A red drink bottle in front of the Jetty logo on a white background

Poppi Founders Take On PepsiCo’s Gatorade With Jetty, a Hydration Drink Without Artificial Dyes

Allison and Stephen Ellsworth, who sold Poppi to PepsiCo for $1.95 billion, launch Jetty at Whole Foods on Nov. 9. The drinks list no artificial sweeteners or dyes and 6 grams of sugar or less.

The founders of Poppi, the prebiotic soda PepsiCo bought for $1.95 billion in 2025, are launching a new drink company. Jetty, an everyday hydration brand, goes on sale Monday, Nov. 9, at Whole Foods and online at Target and Amazon, CNBC reported. It enters a sports drink aisle led by PepsiCo’s own Gatorade.

TLDR

  • Allison and Stephen Ellsworth co-founded Jetty. Stephen is CEO and Allison is chief brand officer, CNBC reported.
  • Jetty sells bottled drinks and electrolyte powders in five flavors.
  • The brand lists no artificial sweeteners or dyes and 6 grams of sugar or less per bottle.
  • Gatorade holds about 60% of the U.S. sports drink market, according to Numerator data cited by CNBC.

What Jetty Is Selling

Jetty comes in watermelon, orange mango, fruit punch, black raspberry and white cherry, according to CNBC. Each 15.2-ounce bottle or 15-gram powder packet has 100 milligrams of sodium, 310 milligrams of potassium and 100 milligrams of magnesium. It also has B vitamins and 3 grams of fiber.

Jetty’s website lists “No artificial sweeteners or dyes,” natural flavors, prebiotic fiber and real fruit juice in the bottled drinks. It says each drink is under 45 calories and caffeine-free.

CNBC compared it with a 20-ounce Gatorade Thirst Quencher, which it said has about 270 milligrams of sodium, 80 milligrams of potassium and 34 grams of sugar.

Everyday Hydration, Not the Gym

Jetty is pitched at everyday drinkers rather than athletes, and it targets millennial moms and Gen Z, CNBC reported. Allison Ellsworth told CNBC the idea came partly from her own experience. She lost 60 pounds on a GLP-1 medication and found it hard to drink enough fluids.

The company is self-funded with $2.5 million, according to CNBC. Ellsworth said Jetty will likely raise outside money in 2027.

A Crowded Aisle

Dollar sales of hydration and electrolyte products rose 20% to $2.6 billion in the 52 weeks ended Oct. 4, CNBC reported, citing SPINS. Sports drink unit sales fell 9.1% from 2022 to 2026, according to Numerator.

The competition includes big names. Coca-Cola wrote down BodyArmor by more than $1.7 billion after buying it for $5.6 billion in 2021, CNBC noted. Keurig Dr Pepper sells Electrolit, Unilever owns Liquid I.V., and Kraft Heinz has electrolyte versions of Capri Sun and Kool-Aid. PepsiCo unveiled an overhaul of Gatorade in April, and the brand is phasing out artificial colors and promoting lower-sugar versions, CNBC reported.

In an October filing, PepsiCo estimated the fair value of performance payments to Poppi’s former owners at $12 million. At the time of the deal, PepsiCo promised an additional $300 million if Poppi hit certain targets by the third quarter of 2027. The Ellsworths declined to comment on the filing.

Why It Matters

The Poppi team built a soda brand around a cleaner label and sold it to PepsiCo for $1.95 billion. Their next brand leads with no artificial dyes or sweeteners and a fraction of a classic sports drink’s sugar. It lands in a category PepsiCo leads with Gatorade, at a time when shoppers are buying more hydration products and fewer traditional sports drinks.

Sources: CNBC; CNBC Make It; Jetty.