Olipop

Olipop, Inc.
Company typePrivate
IndustryBeverage
Founded2018
FoundersBen Goodwin
David Lester
HeadquartersOakland, California (USA)
Revenue
  • US$73.4 million (2022)
Websitedrinkolipop.com

Olipop is a prebiotic soft drink produced in the United States. It is sold in over 65,000 retailers nationwide[1] and the company is valued $1.85 billion as of February 2025.[2] The drink's marketing claims that it improves gut health.[3]

The brand name Olipop is a portmanteau of the prebiotic fiber oligosaccharide (oli), and "pop", a common name for a soft drink in the United States.[4]

History

Background

Ben Goodwin started developing a soft drink after leaving a kombucha company in 2008.[4] He spent about $300,000 of his personal savings on the project, working in a makeshift lab with a microbiologist. The probiotic soft drink, named Obi, was created by 2012.[4] In 2013, Goodwin met with David Lester in a coffee shop, who had previously quit his job.[4] The two agreed to partner together in making Obi.[4] In 2016, the two sold Obi for an undisclosed amount after it failed to gain traction.[4][5] They then went on to work on Olipop.[4]

Olipop

Olipop was founded in 2018 by Ben Goodwin and David Lester with an initial investment of $100,000, taken from the sale of Obi. The drink was first released in three flavors: ginger lemon, strawberry vanilla and cinnamon cola. It sold in 40 grocery stores in its first year, in Northern California, and reached $852,000 in gross revenue. They later became on sale in Target and Walmart stores. The company gathered $2.5 million in seed funding in 2019.[4] As of April 2023, there were 12 Olipop flavors; in April 2024, there were 16 at Olipop's website.[6]

A series B funding round was carried out in 2022, which raised $39.7 million. Funders included Gwyneth Paltrow, Mindy Kaling, and the Jonas Brothers.[4] As of January 2023, Olipop raised a total of $55.4 million in funding.[6] Olipop reached $73.4 million in gross revenue in 2022,[4] a 223% year increase;[7] and it reached $100 million gross revenue in the first half of 2023.[4] According to Goodwin, sales of root beer Olipop has overtaken those of A&W.[6][7]

In 2022, Olipop created a banana cream flavor which was branded with Minions characters.[8] The drink is still produced today, albeit without the Minion or Despicable Me branding attached to it.

In 2024, Olipop collaborated with Mattel to create a new peaches and cream flavor themed around Barbie. The can sported a design showing different pieces of Barbie iconography. Like the banana cream flavor before it, after the promotion it became a mainstay flavor without the Barbie theming.

In 2025, the company raised $50 million in a Series C funding round, valuing the company at $1.85 billion. It had become profitable and its products were sold in over 50,000 stores.[9]

Also In 2025, Olipop, in Promotion For The SpongeBob Movie: Search For SquarePants, would release the soda flavor Pineapple Paradise, with the cans being sported with the character SpongeBob SquarePants in his pirate outfit he wore in the movie.[10] The promotion has currently not ended.

Operations

As of August 2025, Olipop has approximately 373 employees.[11] The workforce is remote.[4] Olipop offers a subscription which sends customers a box of drinks every few weeks.[12] Olipop is currently only available in the United States. Potential markets include Asia and Australia.[4]

Flavors

Olipop has developed a variety of flavors:

  • Ridge Rush (Lemon-Lime-Orange)
  • Vintage Cola
  • Peaches & Cream
  • Classic Root Beer
  • Cream Soda
  • Classic Grape
  • Crisp Apple
  • Ginger Ale
  • Strawberry Vanilla
  • Cherry Cola
  • Orange Squeeze
  • Lemon Lime
  • Ginger Lemon
  • Doctor Goodwin
  • Watermelon Lime
  • Banana Cream
  • Cherry Vanilla
  • Tropical Punch
  • Orange Cream
  • Pineapple Paradise
  • Shirley Temple

Its drinks require refrigeration. Olipop introduced shelf-stable versions of its product in 2024.[13] This shelf-stable line features a revised version of the company’s “proprietary” OLISMART fiber mix, replacing Chicory Root Inulin and Jerusalem Artichoke Inulin with Acacia Fiber and Guar Fiber for a roughly 30% reduction in fiber.[14]

References

  1. ^ "Where Can You Buy OLIPOP? How to Find OLIPOP in the Wild". OLIPOP. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
  2. ^ Jackson, Ashton (September 25, 2025). "Olipop CEO: If I had to start over in my career, I'd prioritize this skillset above all others—it's not AI". CNBC. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
  3. ^ Amenabar, Teddy; O'Connor, Anahad (April 3, 2023). "Prebiotic sodas claim to boost your health. Experts are skeptical". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 9, 2023. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Smith, Morgan; Shamo, Lauren (September 16, 2023). "How Olipop's founders turned a $100,000 investment into a 'healthier' soda brand bringing in $20 million a month". CNBC. Archived from the original on November 22, 2023. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  5. ^ Kirol, Payton (December 18, 2023). "Olipop's 38-year-old founder reveals his daily routine". Fortune Well. Archived from the original on December 26, 2023. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c Lucas, Amelia (April 29, 2023). "Prebiotic soda Olipop approaches $200 million in annual sales — and CEO says Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have already come knocking". CNBC. Archived from the original on January 3, 2024. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Kilmister, Angel (March 8, 2023). "OLIPOP's Prebiotic Root Beer Is Now More Popular Than A&W". Vice. Archived from the original on January 3, 2024. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
  8. ^ "OLIPOP Announces Partnership With Illumination's Minions; Launches Limited-Edition Banana Cream Flavor". BevNET.com. June 7, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
  9. ^ Shanker, Deena (February 12, 2025). "Olipop Valued at $1.85 Billion in $50 Million Funding Round". Bloomberg. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
  10. ^ >https://drinkolipop.com/products/spongebob-pineapple-paradise?srsltid=AfmBOoqbWP6x4ZrA1l06Hln7bg9lbcIloq7dxsts2LHagebYTCnpM9Uu
  11. ^ "OLIPOP PBC Employee Directory, Headcount & Staff | LeadIQ". leadiq.com. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  12. ^ Rosmarin, Remi; Chen, Connie; Brains, James (December 13, 2023). "The 57 best subscription boxes you can gift in 2023". Business Insider. Archived from the original on January 3, 2024. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
  13. ^ "A Message From Our CEO: Introducing New Shelf-Stable OLIPOP". OLIPOP. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
  14. ^ "What Is OLISMART? Get To Know the Ingredients in OLIPOP". OLIPOP. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
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