Poppi

When apple cider vinegar drink Mother Beverage won BevNET’s New Beverage Showdown 12 in 2016, it looked and felt nothing like the brand it was about to become. But after an investment from Rohan Oza and CAVU Ventures (earned through a fortuitous 2018 appearance on Shark Tank) Mother dialed down the vinegar and re-emerged in 2020 as Poppi, now positioned as a gut health supporting prebiotic soda. Today, the functional soda set is among the most buzzed about emerging categories in the beverage industry and Poppi has surpassed $100 million in retail sales positioning it well, alongside friendly competitor Olipop, as a category leader. Under CEO Chris Hall, Poppi reported 148% growth in 2022, including 250% growth online, and scanner data suggests it’s on track to repeat triple-digit improvement this year as well.

Poppi didn’t reach its position overnight, but a few overnight growth spurts certainly helped; the social media savvy of co-founder and chief brand officer Allison Ellsworth propelled Poppi’s sales and awareness on TikTok soon after its rebrand and subsequent financing has helped drive new out-of-home marketing and retail expansion (hovering around 30,000 doors nationwide). While the brand now needs to prove it can maintain that momentum and continue its rapid scaling efforts, it’s fair to say Poppi has already made its name at the top of the pop set.