Cold-pressed juice maker Suja has acquired California-based Vive Organic, producers of a range of 2 oz juice shots, for an undisclosed fee. The deal is Suja’s first acquisition since its sale to private equity firm Paine Schwartz Partners in July 2021.
Founded in 2015, Vive Organic emerged as a pioneering brand in the refrigerated premium juice shot category, offering a range of immunity focused, physician-formulated blends sold at retailers like Whole Foods, CVS, Target and other major national chains. The company secured a $13 million series B funding round led by Monogram Capital in July 2020.
Having emerged a few years earlier in 2012, California-based Suja helped seed the retail market for premium cold-pressed juices, operating out of its own 200,000 sq. ft. production and toll processing facility in Miramar, California, and eventually expanded to a wide variety of juice-based drinks, including kombucha, enhanced water, sparkling juice and shots with functional ingredients. At one point, The Coca-Cola Company was a 33% stakeholder in the brand with an option to buy the company outright within a certain timeframe. After Coca-Cola allowed the deadline to expire, Suja was picked up by Paine Schwartz for an undisclosed fee.
Under a unified portfolio, both Suja and Vive Organic will see “improved operational capabilities, enhanced marketing and sales efforts, extended innovation reach, and benefits of scale,” according to a press release. Wyatt Taubman, Vive’s CEO and co-founder, is expected to continue and “partner with Suja’s leadership to maintain the brand’s successful momentum in the market.”
“Ten years ago, Suja set out with a vision to make organic fresh-pressed juices available to everyone. The addition of Vive Organic strengthens our offerings and accelerates our mission to build one of the foremost healthy beverage platforms in the world,” said Bob DeBorde, CEO of Suja. “We have a shared focus on prioritizing sustainable, ethical extraction and production processes, as well as a similar purpose of helping consumers take charge of their wellness journeys. We are excited about building on each company’s momentum and, together, we will innovate the next generation of wellness offerings.”
Taubman praised the Vive Organic team for working “tirelessly to inspire more people to start their own holistic wellness journey.”
“In just five years, our team has built the fastest-growing juice shot company in the country,” Taubman said. “Becoming part of Suja will not only accelerate our efforts and enable us to grow the combined business to even higher heights, but also further amplify our mission with a broader group of consumers.”
Kevin Schwartz, CEO of Paine Schwartz, called the deal “an important next step in (Suja’s) evolution.”
“We continue to believe in the significant value creation opportunities in the better-for-you space, and with this transaction, Suja is even better positioned to capture them. We look forward to supporting the Company in this next phase of growth as it expands its product offerings, widens its distribution, and brings Suja and Vive Organic to even more consumers,” he said.