Organic hydration beverage brand HALO announced this week that it has received an investment from tennis star Andy Murray, marking its first partnership with a professional athlete. In addition to a financial stake in the brand, which sources reported as being in the six-figure range, Murray will also serve as a brand ambassador.
Plant-based energy drink maker teaRIOT has raised $5 million in funding from PearlRock Partners that will help support a broader nationwide expansion, the company announced Tuesday. PearlRock is the sole investor in the round and the firm’s chairman and CEO Brian Kelley will join the brand’s board of directors.
After spending nearly two decades working in marketing at Rockstar Energy, Jason May’s first post-acquisition venture was bound to feel a little strange. He decided to make it Weird. Weird Beverages is a new venture founded by May, who serves as CEO, and two other former Rockstar employees.
Alkaline spring water company Flow has named former Nestlé Waters head Maurizio Patarnello as CEO to oversee the brand’s global expansion. Patarnello joins Flow after more than 27 years with the Swiss conglomerate, most recently as CEO and chairman of Nestlé Waters where he oversaw brands including Nestlé Pure Life, Perrier, San Pellegrino, Poland Spring and Acqua Panna.
In the face of the global pandemic, Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) reported strong results in its Q4 and full year earnings report today, driven by increases in at-home consumption and ecommerce sales. Net sales increased 6.4% to $3.12 billion in the fourth quarter and 4.5% to $11.62 billion for the full year.
Las Vegas-based cold brew maker Lucky Jack Coffee has launched a canned line of Nitro Cold Brew Lattes made with oat milk, the brand’s first shelf stable innovation targeted at expanding its presence in the convenience channel. The lattes are available in Caramel, Golden Milk + Turmeric, Mocha and Vanilla varieties and each 7.5 oz. can contains 130mg of caffeine.
Plant-based dairy alternative products maker Oatly submitted plans for an initial public offering (IPO) to U.S. regulators, the company confirmed today. The announcement follows reports last month that the Sweden-based company was exploring a potential $1 billion IPO. Oatly is reported by Reuters to have hired Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan and Credit Suisse as underwriters on the offering.
Performance energy brand Adrenaline Shoc (A Shoc) is tapping into the natural space with this week’s announcement of A Shoc Accelerator, a new line of plant-based drinks featuring a “thermogenic blend” of functional ingredients. Accelerator is rolling out into select stores now and next month will add 7-Eleven stores nationwide.
The Coca-Cola Company confirmed Friday that it has notified U.S. antitrust regulators that it has begun the process of acquiring a controlling stake in sports drink brand BodyArmor. If the deal goes through, it could give Coke a commanding presence in the sports drink category with a serious competitor to PepsiCo’s Gatorade.
In this week's Distribution Roundup, two innovative and better-for-you beverage brands -- plant-based shake maker Koia and mamaki tea company Shaka Tea -- enter 7-Eleven stores nationwide. Elsewhere, Sanzo expands its retail presence with new DSD partners in New York and Los Angeles.
Slate Milk, the Boston-based maker of lactose-free chocolate milks marketed towards adults, has raised $1.7 million in a funding round led by Riverpark Ventures. The round brings the company’s total financing to $2.5 million and also features a number of angel investors including Halo Top executives Doug Bolton.
It’s a new year and a new look for ready-to-drink tea brand Steaz. The company, which operates as a part of Novamex-owned beverage portfolio subsidiary Nova Naturals, announced a rebrand this week that increases emphasis on the drink’s antioxidant content with a new design, formulation and new product launches.
In the days leading up to Super Bowl LV, total non-alcoholic beverage sales “modestly decelerated” but remained elevated over the two week period ending February 6, according to an analysis of Nielsen data by Goldman Sachs Equity Research.
Spindrift is preparing for its largest product launch thus far with the announcement of three Lemonade-based sparkling waters. The new varieties, which launch in March, are available in 12 oz. cans in Lemon Limeade, Pink Lemonade and Strawberry Lemonade. Each drink features real fruit juice and less than one gram of sugar with no added sweeteners.
