A new brand from the Poppi founders
Allison and Stephen Ellsworth, who built the prebiotic soda brand Poppi, are moving into hydration with a new company called Jetty, according to CNBC. The brand sells bottled drinks and ready-to-mix electrolyte packets. Starting Monday, the products will be on shelves at Whole Foods and available online at Target and Amazon.
The venture puts the couple in direct competition with PepsiCo, which bought Poppi for $1.95 billion in 2025. PepsiCo also owns Gatorade, which holds about 60% of the U.S. sports drink category, according to Numerator data cited by CNBC.
Allison Ellsworth is Jetty's chief brand officer and Stephen Ellsworth is CEO. She stayed on as an advisor to Poppi after the sale but said she is no longer involved in daily operations.
What Jetty is selling
Jetty will launch with five flavors: watermelon, orange mango, fruit punch, black raspberry and white cherry. Each 15.2-ounce bottle or 15-gram packet contains 100 milligrams of sodium, 310 milligrams of potassium and 100 milligrams of magnesium, along with B vitamins, 3 grams of fiber and 6 grams of sugar. The founders say it uses no artificial sweeteners or dyes.
By comparison, CNBC reported that a 20-ounce bottle of traditional Gatorade Thirst Quencher has about 270 milligrams of sodium, 80 milligrams of potassium and 34 grams of sugar. Gatorade is also phasing out artificial colors and promoting lower-sugar versions.
"No one has really created a product for just everyday hydration — literally everyday hydration for normal people," Allison Ellsworth told CNBC. She said the core audience will be millennial moms and Gen Z.
The GLP-1 connection and a crowded market
Ellsworth said the idea grew from her own experience. After starting a GLP-1 medication and losing 60 pounds, she struggled to drink enough fluids. GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro can reduce thirst, and staying hydrated can help ease side effects like nausea and headaches. About 44% of GLP-1 users report consuming more functional beverages, according to an EY-Parthenon survey of more than 3,600 current or former users.
Demand for hydration products is rising. Dollar sales of hydration and electrolyte products climbed 20% to $2.6 billion over the 52 weeks ended Oct. 4, according to SPINS, with a repeat buyer rate of 62%. But new products are multiplying too: the number of new items with annual sales of at least $10,000 has risen 41% over two years.
Large companies are competing as well. Kraft Heinz introduced Capri Sun and Kool-Aid products with electrolytes this spring, and Pepsi unveiled an overhaul of Gatorade in April. Electrolit, distributed by Keurig Dr Pepper, posted 40% retail sales growth in the company's third quarter.
Powders, bottles and lessons from Poppi
Jetty will be sold as both powders and ready-to-drink bottles. Ellsworth said single-use electrolyte mixes are growing much faster than ready-to-drink options, helped by Unilever's Liquid I.V. and upstarts such as LMNT. She put powders at a $1 billion category on Amazon alone. Ready-to-drink sports beverages are larger but shrinking, with unit sales down 9.1% from 2022 to 2026, according to Numerator. Coca-Cola has written down the value of BodyArmor by more than $1.7 billion after paying $5.6 billion for control of the brand in late 2021.
Ellsworth was critical of PepsiCo's approach, saying, "I don't think [Pepsi] gets it," and arguing that removing dyes or cutting sugar is "very big corporate thinking." Poppi has underperformed under PepsiCo, CNBC reported. In an October regulatory filing, Pepsi estimated the fair value of potential performance-based payments to Poppi's prior owners at $12 million, compared with a $300 million additional payment promised if targets were met by the third quarter of 2027. The Ellsworths declined to comment on the filing.
Ellsworth said Jetty has learned from past mistakes, noting that three claims lawyers signed off on its packaging. Poppi paid $8.9 million to settle a class-action suit over its "gut healthy" claims.
Funding plans
Jetty is funded with $2.5 million of the founders' own money. Ellsworth said the brand will likely raise outside capital in 2027, though she expects investors to look less like traditional venture capitalists. "I want to bring in investors that bring value," she told CNBC, adding that smaller checks from strategic backers could be preferable to a larger investment from a venture firm.
