The functional coffee category is entering its next phase, putting brewed coffee front and center. M2 Ingredients announces the launch of M2Brew™, the first ingredient of its kind specifically engineered for drip, pod, pour-over, and foodservice coffee formats. It is the only mushroom ingredient designed to ensure beneficial, research-backed, bioactive compounds make it into the finished cup.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260226727986/en/

M2Brew™ is the first innovation to launch from M2 Ingredients’ new Center of Innovation, setting a new standard for brewed functional coffee where research-backed bioactives make it into the cup.

For the first time, brands can deliver functional benefits in authentic brewed coffee without compromising taste, clarity, or performance.

M2Brew™ delivers up to 100 times more beneficial mushroom compounds into the finished cup compared to other brewed mushroom coffee formats currently available, because competitive products do not make it through the filter and into the cup.

National Survey of 1,000+ Coffee Drinkers Reveals Massive Untapped Demand

New consumer research conducted by Glass Research in 2025, based on a survey of over 1,000 U.S. coffee drinkers, reveals a striking disconnect between interest and access:

• Only 12% of American coffee drinkers have tried mushroom coffee.
• 84% say they are interested in trying it.

The U.S. mushroom coffee category has surpassed $1 billion annually, yet adoption, particularly in brewed formats, remains dramatically underpenetrated. Consumer demand is clear. What has been missing is a brewed solution that delivers real efficacy.

Solving the Benefit Gap: Why Most Brewed Mushroom Coffees Fall Short

“For more than a decade, I’ve been working at the intersection of functional beverages and mushroom coffee, and one of the biggest technical barriers has always been brewing,” said Dr. Sandra Carter, Founder of M2 Ingredients. “Most mushroom ingredients on the market were never designed for traditional coffee systems. When added to ground coffee, they often don’t move efficiently through the filter, and even when they do, only a small, water-soluble fraction of the bioactives ends up in the cup. That means consumers are not receiving meaningful levels of the beneficial compounds being promoted. On top of that, full-spectrum mushroom powders historically clogged filters, overflowed pods, and simply were not ready for true commercialization. The industry had not solved the balance between performance in the equipment and efficacy in the cup... until now.”

“This is exactly why the most popular mushroom coffees on the market today are instant,” added Dr. Julie Daoust, Chief Science and Technology Officer at M2 Ingredients. “Instant formats bypass the challenges of brewing, but the industry has been looking for a way to truly integrate functional mushrooms into brewed coffee as well. We wanted to develop a solution for brewed, mainstream coffee applications, products that can be served at coffee stations, gas stations, and foodservice programs across the country, while also elevating offerings in specialty cafés and at-home brewing. M2Brew™ was engineered so the bioactives survive the brewing process and reach the consumer. That is what makes this a breakthrough for the category.”

M2Brew™ is a proprietary process developed by the M2 Ingredients food science team specifically to solve this challenge.

Built for Real Coffee. Designed to Scale.

M2Brew™ delivers compatibility with all types of brewing equipment for foodservice, pods, traditional coffee pots, pour-over, and more. It provides consistent brewing and benefit performance, with no grit, no cloudiness, and no flavor disruption.

M2Brew™ is scalable for specialty roasters, pod manufacturers, hospitality, office coffee, and large-scale foodservice operations. M2Brew™ enables innovation within the formats consumers already trust.

Science-Backed Benefits: Now Brew-Ready

Because M2Brew™ is made from M2’s patented whole, full-spectrum mushroom ingredients, brands who partner with M2 Ingredients now have an ingredient that carries scientific credibility and real benefits to their consumers.

Depending on the mushroom species selected, brewed mushroom coffee can now deliver research-backed benefits including:

• Mood and emotional well-being
• Cognitive performance and focus
• Sleep quality
• Sport performance and recovery
• Digestive and gut health
• Daily resilience and overall wellness
• Immune Support
• And more!

Experience M2Brew™ at Natural Products Expo West

M2 Ingredients invites coffee brands, roasters, pod manufacturers, foodservice operators, and beverage innovators to experience M2Brew™ firsthand at Natural Products Expo West. Attendees can taste brewed coffee made with M2Brew™ and explore how to lead the next era of premium functional coffee.

About M2 Ingredients

M2 Ingredients is the largest North American grower and supplier of whole, full-spectrum mushroom ingredients backed by clinical research. The company develops science-driven functional ingredients for food, beverage, and supplement applications, advancing mushroom innovation at scale.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260226727986/en/

M2Brew™ delivers up to 100 times more beneficial mushroom compounds into the finished cup compared to other brewed mushroom coffee formats currently available, because competitive products do not make it through the filter and into the cup.