Two Maui companies among 11 selected for Mana Up’s latest accelerator cohort

Two Maui-based businesses — a longtime Kahului beauty brand and a Haʻikū kava beverage company — are among 11 Hawaiʻi product companies selected for Cohort 11 of the Mana Up business accelerator program.

Island Essence, a bath and body products company that has been handcrafting lotions, soaps, and oils in Kahului since 1990, and Vaui Social Liquids, a kava-based, alcohol-free beverage line grown out of Pauwela Beverage Company’s craft fermentation operation in Haʻikū, will join the six-month program alongside companies from Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi Island, and Kauaʻi.

The cohort was selected from 256 applicants, the most in the program’s history and a 26% increase over the previous cohort. The 11 companies span seven product categories, with seven in food and beverage. Seven are women-owned or women-led, and three are multi-generational family businesses.

Founded in 2018, Mana Up pairs selected companies with mentorship and support in brand development, e-commerce, wholesale strategy, manufacturing, storytelling and global market expansion. Alumni of the program now generate a combined $135 million in annual revenue and have created more than 1,100 jobs statewide, according to the organization.

“The talent has always been here,” said Meli James, Mana Up co-founder. “The growing number of applicants shows how many more founders are ready to take it to the next level.”

The other Cohort 11 companies are Ahualoa Family Farms (Hawaiʻi Island), a macadamia nut producer; BUJO BAE (Oʻahu), an island-themed stationery and journal brand; Good Mana (Oʻahu), a wellness supplement company using Hawaiʻi-grown turmeric and botanicals; Maebo Noodle Factory (Hilo), a fourth-generation maker of saimin noodles and One-Ton Chips; Oceans End (Kailua), a handbag and accessories brand; Oysters Hawaiʻi (Honolulu), a mobile oyster shucking and catering company; Wailua Granola Co. (Kauaʻi), a small-batch granola maker; Waimea Herb Company (Hawaiʻi Island), a family-owned tea company; and Yick Lung (Honolulu), a heritage snack brand being relaunched by a new generation of ownership.

The program culminates with the annual Mana Up Showcase, which includes an October livestream and a Nov. 5 in-person marketplace at Bloomingdale’s Ala Moana Center. For more information, visit manauphawaii.com.