Dallas-based Poppi continues to grow with investments from TikTok stars, pro athletes and musicians including Halsey and Russell Westbrook.
The company is set to announce the expansions next week as it closes on a $13 million funding round led by celebrity investors and consumer goods investment firm, CAVU Ventures.
Poppi is a carbonated canned drink infused with apple cider vinegar and fruit juices meant to provide a pre-biotic boost. The brand was founded by husband-and-wife team Stephen and Allison Ellsworth and has been growing steadily since it hit shelves March 2020.
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“We’re really excited to have these new celebrity partners as an extension of our Poppi team — we have no doubt that they will play important roles in helping us scale awareness and grow our community as we continue to challenge big soda,” said Stephen, CEO of Poppi, in a press release.
In 2018, the couple pitched their product on ABC’s Shark Tank, where “beverage shark” Rohan Oza of Bai and Vita Coco fame chose to invest $400,000 in their company in exchange for a 25% share.
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“The brand’s latest funding round — and rapid growth — is proof of the power of its mission since landing a major deal with CAVU Ventures co-founder, Rohan Oza, on Shark Tank in December 2018,” the release said.
That’s pretty accurate. The company launched at the start of the pandemic when “health was top of mind,” Allison said in a previous interview, and has since sold tens of millions of cans and added manufacturing facilities across the country.
The partnerships with social media influencers and celebrities make sense as the brand gains additional popularity online as well as in stores. A recent TikTok of the brand went viral after Jennifer Lopez was seen drinking Poppi.
At $2.49 per can, Poppi comes in flavors like Raspberry Rose, Ginger Lime, Cola and Root Beer, which you can pick up at Target, Whole Foods, Sprouts and more.
Other notable partners include Ellie Goulding, Kevin Love, Olivia Munn and Nicole Scherzinger alongside other social media personalities like Bryce Hall, Chantel Jeffries, Josh Richards, Griffin Johnson and Blake Gray.
