Poppi founders Allison and Stephen Ellsworth have launched Jetty, a new hydration brand that takes direct aim at PepsiCo's Gatorade. Jetty drinks and electrolyte packets start selling Monday at Whole Foods, Target, and Amazon.
Gatorade holds about 60% of the U.S. sports drink market. The Ellsworths sold Poppi to PepsiCo for $1.95 billion in 2025 and are now competing against their former owner with a different category.
Jetty targets everyday hydration rather than intense athletic performance. "No one has really created a product for just everyday hydration — literally everyday hydration for normal people," Allison Ellsworth said. "Like I woke up this morning, I didn't run a marathon."
The brand launches with five flavors: watermelon, orange mango, fruit punch, black raspberry and white cherry. Each 15.2-ounce bottle or 15-gram packet contains 100 milligrams of sodium, 310 milligrams of potassium, 100 milligrams of magnesium, B vitamins, 3 grams of fiber and 6 grams of sugar. Jetty uses no artificial sweeteners or dyes.
For comparison, a 20-ounce Gatorade Thirst Quencher has 270 milligrams of sodium, 80 milligrams of potassium, and 34 grams of sugar.
Dollar sales of hydration and electrolyte products climbed 20% to $2.6 billion over 52 weeks ended Oct. 4, according to SPINS. The category has a 62% repeat buyer rate. However, new products in the category with annual sales of at least $10,000 increased 41% over two years.
Jetty is self-funded with $2.5 million. Allsworth said the brand will likely raise money in 2027 but may seek investors beyond traditional venture capitalists. Poppi previously settled class-action litigation for $8.9 million over false advertising claims tied to "gut healthy" marketing.