7-Eleven, Inc. named 26 emerging brands to participate in its 2026 Brands with Heart showcase, an initiative that celebrates innovation and the next generation of consumer products. Entering its seventh year, the program connects early-stage brands with new retail opportunities and offers the potential for expanded distribution across 7-Eleven, Speedway and Stripes locations throughout the United States.

The 2026 participants were selected from a pool of more than 700 applicants through a competitive review process led by the retailer's 7-Ventures & Emerging Brands team. This year's cohort reflects the company's continued focus on brands that offer clear differentiation and strong consumer appeal.

Leading up to the Brands with Heart showcase, finalists joined a series of virtual sessions to gain insights into 7-Eleven's retail ecosystem. During the showcase, held at the 7-Eleven Store Support Center in Irving, Texas, founders had the opportunity to have their products sampled, participated in one-on-one pitch meetings with category teams and engaged in educational discussions focused on merchandising strategy and scaling within convenience retail.

Following the showcase, select Brands with Heart participants will be invited to launch regional in-store tests beginning in the first half of the year, providing an opportunity to further evaluate performance and consumer response.

Each brand selected for the 2026 program brings a clear sense of differentiation, whether through functional ingredients, unique formulations, packaging innovation or brand storytelling – helping them stand out in a crowded marketplace. 

Learn more about the 2026 Brands with Heart participants below:

- Focus Fuel: Energy Gummies that offer clean, portable energy featuring natural caffeine and nootropics, designed for focus and convenience.
- Hormbles Chrombles: High-protein, zero sugar candy bars with crunchy cores, delivering indulgent texture with functional nutrition.
- Smash Foods: Jam-packed, superfood protein bites sweetened with dates.

2026 Brands with Heart participants include:

Bum Energy
COBA
Flerish Hydration
Focus Fuel
G2G Bar
GoMacro
Good Candy
Gorilla Mind
Hormbles Chrombles
Incredifulls Pizza Cupcake
Life Raft Treats
Loco Coffee
Loom Brands
Low and Slow Snacks
Nantucket Crisp
Noka
Nutcase Milk
Popcrunch
Shameless
Slate
Smash Foods
So Good So You
The Anabar
The Only Bean
Toom
YAW Snacks