Historically, investment firms have regarded nascent drink enterprises with suspicion, often pointing to narrow profit margins and challenging distribution channels as key obstacles preventing most brands from achieving widespread success. However, a fresh surge of “utility soda” ventures is now defying that premise, notably Poppi, the gut-health beverage label that originated from a home-based culinary trial and culminated in a $1.95 billion takeover by PepsiCo.
In this installment of TechCrunch’s Equity audio series, Poppi co-creator Allison Ellsworth participates in a discussion regarding the establishment of a drink company within a startup ecosystem largely governed by SaaS and AI. Detailing her journey from presenting on Shark Tank while heavily pregnant, to achieving widespread fame on TikTok, and securing a spontaneous Super Bowl commercial, Ellsworth elucidates the genuine effort involved in crafting a pioneering consumer product — as well as her current investment criteria now that she serves as an investor on Shark Tank.
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