DC Tech's Newest Product

Well-known DC tech entrepreneur Jonathon Perrelli (second from left) has been quiet the last few months, and now we know why. He, along with co-founder and chief product officer Maxim Wheatley, CTO Rob Lawson-Shanks and COO Ethan Gill, have been building a health tech company called LifeFuels. They've developed a "personal fueling system," which includes a dispensing bottle, individual recyclable pods (filled with nutritional supplements, vitamins, flavors and minerals) and an app that allows users to track their water intake and add supplements as needed. The 16 oz, $99 bottle is connected to the app and a personal health profile, so it can send recommendations of what to drink and when based on the user's data, activity and external factors like weather. The app also connects to a marketplace with health products from well-known brands like Eboost and H2Wow. 

We visited the 30-person team last week days before the official launch party (above). The design of the company’s new HQ in Reston was inspired by a trip Jonathon and Maxim took to Necker Island, Sir Richard Branson's private retreat in the British Virgin Islands. (And yes, they got to hang out with Richard.) Jonathon says he’s been working on the product for three years while co-managing Fortify Ventures and startup incubator The Fort, and developing the documentary StartupLand. Provisional patents have been filed, and the company has plans to expand partnerships with additional health and wellness companies.