Hero Nutritionals

What Hero Nutritionals does

Hero Nutritionals, LLC is a privately held consumer packaged goods company founded in 1997 by Jennifer Hodges and headquartered in Santa Ana, California. The company manufactures and sells gummy-format dietary supplements, with a primary focus on children under the Yummi Bears brand, which it claims is the original all-natural children's gummy vitamin and the #1 selling brand in the natural products channel. The company sells to health-conscious parents seeking palatable, natural alternatives to traditional tablet vitamins, and secondarily to adults preferring gummy formats.

Hero operates a vertically integrated model: it manufactures in its own certified organic gummy vitamin facility co-located with its corporate headquarters at 1900 Carnegie Ave, giving it direct control over formulation, quality, and margin. Core technology is proprietary gummy formulation developed over multi-year collaboration with scientists, formulators, and flavor houses, using natural sweetening systems (chicory root fiber in sugar-free SKUs) and plant-based pectin for vegan lines. The product portfolio spans Originals (Complete Multi, DHA+Omega 3, Vitamin C, Vitamin D3, Echinacea + C + Zinc, Fiber, SuperFoods), Organics (USDA-certified variants), Vegetarian (plant-based pectin), Sugar-Free (chicory-root sweetened), and Value Size SKUs, priced $16-$60 per unit. Certifications include USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, and California Prop 65 compliant.

The company generates revenue through two channels: direct-to-consumer e-commerce on heronutritionals.com (one-time purchase, no subscription model) and wholesale distribution through retail partners including Whole Foods Market, The Vitamin Shoppe, Vitamin World, Kroger, iHerb, and Lucky Vitamin. Pricing is unit-based across all SKUs with no disclosed subscription or recurring billing. The company has no disclosed external funding, no parent company, and no acquisitions, indicating a self-funded, founder-controlled operating posture. An upcoming adult gummy line, Yummi Slices, signals intended expansion beyond the children's segment.

Name

Hero Nutritionals

Legal name

Hero Nutritionals, LLC

Website

https://heronutritionals.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Hero Nutritionals is a Santa Ana, California-based manufacturer of gummy vitamins founded in 1997, primarily selling Yummi Bears-branded children's supplements via DTC e-commerce and retail partners including Whole Foods and Kroger, with an upcoming adult product line.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Gummy Vitamins and Dietary Supplements

NAICS

Nonchocolate Confectionery Manufacturing (31134), Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing (3113), Health and Personal Care Retailers (456)

SIC

Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Functional Foods & Supplement Formats (Gummies, Chews, Powders, Shots) (CRADAGAI)

Keywords

• Children's gummy vitamins
• Organic multivitamin supplements
• Sugar-free vitamin gummies
• Vegetarian dietary supplements
• Nutraceutical manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Ana

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, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales through company website, allowing customers to purchase products online with standard e-commerce fulfillment
2. Wholesale/Retail Distribution: B2B wholesale relationships with retail partners including Whole Foods, Vitamin Shoppe, Kroger, and other health/natural product retailers

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Hero Nutritionals manufactures and sells gummy-form vitamin and dietary supplements for children (and adults), produced in its own certified organic facility in Southern California. Its flagship brand is Yummi Bears, the original all-natural children's gummy vitamin launched in 1997, with product lines spanning Originals, Organics, Sugar-Free, Vegetarian, and Value Size formats.

Product overview

Hero Nutritionals is a gummy vitamin company that offers a diversified portfolio of children's supplements under the Yummi Bears brand, which launched in 1997 as the first all-natural gummy vitamin for kids. The product line spans multiple sub-brands addressing different dietary needs: Originals (the core line including Complete Multi, DHA+Omega 3, Vitamin C, Vitamin D3, Fiber, SuperFoods, and Echinacea); Organics (USDA-certified organic variants including Immunity Health, Super Complete Multi+Omega, and Organic Complete Multi); Vegetarian (plant-based pectin gummies including Complete Multi, Calcium+D3, and Omega-3); Sugar-Free (chicory-root sweetened Complete Multi); and Value Sizes (larger quantities of popular products at discounted per-serving pricing). The company also sells branded merchandise including plush toys and accessories. An upcoming adult gummy line called Yummi Slices is in development. All products are manufactured in the company's own certified organic facility in Southern California.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Yummi Bears: The original children's gummy vitamin brand featuring various formulations including Originals, Organics, Sugar-Free, and Vegetarian options

