Sam Bregman
Title: Founder and CEO
Company: Melts
Age: 20
Sam Bregman’s dorm room idea is on its way to becoming an emerging startup.
When Bregman was 12 years old, he had an unexpected change in health due to development of a chronic illness affecting his nervous system. During treatment at the Mayo Clinic in 2021, Bregman realized the importance of electrolytes for performance, recovery and nervous system function, he said.
That sparked Bregman’s idea to build an electrolyte solution during his freshman year at Arizona State University. After years of research and development, Bregman created Melts. Similar in appearance to a Listerine breath strip, Melts' electrolyte strip dissolves on the roof of the mouth and delivers electrolytes to athletes and consumers within 60 seconds, up to 30 times faster than traditional products like powders, tablets and pills, Bregman said.
Earlier this year, Bregman won first place in ASU’s New Venture Challenge and took home a $50,000 prize to continue developing his business. The company’s team includes experts in nutraceutical formulations and specialists in consumer packaged goods manufacturing and commercialization, he said.
Melts is preparing to open a pre-seed funding round and is gearing up to launch its electrolyte breath strips in November, beginning with a beta testing program involving college and professional sports teams and other elite athletes. The company's product will also be available for purchase via its website, Amazon, local endurance races and pop-up events in Arizona.
“This is just the beginning — I’m obsessed and committed to building Melts into a powerhouse that reinvents how athletes and active individuals perform and recover,” Bregman said.
Read about the rest of this year's honorees here.
Sign up here for the Phoenix Business Journal's free newsletters, and download our free app for breaking news alerts.
