Australian brand Kurk officially launched its new Kurk Sport range at an intimate investor and media lunch held at Chiswick, Woollahra. The event was timed to mark IBD Awareness Month, a meaningful milestone for co-founders Trent Scanlen and Dr Harry Weisinger, both of whom have lived through cancer and chronic illness.
Developed to help people recover faster, perform better, and manage inflammation naturally, Kurk Sport delivers a potent combination of micellar curcumin, electrolytes, and echinacea—and has been designed by a team of PhDs and MDs to offer up to 1,000 times better absorption than standard turmeric.
“We created Kurk Sport to solve a real-world recovery problem for active people,” said Dr. Weisinger. “Curcumin helps fight inflammation, electrolytes keep you properly hydrated, and echinacea supports immune health, so you can recover, recharge, and keep moving.”
Kurk’s origin story is as personal as it is scientific. Scanlen—formerly on the board of Specsavers—was diagnosed with a tumour on his spine at age 33. The life-altering diagnosis led to an intense search for effective, natural anti-inflammatories that could support his recovery.
“Diagnosis of a golf ball-sized tumour on the face of my spine changed everything,” Scanlen said. “Luckily, the universe gave me this guy [Dr Weisinger] three years before. He was able to guide me through the process. After my third round of treatment, we put together the business plan for Kurk.”
Scanlen, now 48, added, “I want to age better than my parents. I want to keep training jiu-jitsu, lifting weights, staying active—but at this age, we face massive issues with pain and inflammation. Solving that was a personal challenge.”
Dr Weisinger’s journey was no less intense. “I was perfectly healthy until 18, then diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. I’ve had over 40 hospital admissions and two bowel resections. Then I developed lymphoma, likely due to immunosuppressive treatment. Then a hip replacement at 39, and a cardiac stent at 40. I thought, ‘I’m not going to live very long at this rate.’ That fired me up—not just as a doctor, but as a father and scientist.”
At the core of Kurk’s range is curcumin, the bioactive compound in turmeric known for its powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. But as Dr Weisinger pointed out, the ingredient’s real-world impact is limited without the right delivery system.
“Curcumin is a tease. We know it works in labs—on cancer cell lines, inflammatory pathways—but our bodies can’t absorb it in its natural form. It’s a large crystal, fat-soluble, and not water-soluble. That’s why turmeric lattes taste good but do very little.”
To address this, Kurk developed Micelle+ technology: “We dissolve the curcumin in oil, then envelop it with a surfactant. It forms a micelle—like how your body absorbs other fat-soluble vitamins. That’s what we’ve built into our drinks.”
Kurk’s approach goes beyond supplements. “We’re not a pill. We’re not a lotion or a powder. We’re delivering a science-backed, functional wellness product people can use daily—and enjoy,” said Scanlen.
He also noted the company’s fully integrated model as a key point of difference. “Most brands outsource R&D, manufacturing and retail. We’ve closed that loop. We do all the research, the formulation, the production, the retail, and then we gather feedback and do it all again. That’s how we’ve landed on our seventh formulation—and this one works.”
The company’s vertically integrated model has helped it attract high-profile investment from notable figures such as Boston Global Chairman and Founder Bill Moss AO, his daughter and Executive Director Natalie Cooney, beauty and wellness entrepreneur Andrea Horwood, actor Tom Hardy, and musician Tinie Tempah.
“What led us to this was a shared focus on doing things differently in natural health,” Scanlen said. “Meeting Bill and Natalie was a turning point, and Andrea’s helped us refine the brand.”
Horwood added, “What Harry and Trent are doing isn’t just clever—it’s meaningful. They’re bridging clinical science and customer-first innovation in a way that’s scalable and authentic.”
The new Kurk Sport formula—available as effervescent tablets—was created with active lifestyles in mind but is suitable for anyone needing post-exercise recovery, immune support, or hydration.
“It’s ideal before or after a workout, after a long day, or whenever you need a physical or mental boost,” said Weisinger.
Scanlen noted the simplicity of the delivery method. “You drop a tablet in water, it fizzes, it tastes great, and it works. That’s the kind of everyday utility we’re striving for.”
The team says future innovation will continue to follow the same model: real-world needs backed by in-house science.
“We’ve got tens of thousands of users already. When you’re that connected to the data and feedback loop, you can constantly improve,” said Scanlen. “And that’s exactly what we intend to do.”
Kurk Sport is now available via kurk.au for RRP $49 (20 tablets). It joins the brand’s existing product line, including Kurk Essential drops in cola, vanilla and orange, and the minty Vitamin D3+K2 spray.
As the founders continue to scale internationally, the message remains personal: “Health is wealth,” said Scanlen. “We were lucky enough to learn that early—and now we want to help others get there too.”
Photos: Studio La Tessa.
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