From Poppi to PepsiCo and Beyond: Co-Founders Allison and Stephen Ellsworth Return to the Beverage Industry with Everyday Hydration Brand Jetty

The beverage industry is bracing for a high-profile comeback as Allison and Stephen Ellsworth, the entrepreneurial minds behind the explosive success of the prebiotic soda brand Poppi, officially re-enter the consumer packaged goods (CPG) market. Following their monumental $1.95 billion acquisition by beverage giant PepsiCo last year, the husband-and-wife duo are turning their attention to a fundamentally different segment of the drink market: functional hydration.

Their new venture, Jetty, is slated to debut on November 9, with an initial retail footprint spanning Whole Foods Market, Amazon, and Target online. Retailing at $2.49 per ready-to-drink bottle, Jetty will also be offered in ready-to-mix powder formats to accommodate various consumer preferences. This strategic launch marks the couple’s first foray into the crowded and competitive hydration category, positioning itself away from traditional sports drinks and squarely toward modern, everyday wellness needs.

The Genesis of Jetty: Personal Health Journeys and Market White Space

The conception of Jetty was heavily influenced by a personal evolution for Allison Ellsworth. Following her recent health journey—during which she successfully lost 60 pounds utilizing a GLP-1 medication—she encountered a frustrating gap in the beverage marketplace.

"I was always really struggling with hydrating or getting water in my body," Ellsworth noted. Her search for an everyday hydration solution revealed a market saturated with products tailored strictly for high-intensity workouts, extreme physical exertion, or athletic recovery. Many of these legacy sports drinks feature hundreds of milligrams of sodium—a formulation entirely unsuited for sedentary lifestyles or routine daily activities.

"If I’ve been sitting at my desk all day, I don’t need that," Ellsworth explained, highlighting the excessive sodium levels typical of legacy brands. While acknowledging that the modern market is saturated with functional powders, she observed that the broader sports drink sector has suffered from a distinct lack of product innovation, leading to a recent stagnation in growth.

Recognizing a distinct white space, Ellsworth tapped the research and development (R&D) experts from her former Poppi team. Together, they engineered a functional beverage designed not just for the gym, but for commuting, studying, and desk-bound professionals seeking balanced, daily hydration.

Nutritional Profile and Formulation

Jetty’s formulation has been carefully calibrated to meet the nutritional demands of everyday consumers without the heavy mineral loads associated with athletic recovery drinks. Each ready-to-drink bottle of Jetty delivers a targeted blend of functional ingredients:

• 310 milligrams of potassium
• 100 milligrams of magnesium
• Essential B-vitamins
• Prebiotics to support gut health
• 6 grams of sugar
• 45 calories per serving

Crucially, Jetty maintains a low-sodium profile, containing less than 100 milligrams per serving. This positions the brand as a moderate alternative to heavy electrolyte drinks, appealing directly to health-conscious consumers managing their daily sodium intake.

Navigating the Multi-Billion Dollar Hydration Market

Jetty enters a massive, rapidly expanding global market dominated by legacy conglomerates. According to recent industry data, the global electrolyte and functional drink market was valued at $40.4 billion in 2024 and is projected to surge to $53.1 billion by 2030.

Despite this immense growth, the landscape remains heavily consolidated. Major players continue to command the vast majority of consumer wallet share. PepsiCo’s Gatorade alone accounts for an estimated 61.1% of the United States sports drink market share, competing alongside other heavyweights like Coca-Cola’s BodyArmor and Powerade.

However, industry analysts suggest that consumer preferences are shifting away from sugary, high-sodium formulations toward functional wellness beverages that offer holistic health benefits, such as digestive support and steady, non-caffeinated energy. By bridging the gap between prebiotic functionality and moderate hydration, Jetty aims to carve out a lucrative niche among consumers who find traditional sports drinks misaligned with their daily health goals.

A Self-Funded Scaling Strategy and Multi-Million Dollar Launch

While the Ellsworths launched Poppi out of a residential kitchen with limited capital, their approach to Jetty reflects the seasoned expertise of industry veterans. This time, the enterprise commands significantly larger operational resources and institutional backing from its inception.

The founders are initially self-funding the Jetty launch with a $2.5 million capital injection, maintaining complete creative and operational control before exploring external fundraising rounds down the road.

By leveraging the supply chain and R&D relationships forged during their tenure with Poppi, the team has managed to secure prominent retail placement immediately upon launch. Partnering with Whole Foods Market, Amazon, and Target gives Jetty an omnichannel presence that typically takes emerging brands years to achieve.

Innovative Marketing: Radical Transparency and Long-Form Content

In an era where digital marketing heavily dictates consumer brand adoption, Jetty is bypassing traditional advertising in favor of hyper-transparent, creator-led media strategies.

In the weeks leading up to the official November 9 launch, Jetty’s social media channels and the personal profiles of the founders began teasing the product, generating organic curiosity and anticipation. To amplify the rollout, the brand is deploying a targeted influencer gifting strategy, shipping exclusive hydration kits to key digital creators—a playbook reminiscent of the viral marketing campaigns that propelled Poppi to mainstream success.

However, the most distinctive component of Jetty’s marketing strategy is Allison Ellsworth’s upcoming YouTube docuseries. Rather than relying solely on polished, short-form TikToks or Instagram reels, Ellsworth has invited documentary cameras to shadow her day-to-day operations as she builds what she hopes will be her next billion-dollar brand.

The docuseries offers unprecedented access into the gritty, unglamorous reality of CPG entrepreneurship. Notably, Ellsworth secured permission from retail giant Walmart to film inside high-stakes corporate pitch meetings at their headquarters. By pulling back the curtain on pitch decks, buyer negotiations, and supply chain hurdles, the series aims to educate aspiring entrepreneurs while doubling as organic marketing for Jetty.

"Long-form content is really difficult to do, so I think that’s going to give us an advantage to really ramp up but also give people insights," Ellsworth remarked.

The Psychological Toll of a Second Act

Transitioning from a celebrated first-time founder to a serial entrepreneur brings a unique set of psychological and professional hurdles. Having achieved a historic exit with Poppi, Ellsworth enters the market under an intense spotlight, accompanied by heightened scrutiny from industry critics and online observers.

Reflecting on the stark contrast between her two entrepreneurial journeys, Ellsworth remains candid about the changing dynamics of public perception.

"The first time around, people were really excited to see me win," she reflected. "No one is excited to see me win again."

Despite the presence of skeptics and digital critics, Ellsworth maintains an aggressive, forward-looking philosophy regarding public visibility and brand building. Acknowledging the pressures of serving as the literal face of a consumer brand, she remains steadfast in her conviction that the operational rewards outweigh the social risks.

"I always say: ‘If you’re not doing it, your competitor is,’" she stated.

Broader Industry Implications

The launch of Jetty serves as a compelling case study for the evolution of the modern beverage industry. As consumers increasingly prioritize functional wellness over athletic utility, functional beverages are shedding their niche status and moving toward mainstream adoption.

Furthermore, the reentry of proven founders like the Ellsworths signals a broader trend within the CPG ecosystem: serial entrepreneurship backed by institutional knowledge and substantial capital is becoming the blueprint for high-growth beverage startups. If Jetty successfully captures the everyday hydration white space, it could force legacy beverage giants to re-evaluate their product formulations and marketing strategies to better address the shifting demands of modern, health-conscious consumers.

As Jetty hits shelves on November 9, the industry will be watching closely to see whether the creators of Poppi can replicate their historic success in one of the most competitive beverage categories on the market.