Poppi founders launch Jetty to challenge Gatorade in hydration

The launch puts the Ellsworths in competition with PepsiCo, which bought Poppi for $1.95 billion in 2025 and owns Gatorade. Gatorade holds about 60% of the U.S. sports drink market, according to Numerator data. Jetty will also enter a crowded field of newer brands seeking to capitalize on consumer interest in electrolyte drinks.

Poppi built its profile with prebiotic fiber, low calorie and sugar counts, and marketing aimed at Generation Z and millennials. Jetty is pursuing a similar approach in hydration. Traditional sports drinks have long been marketed to athletes replenishing fluids and electrolytes after intense workouts, though many people drink them in everyday settings. Jetty is designed for consumers seeking a hydration boost without the electrolyte levels or sugar of a conventional sports drink.

“No one has really created a product for just everyday hydration — literally everyday hydration for normal people,” Allison Ellsworth, Jetty’s chief brand officer, told CNBC. “Like I woke up this morning, I didn’t run a marathon.”