Jetty Launches at Whole Foods, Taking on Gatorade
Allison and Stephen Ellsworth, the founders of soda brand Poppi, are launching a hydration company called Jetty. The move puts them in direct competition with
Allison and Stephen Ellsworth, the founders of soda brand Poppi, are launching a hydration company called Jetty. The move puts them in direct competition with PepsiCo, the company that bought Poppi for $1.95 billion in 2025.
Jetty sells bottled drinks and ready-to-mix electrolyte packets. Both go on sale Monday at Whole Foods grocery stores. Shoppers can also order them online through Target and Amazon.
A rival in PepsiCo's own aisle
PepsiCo also owns Gatorade. According to Numerator data, the drink holds about 60% of the U.S. sports drink category.
That makes Jetty's target clear. The Ellsworths are pitching it as an everyday hydration brand, not only a drink for athletes.
Repeating the Poppi playbook
Poppi unsettled the soda aisle with prebiotic fiber, low calorie and sugar counts, and playful marketing aimed at Generation Z and millennials. Jetty is built on a similar strategy for the hydration category.
The company will have to fight on more than one front. Gatorade is the giant, but it is not the only brand competing for shoppers who want a drink to replace lost fluids and minerals.
Self-funded for now
The Ellsworths are paying for the launch themselves, with $2.5 million of their own money. Allison Ellsworth said the company will likely raise outside capital in 2027.
The founders' last venture ended with a $1.95 billion sale to PepsiCo. Their new one begins with a single retailer on shelves and two online storefronts.
