Mana Up

Name

Mana Up

Legal name

Mana Up

Website

https://manauphawaii.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Accelerator and CPG Brand Incubation

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Retail-Retail Stores, Nec (5990), Retail-Catalog & Mail-Order Houses (5961)

akta.pro primary industry

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days) (EDAMAHAB), Product & Innovation Summits (Roadmap, Launch Readiness, Innovation Days) (THAHAMAG), Merchandising & Onsite Retail (Concert Merch, Pop-ups) (MPAGAAAJ)

Keywords

• Business accelerator program
• Consumer brand accelerator
• Retail product scaling
• Corporate gifting services
• Hawaii product marketplace

Headquarters

HQ city

Honolulu

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Accelerator Program: Revenue generated from the accelerator program, likely through program fees or value-capture from cohort company growth. The specific revenue model is not publicly disclosed.
2. Retail Sales: Revenue from product sales through House of Mana Up physical retail stores and e-commerce platforms (manauphawaii.com, houseofmanaup.com, Instacart). Products from cohort companies are sold through these channels with Mana Up taking a margin.
3. Corporate Gifting: Corporate gifting program where businesses purchase curated Hawai'i gift sets. Susan Havens leads this division, providing bespoke gifting experiences for corporate clients.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Mana Up runs a 6-month cohort-based business accelerator that provides leadership development, scaling operations, and revenue growth programming to Hawai'i-based consumer product founders. The accelerator is paired with House of Mana Up, a physical and e-commerce retail platform that sells products from cohort alumni, plus a Corporate Gifting service that curates Hawai'i-themed gift sets for business clients, and signature Showcase events that provide media exposure and direct-to-consumer sales opportunities.

Product overview

Mana Up is a Hawaiʻi economic development initiative that operates as a business accelerator supporting local consumer brands. The core offering is the 6-month Mana Up Accelerator program, which is complemented by House of Mana Up—a retail and e-commerce sub-brand with physical stores and global sales channels—and a Corporate Gifting service. The company also hosts the annual Mana Up Showcase event. Together, these products form an integrated ecosystem: the accelerator develops companies, while the retail platform and events provide market access and revenue channels for alumni companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mana Up Accelerator A 6-month cohort-based accelerator program for Hawaii-based founders focused on leadership development, scaling operations, and increasing revenue. The program includes workshops, executive mentorship across finance, HR, CPG, retail, and tech, retail and global market access, and a strong community of collaboration. Cohort 11 was most recently announced, with applications open for Cohort 12.
• House of Mana Up Retail and e-commerce platform for Hawaii-based brands, featuring a physical store at Royal Hawaiian Center in Honolulu and an online storefront (houseofmanaup.com) with US shipping, plus distribution via Instacart. Sells products from Mana Up cohort alumni and provides global sales opportunities through events like Aloha Market in Tokyo, New York City, and Los Angeles.
• Corporate Gifting Program B2B corporate and client gifting program that curates bespoke gift boxes featuring products from Hawaii-based companies, celebrating local makers and connecting brands with a sense of place. Led by Director of Client and Corporate Gifting Susan Havens, with bespoke offerings for corporate events, client appreciation, and employee gifts.

Quantifiable outcome

• 105 companies supported with $105M in combined alumni revenue (2024)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, core and minor.

