Culture Pop 🥤

spicing up soda

December 13, 2022

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

  • functional: low-calorie, low-sugar drink with health-boosting ingredients

  • probiotics: made from bacteria that promote gut health and maintain shelf stability

  • spices: the company steeps spices to create unique, natural flavors like strawberry & rhubarb and ginger lemon & turmeric

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

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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 

    • today’s consumer desires less sugar, natural ingredients, and health benefits without sacrificing taste

  • 🤤 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

  • 📚 consumer education: Culture Pop must educate the everyday consumer on the functional soda category to drive sales

founder profiles

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 📈

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