setting the scene
- to pursue a healthier lifestyle, you avoid artificial flavors and sweeteners 🍭
- this means that you must give up your daily Coca-Cola🥤
- to fill that soda craving you try sparkling water, but you miss the flavor of your go-to drink 😢
- what if soda could be natural, healthy, and tasty?
- this week’s company offers a flavorful and functional alternative to artificial soda
in a sentence
Culture Pop is a functional soda made with organic juices, probiotics, and spices
bulleted version: Culture Pop offers the vibrant taste missing from seltzer, the price point of soda, and the health benefits of kombucha 😋
the basics
- industry: cpg, food and bev
- headquarters: Cambridge, MA
- year founded: 2020
- headcount: <20 employees
- investors: not disclosed
- business model: d2c, wholesale distribution
sponsored by
- founders need banking that grows with them, from the day an idea is born to the day it makes millions in revenue – and beyond
- no matter your stage, Mercury understands and delivers on startup needs – helping you build your business with focus and confidence every step of the way
- they reimagine the business banking experience to be as modern as the startups they serve, offering everything from banking basics to alternative financing options like Venture Debt
- today, more than 100k companies across industries, stages, and business types choose Mercury for its ease-of-use, speed, and moments of unexpected delight
- apply online in 10 minutes and experience business banking as it should be
Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group and Evolve Bank & Trust®; Members FDIC.
due diligence
what we like
- 👀eye-popping markets: the global soft drink market is valued at $416b, and the probiotic beverage market will reach $77b in sales by 2027
- 🤤 function for everyone: Culture Pop caters to a broad audience of soda lovers, health-conscious consumers, and non-alcoholic beverage drinkers
- 💥 shelf presence: the drinks are shelf stable, allowing creative product packs and flexible store placement
- and with bold branding, the company will have no trouble attracting retailers and consumers
potential risks
- 🛒 crowded space: Culture Pop competes against legacy soda brands like Coke and Pepsi, who own ~75% of the US soda market
- the company also faces recent entrants disrupting the soda industry
- 💵 marketing spend: cpg companies allocate more dollars to marketing than most other industries
- Culture Pop’s broad target audience may cause even higher marketing spend
- Culture Pop’s broad target audience may cause even higher marketing spend
- 📚 consumer education: Culture Pop must educate the everyday consumer on the functional soda category to drive sales
founder profiles
- Tom First (prev. co-founder @ Nantucket Nectars)
comps
why Culture Pop: with a successful soft launch in the Northeast, deals with Whole Foods and Hannaford, and a beverage veteran leading the company, we can see Culture Pop disrupting the soda industry 📈
what do you think about this startup?we want to hear from you! |