In September 2026, three best friends did what the startup playbook says is nearly impossible: Sensori, their functional non-alcoholic beverage brand, closed a nearly $1M pre-seed round — oversubscribed, backed by more than 40 creators, athletes, and community investors, and built with zero venture capital.
The Dallas-based brand, led by CEO Shanna Pearre and COO Darean Rhodes alongside CMO Ashlyn Knox, is riding the sober-curious wave with mood-boosting beverages powered by kanna, blue lotus, adaptogens, and nootropics — crafted for modern social and self-care rituals. It is a brand built by three best friends who decided the alcohol-optional future needed better options.
Three Friends, One Relaunch
Sensori was founded in 2024 and relaunched in September 2025 — and the relaunch caught fire. The brand sold 5,000 cans in its first three months, generating $25,000, then sold out completely in 115 days as TikTok virality took hold.
The momentum only accelerated from there. Sensori crossed $100,000 in revenue in the first quarter of 2026 — surpassing everything the brand earned in all of 2025. Two signature blends anchor the lineup: “Connect,” made for intimate moments, and “Play,” a Blood Orange Habanero blend built for social settings. Hero ingredients include kanna — a South African plant that stimulates serotonin — plus blue lotus, reishi, and lion’s mane.
A Raise on Their Own Terms
Rather than chasing traditional venture capital, the founders turned to their community. The September 2026 pre-seed drew in dozens of creators, athletes, and what the team calls “everyday corporate baddies” — people who believe in the brand and actually drink the product.
They also brought in heavyweight guidance: Jacqueline Harrill, Poppi’s former VP of Sales Operations — the executive who helped grow Poppi from $20 million to $400 million — joined as a strategic advisor. The brand was also named a finalist in AT&T’s Small Business Contest.
What’s Next
The founders expect Sensori to cross $1 million in revenue in 2026, with an institutional raise eyed for 2027. Covered by AfroTech, Black Enterprise, Inc., and Essence, the brand has become a case study in community-powered fundraising — proof that the best cap table can be the community itself.
The sober-curious movement keeps growing, and Sensori sits squarely in its sweet spot: functional ingredients, striking branding, and a community that markets the product for them. By raising from creators and customers instead of venture firms, Pearre, Rhodes, and Knox kept control of the brand they built — and turned their earliest believers into their earliest investors. That is a fundraising model worth watching.
Follow Sensori’s journey on LinkedIn.
Related reading: Black Business Review’s international spotlight on Black entrepreneurs worldwide.
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