Officially launching at Vitafoods Europe this May, Qura creatine is entering the European market in an aim to provide an alternative in what it describes as a “premium creatine monopoly”.
The brand, based in the Netherlands, is the brainchild of nutrition entrepreneurs Michael Hekking and Erik van Velsen, who bring decades of combined experience and expertise in the world of supplement development, branding and commercial success.
Hekking left his nine-year role as co-founder and CEO of caffeinated chewing gum brand FIRST energy gum to focus on this venture. He explained he had recently extended FIRST’s product line-up to include creatine tablets.
“When I looked into creating the creatine tablets, I discovered the near-monopoly for high quality creatine,” he told NutraIngredients. “With demand rocketing and consumers crying out for innovative new products, it’s unsustainable for the market to remain this way. Qura Creatine will introduce long overdue choice in a segment that has been static for too long, offering an option in between the high premium and the generic.”
The brand promises to offer purity, transparency, and solubility and “redefine what ‘premium creatine’ truly means”.
It claims to have the highest purity currently available on the market, at more than 99.95%, as supported by independent verification.
Products are manufactured in an FSSC 22000-certified facility with final packaging and format customization performed in an IFS-approved co-packing facility.
Every batch is tested prior to release by accredited third-party laboratories, including Eurofins Laboratories facilities in both the EU and USA. The packaging includes batch-specific QR codes for direct access to verification data.
Further, its rapid dispersion capability makes it a candidate for a range of formats.
“The crystals have a more open structure. You can even see this with your own eyes as the overall mass of the powder looks like more,” said Hekking.
“This is ground-breaking when it comes to its solubility. I have always found residue at the bottom of my glass when mixing creatine into liquid, but this fully dissolves.”
The product is currently available as an unflavoured powdered packaged in jars or sachets.
As well as offering flavoured varieties in the near future, the team is looking into multiple format innovations. For example, it is currently performing tests to see how the ingredient performs within dextrose tablets and RTDs.
Hekking added that formulating the ingredient into products that contain sugar makes sense from an absorption point of view, as creatine is absorbed into the muscles faster when taken alongside glucose.
“These innovations will help bring the ingredient to a broader audience,” Herkking added. “Just look att he protein market. I don’t necessarily think creatine will be as big as protein but I do think it will be a mass market product and will be incorporated into all sorts of products.”
Expanding benefits
Creatine plays a fundamental role in cellular bioenergetics by supporting rapid regeneration of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the body’s primary energy molecule.
Approximately 95% of total creatine stores are located in skeletal muscle, where phosphocreatine acts as a rapid phosphate donor during high-intensity effort.
This mechanism enables sustained power output, improved work capacity, and delayed fatigue during repeated bouts of exertion.
Although traditionally associated with strength performance, creatine’s biological role extends to multiple organ systems. High-energy tissues such as muscle and brain rely on rapid ATP turnover, making creatine relevant for neuromuscular function, cellular resilience, and metabolic regulation.
Emerging evidence shows that creatine may support cognitive processing, memory, and attention, particularly under demanding conditions, or in aging populations.
