Sold primarily at U.S. retail (Target, Kroger, Sprouts, Meijer, Albertsons, HEB, Harris Teeter) at $6.99 MSRP.
• Protein Pops Chocolate-dipped protein ice cream bars coated in a quinoa-studded milk chocolate shell, each delivering 10g of complete protein, 180–190 calories, and at least 75–80% less sugar than traditional ice cream bars. Sold in 3-pack cartons in four flavors: Vanilla Crunch, Peanut Butter Crunch, Mint Crunch, and Caramel Crunch. Available at Sprouts Farmers Market and Harris Teeter.
• Branded Apparel (Pinty Mascot Tees, Barbell Tee, Clean Logo Tee, Protein Pints Snapback Hats)

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% less sugar than traditional ice cream
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• San Diego PadresflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 March 2026Protein Pints became the Official Protein Ice Cream of the San Diego Padres for the 2026 MLB season. Select flavors are available at Petco Park concession stands during home games. This partnership marks a significant milestone as the brand expands from grocery retail into sports and live entertainment venues, positioning itself as a lifestyle brand.
• Rice University (Rice Business Plan Competition)coreOthersProtein Pints won the Rice Business Plan Competition grand prize, which provided validation of the business concept, early-stage capital, and significant visibility for the startup. This was an early pivotal milestone before the brand's national retail expansion.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Halo Top: Halo Top is the original high-protein, low-calorie ice cream brand, founded in 2012 and now owned by Wells Enterprises (Unilever legacy). It is the most direct competitor to Protein Pints in the high-protein frozen dessert category, with overlapping grocery distribution and a similar health-positioned indulgence value proposition.
• Enlightened: Enlightened makes high-protein ice cream and snacks with reduced sugar, sold across major U.S. grocery retailers. Directly comparable to Protein Pints on product positioning (high-protein, lower-sugar indulgence) and retail channel strategy.
• N!ck's: N!ck's is a Swedish-origin, US-distributed protein-forward ice cream brand with keto-friendly positioning. Competes with Protein Pints on the high-protein frozen dessert occasion with similar functional nutrition framing and grocery channel presence.
• Arctic Zero: Arctic Zero is a low-calorie, lactose-friendly frozen dessert brand that has expanded into higher-protein formulations. Competes with Protein Pints in the better-for-you frozen dessert category in grocery and natural food channels.
• Rebel Creamery: Rebel Creamery makes keto-friendly, low-sugar ice cream sold in U.S. grocery. Overlaps with Protein Pints on low-net-carb, high-indulgence positioning and shares the better-for-you frozen dessert shelf set.

Broad incumbents

• Breyers: Breyers is a legacy Unilever mass-market ice cream brand with a 'Breyers Delights' high-protein sub-line. As a broad incumbent, it competes with Protein Pints in the same freezer set and brings superior trade-marketing budgets and DSD infrastructure.
• Tillamook: Tillamook is a premium dairy and ice cream brand with growing high-protein offerings. As a broader premium incumbent in the same freezer category, it represents a competitive threat with stronger balance sheet, marketing spend and West/Midwest distribution overlap with Protein Pints.

Emerging players

• Good Culture: Good Culture is a high-protein cultured dairy brand (cottage cheese, sour cream) with natural food channel distribution. An emerging player in the high-protein dairy space with overlapping clean-label positioning and customer base as Protein Pints, though in a non-frozen format.
• Brave Robot: Brave Robot, by Perfect Day, makes animal-free (precision-fermented whey) ice cream positioned as sustainable indulgence. An emerging player intersecting functional/nutritional positioning with Protein Pints, though differentiated by its plant-based/animal-free technology approach.
• OWYN (Only What You Need): OWYN makes high-protein RTD shakes and protein bars in natural food and grocery channels. While not an ice cream maker, it competes with Protein Pints on the high-protein functional consumer occasion and shares a similar clean-label, fitness-positioned audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xfacebook.com/p/Protein-Pints-61555418592779
• YouTubetiktok.com/@proteinpints
• Facebookfacebook.com/p/Protein-Pints-61555418592779
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/about
• Instagraminstagram.com/proteinpints

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Protein Pints