• Pono PacificsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 January 2025Pono Pacific is mentioned as a community and sustainability partner in Hawaiian Airlines' Kahu'ewai Hawai'i Investment Plan, alongside Mana Up. They focus on environmental sustainability initiatives in Hawai'i.
• Hawaiian AirlinescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHawaiian Airlines is listed as a partner on Mana Up's website, with their logo prominently displayed. In the context of Hawaiian Airlines' $600M Kahu'ewai Hawai'i Investment Plan (2025-2029), Mana Up is mentioned as a community partner for sustainability and expansion initiatives, indicating a mutual partnership focused on supporting Hawai'i's local business ecosystem.
• Bank of HawaiicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBank of Hawaii is listed as a partner on Mana Up's website, supporting the initiative to scale Hawai'i's brands globally. As a major Hawai'i-based financial institution, BOH provides strategic support for local economic development initiatives.
• ALTREScoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerALTRES is designated as the HR Partner for Mana Up, branded as 'Grow with ALTRES.' ALTRES is a Hawai'i-based staffing and HR services company providing human resources support, resources, and potentially discounted services for cohort companies.
• King's HawaiiansupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerKing's Hawaiian is listed as a partner on Mana Up's website, supporting the initiative to scale Hawai'i's brands. As a well-known Hawai'i-founded food brand, King's Hawaiian brings industry expertise and brand credibility to the ecosystem.
• iShoppessupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributoriShoppes is listed as a partner, potentially providing retail distribution or marketplace opportunities for Hawai'i brands through their platform.
• Hawaii Technology Development Corporation (HTDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHTDC is a state agency supporting technology and innovation in Hawai'i. Their partnership with Mana Up aligns with their mission to expand technology-based industries and entrepreneurship in the islands.
• Ulupono InitiativesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerUlupono Initiative is listed as a partner, supporting Hawai'i-based businesses and sustainable economic development in the islands.
• FoodlandcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFoodland is Hawai'i's largest locally-owned grocery chain. As a partner, they provide retail distribution channels for Mana Up cohort companies to reach local consumers through their stores statewide.
• MatsonsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMatson is a major shipping and logistics company serving Hawai'i and the Pacific. Their partnership supports the supply chain and logistics needs of Hawai'i-based product companies.
• Young BrotherssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerYoung Brothers is a Hawai'i-based shipping company. Their partnership supports logistics and transportation needs for Mana Up companies shipping products inter-island.
• AmpaireminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmpaire is mentioned as a sustainability partner in Hawaiian Airlines' investment plan. They are an electric aviation company developing hybrid-electric aircraft for regional flights.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• SOSV: Multi-stage venture fund operating a network of vertical accelerators (HAX hardware, IndieBio biotech, etc.). Comparable accelerator-as-platform model with deep vertical expertise — but SOSV is investor-operated and far larger, capturing equity upside that Mana Up's program does not.
• MassChallenge: Global non-equity accelerator running multiple industry verticals including consumer goods. Comparable in that it is a cohort-based, non-equity (or low-equity) accelerator with curriculum, mentorship, and demo-day structures — but operates globally and at significantly larger scale than Mana Up.
• Plug and Play Tech Center: Global innovation platform and accelerator with retail/CPG verticals. Comparable in operating cohort-style programs that connect startups to corporate partners — but Plug and Play is a much larger incumbent with deep corporate relationships across many verticals.
• Founder Institute: Global pre-seed accelerator running cohort-based programs with structured curriculum, mentorship, and demo days. Similar format and founder-development focus to Mana Up, but operates in 100+ cities worldwide and follows an equity-style fee structure.
• Techstars: One of the world's largest accelerator networks with vertical-specific programs including consumer goods. Comparable cohort-based accelerator model with mentorship, demo days, and partner network — but tech/equity-heavy, global, and far better capitalized than Mana Up.

Emerging players

• 1776: Startup community and accelerator co-founded by Mana Up co-founder Brittany Heyd. 1776 focuses on regulated industries and global founders, sharing Mana Up's cohort/curriculum model and Heyd's direct lineage, but operates at much larger scale across multiple U.S. cities.
• KitchenTown: Food and CPG business incubator providing production space, curriculum, and retail/distribution support for emerging food brands. Comparable in serving early-stage consumer product founders with a structured program plus physical retail component, though it focuses on food specifically versus Mana Up's broader consumer-product remit.

Direct peers

• XLR8UH: University of Hawai'i-affiliated startup accelerator also led by Meli James earlier in her career. It shares Mana Up's Honolulu base and cohort-based model but focuses on tech/IP rather than consumer products, making it a close format peer with adjacent verticals.
• Blue Startups: Hawai'i's leading tech-focused accelerator, explicitly referenced in Mana Up co-founder Meli James's background. Both programs operate as cohort-based accelerators based in Honolulu serving Hawai'i entrepreneurs, making Blue Startups the most directly comparable peer in the same geography and category.

Others

• EatWell Wholesale: Distribution and retail partner focused on local and emerging food brands, including into mainstream retail. Comparable as an adjacent ecosystem enabler helping local product companies reach national retail buyers — a function Mana Up aspires to play in Hawai'i.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/manauphi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/manaup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments80 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Mana Up