Poppi founder on TikTok, Super Bowl ads, and her return to Shark Tank | Equity Podcast
For years, venture capitalists have been skeptical of beverage startups, citing thin margins and brutal distribution as reasons most brands never break out. But a new wave of “functional soda” companies has been challenging that assumption, including Poppi, the prebiotic soda brand that grew from a kitchen experiment into a $1.95 billion acquisition by PepsiCo.
On this episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, Rebecca Bellan is joined by Poppi co-founder Allison Ellsworth to talk about building a beverage startup in a venture world dominated by SaaS and AI. From pitching on Shark Tank while ni…
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Chapters (16)
Intro
1:12
Poppi’s journey from the kitchen to Shark Tank
2:00
Was an acquisition always the plan?
3:11
Building the brand & finding favorite flavors
4:09
Going digital-first & TikTok strategy
5:51
Authenticity tips for founders
7:55
Listening to customer feedback
9:18
How Poppi scored a last-minute Super Bowl ad
10:59
The influencer vending machine controversy
12:43
PepsiCo acquisition and maintaining Poppi’s brand
14:24
Competitors catching up (Olipop, Simply Pop)
16:29
Is food & beverage a safe investment?
18:25
Coming back to Shark Tank as an investor
20:48
Due diligence & what first-time founders don't know
23:08
How much capital does a consumer brand actually need?
25:41
Outro
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