UNFI Becomes a Distributor of KOIOS™ and Fit Soda™ Functional Beverages

DENVER and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 10, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Koios Beverage Corp. (CSE: KBEV; OTC: KBEVF) (the "Company" or "Koios") is pleased to announce that it has entered into a distribution agreement with United Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE: UNFI) (“UNFI”), the largest publicly traded wholesale distributor of organic, natural, and specialty food in the United States and Canada1. Under UNFI’s distribution agreement with the Company dated February 8, 2021, UNFI will carry KOIOS™ and Fit Soda™ functional beverages (collectively, “Koios Beverages”) in the United States. With operations dating back to 19762, UNFI has acquired several players in natural and organic food and beverage distribution including Millbrook Distribution Services, Haddon House, and Minnesota-based grocery wholesale and retail conglomerate SUPERVALU, which was acquired by UNFI in 2018 in a cash deal valued at approximately USD $2.9 billion3. For the past two decades, UNFI has been the largest supplier to the organic and natural supermarket chain Whole Foods, whose business represents approximately one third of UNFI’s revenues4. Given UNFI’s robust distribution network and access to tens of thousands of potential points of sale for Koios Beverages across the country, the Company is confident that its recent distribution agreement with UNFI can be instrumental to scaling Koios’ sales pipeline and brand presence in the United States.

Koios is a producer of functional beverages including Fit Soda™, a sugar-free carbonated beverage dubbed “Benefits with Bubbles”, and KOIOS™, a nootropic beverage containing ingredients that have been shown to improve mental function, focus, and memory. Based out of Denver, Colorado, the Company has placed Koios Beverages in several key sales channels including Walmart and GNC (both in-store and online). Koios Beverages are also sold in retail stores to include more than 100 H-E-B supermarkets in Texas, as well as grocers and sports nutrition retailers in several other U.S. markets. In addition to a dedicated Koios storefront on Amazon.com, the Company also operates its own online store that offers a full selection of Koios Beverages, supplements, and specialty coffees for sale, which can also be ordered on a recurring subscription basis. As the Company continues its rollout of Koios Beverages into new markets in the United States, partners such as UNFI have actively been pursued to provide both distribution resources and strategic advisory services.

In total, UNFI represents approximately 250,000 stock-keeping units (“SKUs”) in various food and beverage categories including approximately 5,000 private-label SKUs spanning 200 categories. With a roster of over 10,000 product suppliers who have varying needs and experience levels, UNFI provides resources to its suppliers which include offering category management guidance, hosting events, and providing personalized service to maximize UNFI’s value-add as a distributor5. UNFI’s truly “nationwide” footprint consists of 58 distribution centres and a fleet of 2,200 trucks which deliver more than 700 million cases of product per year6. After entering its fifth decade of operations in December of 2017, UNFI was recognized as one of the most effectively managed companies in the United States, and was named in the Management Top 250 list by the Wall Street Journal2.

A map accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a3cc6de7-47f7-4eb8-b160-ef8b275b9f22

Distribution centres under the UNFI banner are marked by green and white icons in the map above. Locations of other distribution centres in UNFI’s network can be seen on UNFI’s website by clicking here.

Readers using news aggregation services may be unable to view the media above. Please access the Company’s profile on SEDAR for a version of this press release containing all published media.

As a new distributor of Koios Beverages, UNFI will begin exploring potential placements for KOIOS™ and Fit Soda™ in its distribution network to prompt trials of the product and ensure a steady supply to encourage and facilitate repeat purchases. UNFI has approximately 30,000 accounts to include natural product superstores, independent retailers, conventional supermarket chains, ecommerce retailers, and customers in the foodservice industry7.

