Leveling Up: Final Boss Sour Secures $3 Million

Gaming-themed sour snacks producer Final Boss Sour announced yesterday it has raised $3 million in a seed round led by CPG investment and brand development firm Science Inc., the initial investor behind canned water powerhouse Liquid Death.

The round also included participation from DJ Steve Aioki’s venture fund Aioki Labs, F4 Fund, GFR Fund, Uncommon Denominator, entrepreneur Jason Calacanis’ LAUNCH Fund, and The Syndicate. The capital infusion will be used to scale inventory, hire key operational staff and expand the brand’s network of content creators and influencers.

“Final Boss Sour is reshaping the healthy snack category by making it fun and culturally relevant. This team has not only dominated the category with their innovative, gamified approach and real fruit ingredients, but they’ve also become industry leaders in leveraging online product vehicles like TikTok Shop and viral YouTube content,” said Michael Jones, general partner at Science Inc., in a press release.

Launched in 2023, Final Boss Sour produces a collection of dried cranberry, blueberry, strawberry, mango, cherry and apricot snacks available in four “levels” of sourness. Developed by James Hicks and Tommy Riggs, managing director at Science Inc., the brand seeks to provide a healthier alternative to conventional sour gummy candies by using real fruit and natural sour acids – the products contain 19-21 grams of sugar per serving, depending on the variety.

Most recently, the company introduced its limited-edition Dippers line with the release of Blue Raspberry Mango Dippers, a better-for-you take on Ferrara Candy Company’s nostalgic Fun Dip candy. As its name suggests, the new SKU – which has since sold out – pairs six large dried mango strips with “a whole bunch of” blue raspberry-flavored level 3 sour powder.

Final Boss Sour’s core lineup is currently available online direct-to-consumer (DTC) via its own website, Amazon, and TikTok Shop with a SRP of $29.99 per 4-pack of 3.5 oz. pouches.

After just a few months of selling on TikTok Shop, the brand has already achieved more than $1 million in sales on the platform. Final Boss Sour credits its success on TikTok Shop to the platform’s unique opportunities for storytelling and real-time interaction that connect the brand with consumers on a new level (no pun intended).

“By focusing on live selling and partnering with the right influencers who can share a relatable POV and create hype towards the experience, we’ve amplified engagement, created viral moments, and found new customers, all of which helped drive rapid growth,” said Hicks.

Although retail is on the horizon, Final Boss Sour is opting to stay in DTC at this stage as it allows the brand to build awareness and engage directly with consumers. The brand is focused on hitting a critical mass of recognition and brand loyalty online, where it can maintain control and avoid overextending itself on distribution, according to Hicks.

Growing Awareness

To generate awareness, Final Boss Sour has adopted a gaming-centric approach aimed at introducing an element of challenge and fun. According to Hicks, the idea to create a gamified candy brand came from the popularity of extremely spicy foods, like PepsiCo’s Flamin’ Hot Cheetos products and the YouTube series-turned-hot-sauce-brand Hot Ones.

“This is a lot like what’s popular in the spicy snack world, but with a sour twist that we identified as missing from the market. So we created a new product line where each product corresponds to a ‘level’ of sour intensity, giving consumers the thrill of testing their tolerance or challenging friends,” said Hicks.

With its social media content, Final Boss Sour has won over 275 million organic views across Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Additionally, the brand has amassed 240,000 subscribers on YouTube, becoming the most-followed snack brand on the platform, surpassing household names like Sour Patch Kids, Sour Strips, Trolli Sour Brite Crawlers and Warheads.

With this entertainment-driven approach, Final Boss Sour believes it is part of the pack leading a shift toward brands prioritizing cultural relevance and consumer engagement over traditional advertising. According to Hicks, this shift indicates snacking can move beyond just being about ingredients or flavor.

“We’re proving that innovation in the snacking world doesn’t stop at product development; it extends to how we connect with our audience and build a community around a shared love for bold flavors and better-for-you ingredients,” said Hicks.

Final Boss Sour isn’t the only brand looking to disrupt the sour candy set with a gaming-adjacent product. Last year, YouTuber Brian “FaZE Rug” Awadis launched 1Up Candy, an “experiential candy brand that debuted online with its Sour Gummy Challenge, a $17 set of six sour gummy candies.

Ushering in a New Chapter of Growth

In 2025, the brand plans to focus on expanding its reach, deepening customer engagement and exploring selective retail opportunities. According to Hicks, how the brand achieves these goals “is the fun part.”

To keep its product offerings fresh while testing new flavors and pushing the limits on sourness, Final Boss Sour will increase its monthly drops. The LTOs serve as live R&D, said Hicks, as the brand directly incorporates the consumer feedback into future products.

Additionally, the brand hopes to scale its online community – particularly on YouTube and TikTok – by collaborating with more creators who resonate with Final Boss Sour’s challenge-centered identity. It also hopes to enhance its production capabilities and optimize its supply chain to support growing demand.

“Ultimately, our goal is to solidify Final Boss Sour as the go-to name in the sour, better-for-you snack category and continue pushing boundaries in product innovation and consumer engagement,” said Hicks.