Leisure Hydration, the fast-growing functional hydration brand redefining how consumers hydrate, today announced the close of its oversubscribed Series A financing round. The round was led by Midnight Venture Partners, doubling down on its initial seed investment and serving as a key partner throughout the fundraise—helping to structure the round and assemble a high-conviction group of strategic investors.
Additional participants in the round include industry executives and strategic partners such as Doss Cunningham (CEO of Nutrabolt & C4 Energy), Asahi Group Beverages & Innovation, LLC (AGBI), Greg LaVecchia (CEO of Bloom Nutrition), Jordan Brown (Co-founder of Hu Chocolate), Brian Goldberg (SkinnyPop, Sweet Leaf Tea, Waterloo), Döehler Group, Mike LaVitola (Co-founder of Foxtrot), and Brooke “Chef Bae” Baevsky (celebrity chef and internet personality).
Leisure Hydration has quickly emerged as a standout in the new-age beverage landscape, bringing a lifestyle-positioned brand into what it is calling a new “modern hydration category.” The brand’s unique focus on delivering mind and body benefits for the everyday person differs from traditional sports performance-focused brands in the category. The company’s focus has paid off to date with nearly 1,300% revenue growth over the past two years and achieving the #1 dollar velocity in the enhanced water category (SPINS, Non-Carbonated Flavored Water, Natural Channel), as well as at multiple key retailers.
“The hydration beverage category has been dominated for decades by sport-focused products loaded with sugar, artificial ingredients, and formulas made just for physical performance. Eighty percent of the brain is made up of water, and 75% of Americans—not just athletes—are chronically dehydrated. We started Leisure Hydration to deliver the everyday person and non-athlete a healthier, functional option actually designed to support day-to-day life,” said Alex Michaelsen, Co-founder and CEO of Leisure Hydration. “We’ve seen incredible organic growth over the past two years, and the close of our Series A signifies the start of a new chapter: solidifying the brand as the next generation’s Vitamin Water. We couldn’t be more excited to take on this next chapter in partnership with such a talented group of value-add investors.”
The Series A capital will be used to accelerate key areas of growth, including:
- Team Expansion: Building out core functions across sales, marketing, and operations to support national scale.
- Retail Growth: Expanding distribution across major national and regional retailers.
- Brand Refresh: Launching a comprehensive brand evolution in Spring/Summer 2026, designed to elevate Leisure’s visual identity and storytelling across all channels.
As part of its retail expansion, Leisure Hydration is significantly increasing its footprint in 2026 with new product launches and placements across top-tier retailers. This includes exclusive new SKUs rolling out nationally at Whole Foods Market, expanded presence at HEB, entry into Target, and additional retail partnerships to be announced. This momentum puts the company on pace to double revenue in 2026, its fourth straight year achieving over 100% growth.
“We backed Steve and Alex early because we believed they were building the brand that would redefine functional hydration—the Vitamin Water of this generation,” said Ryan Springer, General Partner at Midnight Venture Partners. “The velocity data and the retail doors are great, but ultimately we would back Steve and Alex if they opened a lemonade stand. Leisure is just getting started.”
Leisure Hydration’s signature line of Electrolyte Refreshers is a next-generation take on the flavored enhanced water category. Packaged in 100% recyclable aluminum cans, Leisure delivers 700mg of natural electrolytes, 73+ ocean-sourced trace minerals, and a blend of 10 vitamins, minerals, and adaptogens like magnesium, KSM-66 Ashwagandha, and L-Theanine that help support mood and cognition.
With strong momentum across retail, e-commerce, and alternative channels like office pantry, travel, and hospitality, Leisure Hydration is well-positioned to continue its rapid ascent as a category-defining brand in the flavored enhanced water category.
About Leisure Hydration
Launched in 2022 by two brothers and former Division 1 college athletes looking to flip the script on hydration, Leisure is a functional beverage brand designed to support both mind and body. Each can delivers clean, mood-boosting hydration with no artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners—offering a better way to hydrate, rest, and refresh.
Consumers can find Leisure online at leisurehydration.com and Amazon.com, as well as retailers nationwide including Target, Whole Foods, HEB, and more.
Media Contact:
Steve Michaelsen
CMO / Co-founder
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