Koios Chief Executive Officer Chris Miller commented, “Those who are not in the grocery industry likely have not heard of UNFI, though they have almost certainly consumed or at least handled products distributed by them. Even from a brief Internet search, it is easy to see how prominent, established, and influential UNFI is in the natural and organic grocery distribution trade. In our efforts to make KOIOS™ and Fit Soda™ nationally recognized and sought-after beverage products, the support of national-level distribution partners such as UNFI is very important when it comes to gaining access to key sales channels. While we could pursue those connections ourselves, forming such relationships can take several years even in the very best of cases. We therefore choose to focus our efforts on our core competencies of developing, manufacturing, and marketing leading all-natural functional beverage products, and defer to highly respected experts such as UNFI to oversee distribution. We look forward to working with UNFI to potentially grow the presence of Koios Beverages through its network across the United States.”

Sources

1 - https://ir.unfi.com/home/default.aspx

2 - https://www.unfi.com/our-history

3 - https://www.wsj.com/articles/united-natural-foods-to-buy-grocery-store-chain-supervalu-1532609694

4 - https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/07/amazon-purchase-obligations-to-unfi-show-confidence-whole-foods.html

5 - https://www.unfi.com/products

6 - https://www.unfi.com/why-unfi

7 - https://ir.unfi.com/home/default.aspx

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Company,

KOIOS BEVERAGE CORP.

“Chris Miller”

Chris Miller, CEO, and Director

For further information, please contact:

Gina Burrus844-255-6467[email protected]

THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE (CSE) HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS RELEASE.

About Koios Beverage Corp.

The Company is an emerging functional beverage company which has an available distribution network of more than 4,400 retail locations across the United States in which to sell its products. Koios has relationships with some of the largest and most reputable distributors in the United States, including Europa Sports, Muscle Foods USA, KeHE, and Wishing-U-Well. Koios uses a proprietary blend of nootropics and natural organic compounds to enhance human productivity without using harmful chemicals or stimulants. Koios products have been shown to enhance focus, concentration, mental capacity, memory retention, cognitive function, alertness, brain capacity and create all day mental clarity. Its ingredients are specifically designed to target brain function by increasing blood flow, oxygen levels and neural connections in the brain.

Koios produces one of the only drinks in the world infused with MCT oil. MCT oil is derived from coconuts and has been shown to help the body burn fat more effectively, create lasting energy from a natural food source, produce ketones in the brain, allowing for greater brain function and clarity, support healthy hormone production and improve immunity. For more information, please visit our website: https://www.koiosbeveragecorp.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Often, but not always, forward-looking information and information can be identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “expects” or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “estimates”, “intends”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate”, or “believes”, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking information in this news release includes statements regarding: Potential outcomes from UNFI’s distribution of Koios Beverages, potential benefits of the distribution agreement with UNFI as a way to expand the Company’s geographical footprint in the functional beverage category, and the conditions of the functional beverage market. The forward-looking information reflects management's current expectations based on information currently available and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking information. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include: (i) adverse market conditions; (ii) changes to the growth and size of the functional beverage markets; and (iii) other factors beyond the control of the Company. The Company operates in a rapidly evolving environment. New risk factors emerge from time to time, and it is impossible for the Company’s management to predict all risk factors, nor can the Company assess the impact of all factors on Company’s business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ from those contained in any forward-looking information. The forward-looking information included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

The statements in this news release have not been evaluated by Health Canada or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. As each individual is different, the benefits, if any, of taking the Company’s products will vary from person to person. No claims or guarantees can be made as to the effects of the Company’s products on an individual's health and well-being. The Company’s products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

This news release may contain trademarked names of third-party entities (or their respective offerings with trademarked names) typically in reference to (i) relationships had by Koios with such third-party entities as referred to in this release and/or (ii) client/vendor/service provider parties whose relationship with Koios is/are referred to in this release. All rights to such trademarks are reserved by their respective owners or licensees.

UNFI Distribution Points

Distribution centres under the UNFI banner are marked by green and white icons in the map above. Locations of other distribution centres in UNFI’s network can be seen on UNFI’s website by visiting https://www.unfi.com/locations.

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