In 2016, our founder Huib set out on a journey to change the energy drinks game for good. We were tired of traditional energy drinks filled with artificial ingredients and heaps of sugar whilst witnessing billions being invested into petrol guzzling marketing and a list of carbon emissions that go on and on.

That's why we created a new kind of energy drink: plant-based, low calorie, totally natural, mindful of the planet and made for a community of like-minded adventurers who whole-heartedly support our mission to invest in environmental projects that support our planet so that it can go on and on and on.

But how did we get here? Whilst searching for nature’s most powerful ingredients, our founder discovered a recipe in the Himalayas used by Sherpas. We knew that when it came to natural energy, we were talking to the experts. Inspired by their energy, respect for the natural world, and use of pure plant power, we started TENZING.

Sherpas have always understood these mountains better than anyone. When it comes to getting through hard places on natural energy, they’re the ones who’ve done it longest. Our name was inspired by Tenzing Norgay, a mountain guide from the Himalayas. In 1953, he and Edmund Hillary became the first people known to reach the summit of Everest. For a long time, most of the world remembered Hillary’s name more than his.

The Sherpas drank a strong, salted butter tea, and a lemon tea rich in vitamins. Simple, natural brews that have kept climbers going for generations. Natural caffeine, vitamin C and electrolytes. Nothing artificial. Real energy from nature, long before anyone thought to put it in a can. Those are still the three things every TENZING is built on, until this very day.

Huib's father was a boy when Tenzing Norgay reached the summit, and he grew up hearing the story. So, when it came time to name the drink, it kept coming back to that. Naming it after him felt right. "I was on a beach and I thought, this is it. Tenzing literally means energy. He's been forgotten, and he's always been such a hero." — Huib.

Tenzing is a common name in Nepal, so we didn't need permission to use it. But it mattered to ask properly. Huib travelled to Nepal to meet Jamling Norgay, Tenzing's son, and asked for the family's blessing. They gave it, and the family are shareholders in TENZING today.

Stories about the waste left on Everest have always made the news. Cleaning it up once was never going to be enough, so our first ever marketing budget went on building permanent bins on the mountain. All of our ingredients are sourced from nature, so we try to give back more than we take. Today we sponsor Carry Me Back, a programme where trekkers each carry a kilo of waste back down the mountain to be recycled. The people who love these places help look after them.

We’re on a mission to take action to protect our natural playgrounds in everything we do, so that together we can climb clean mountains, surf pristine oceans and run through fresh air. Why? Because, in nature we feel at home. In Nature we feel alive. Join us in spreading good energy!