Ugly Drinks CEO Hugh Thomas announced today he is stepping down from his role at the sparkling water startup at the end of this week, citing a desire to “take a break and a deep breath before figuring out what is next.”
In a post on social media, Thomas wrote: “Being a Founder and CEO is an exhilarating, yet exhausting rollercoaster and I can honestly say I have put everything into this journey. Blood, sweat and tears. The brand is in my DNA and has taken every bit of my energy, heart, and soul to get it to this place, but now it’s time for me to step back and focus on myself.”
Working alongside co-founder and fellow Vita Coco veteran Joe Benn, Thomas launched Ugly Drinks in London in 2015, positioning the brand as a playful, inviting zero-calorie alternative to sugary soda. Since then the brand has entered into 15,000 stores worldwide, introduced an energy line, developed a robust hybrid D2C/retail business in the U.S., was backed by ZX Ventures, and won praise for its limited edition flavor drops inspired by classic sodas.
To date, the brand has raised at least $3.9 million in financing, according to Crunchbase. Investors in the brand include U.K.-based firms Pentland Ventures and Steadman Partners and California-based MAGIC Fund.
Over the past year, the company has hired experienced operators to support its U.S. business, including former Coca-Cola veterans Brett Lanford as president and Jason Villano as VP of sales.
“I’m going to be taking time out before figuring out what’s next,” Thomas added. “This is just the beginning. I love building things and remain incredibly passionate about startups and the people building them.”
It is not clear who will be taking over Thomas’ role at Ugly. His co-founder, Benn, also left the company last year, according to Linkedin.
Thomas did not respond to a request for comment on this story.