In 1994 Bill Vaughan established GU Energy Labs in Berkeley, California. His background as a biophysicist gave him valuable insight as to the needs of endurance athletes and how to make a product that meets those needs. The success of GU came quickly when in 1996 they supplied the Ironman World Championship.
In the last decade GU has grown to be the official gel and chew sponsor of Ironman, USA triathlon, and the Leadville Race Series. In 2013, GU launched a collaboration with the Challenged Athletes Foundation.