Products and services

• Yummi Bears Complete Multi The original multi-vitamin gummy containing 16 essential nutrients for healthy growth and development with fruit flavors, sold to parents of children as the company's flagship children's multivitamin.
• Yummi Bears DHA + Omega 3 A gummy vitamin providing omega-3 fatty acids with DHA and EPA from purified wild tuna fish oil to support healthy brain development, vision, and heart functions in children.
• Yummi Bears Echinacea + Vitamin C & Zinc A triple wellness combination gummy with Echinacea, Vitamin C, and Zinc to support children's immune systems.
• Yummi Bears Vitamin D3 Gummy vitamin with 1200 IU of Vitamin D3 to support healthy bones, teeth, and immune system with natural tropical fruit flavors.
• Yummi Bears Vitamin C Immune-boosting Vitamin C gummy for daily health support with fruity flavors.
• Yummi Bears SuperFoods Fruits + Veggies Gummy vitamin containing organic fruits and vegetables to provide antioxidant support and healthy nutrition.
• Yummi Bears Fiber + Digestive Support Gummy vitamin with 3g of natural chicory root fiber to support digestive health in children.
• Yummi Bears Organics Immunity Health USDA certified organic immune-boosting gummy with Vitamin C, Zinc, and Echinacea plus Vitamins A, B6, and E for additional immune support in children.
• Yummi Bears Organics Super Complete Multi+Omega USDA certified organic multivitamin with 20 essential nutrients plus omega-3 fatty acids from chia seeds for comprehensive child development support.
• Yummi Bears Organics Complete Multi USDA certified organic multivitamin with 14 essential vitamins and minerals plus organic folate, made with plant-based pectin instead of gelatin.
• Yummi Bears Vegetarian Complete Multi Plant-based gummy multivitamin with 16 essential vitamins and minerals made with fruit pectin, free of gelatin and animal products.
• Yummi Bears Vegetarian Calcium + Vitamin D3 Vegetarian-approved calcium and Vitamin D3 gummy to promote healthy bones and teeth with improved calcium absorption, made with fruit pectin.
• Yummi Bears Vegetarian Omega-3 Plant-based omega-3 gummy made with chia seeds providing Omega-3, Omega-6, and Omega-9 fatty acids to support brain function and vision, with cranberry-orange flavor.
• Yummi Bears Sugar Free Complete Multi Sugar-free gummy multivitamin with 16 essential vitamins and minerals, naturally sweetened with chicory root and providing 2g fiber for digestive support.
• Yummi Bears Organics Complete Multi Value Size Larger 180-gummy size (60 servings) of the Organic Complete Multi at a value price point.
• Yummi Bears Sugar Free Complete Multi Value Size Larger 120-gummy size of the Sugar Free Complete Multi at a value price point.
• Yummi Bears Vitamin C Value Size Larger 132-gummy size (66 servings) of Vitamin C at a value price point.
• Yummi Bears Complete Multi Value Size Larger 200-gummy size of the original Complete Multi at a value price point.
• Yummi Bears SuperFoods Fruits+Veggies Value Size Larger 200-gummy size (66 servings) of SuperFoods Fruits+Veggies at a value price point.
• Yummi Bears Keychain Bear Yummi Bear-shaped keychain accessory sold as branded merchandise.
• Yummi Bears Organics 10" Plush with Clip Yummi Bears branded stuffed animal toy with clip attachment sold as branded merchandise.

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Whole Foods MarketcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 1997Long-standing retail partnership with premier natural and organic grocery retailer. Products are prominently featured in stores, indicating a significant channel partner relationship.
• Vitamin WorldminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail distribution through vitamin and supplement specialty retailer.
• iHerbminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline natural products retailer with international shipping capabilities, expanding global reach.
• The Vitamin ShoppeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational retail chain for vitamins and supplements, providing brick-and-mortar presence.
• KrogercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor mainstream grocery chain providing mass-market retail distribution, significantly expanding consumer access beyond specialty health stores.
• Lucky VitaminminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline health and wellness retailer partnership.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SmartyPants Vitamins: Premium gummy vitamin brand focused on kids and adults, with strong DTC and retail presence; competes head-to-head with Hero's Yummi Bears across multivitamin, omega-3, and specialty gummy SKUs.
• Olly (Unilever): Direct-to-consumer and retail gummy vitamin/nutrition brand covering sleep, beauty, immunity, and kids' multivitamins; one of the most direct gummy-format competitors with comparable price points and retail placement.
• vitafusion: Church & Dwight-owned gummy vitamin brand offering adult and children's gummy multivitamins and specialty nutrients; shares shelf space with Yummi Bears at mass and drug channels.
• Nordic Naturals: Specialty supplement maker with strong kids' omega-3 (DHA) gummy/chewable line and premium positioning; directly overlaps Hero's DHA + Omega 3 and Vegetarian Omega-3 SKUs.
• MegaFood: Premium whole-food-based supplement brand with gummy and chewable formats for adults and kids; comparable in clean-label, Non-GMO positioning and natural-channel distribution.

Broad incumbents

• Nature's Way: Established broadline supplement brand with kids' and adults' gummy vitamins across mainstream and natural channels; competes in overlapping retailers (Vitamin Shoppe, Whole Foods, Kroger) but offers a much wider portfolio beyond gummies.
• Garden of Life: Nestlé-owned organic and Non-GMO supplement brand with kids' gummy/chewable lines; overlaps with Hero's USDA Organic and clean-label positioning within natural product channels.
• Flintstones Vitamins (Bayer): Legacy children's chewable vitamin brand owned by Bayer; represents the incumbent mainstream alternative to gummy formats and competes for the same parental buyer at mass and drug retailers.
• Zarbee's (Church & Dwight): Natural-focused children's health brand (immune, sleep, multivitamins) owned by Church & Dwight; overlaps in the kids' supplement category and shares Kroger and natural-channel distribution with Hero.

Emerging players

• MaryRuth's: Fast-growing DTC-first liquid and gummy supplement brand expanding into kids' multivitamins; competitive threat at the organic/clean-label premium end where Hero also competes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/heronutritional

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Hero Nutritionals