Olipop
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Beverage |
| Founded | 2018 |
| Founder | Ben Goodwin, David Lester |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Ben Goodwin (CEO) |
| Products | Prebiotic soft drinks |
Number of employees | 373 (2025) |
Olipop is a prebiotic soft drink manufactured in the United States. It is stocked in more than 25,000 retail locations across the U.S., generating $100 million in revenue during the first half of 2023. The brand promotes Olipop as a beverage that supports digestive health.[1]
The name "Olipop" merges "oli," derived from oligosaccharide, a type of prebiotic fiber, with "pop," a colloquial American term for soda.[2]
Background
After departing from a kombucha company in 2008, Ben Goodwin invested roughly $300,000 of his own funds and teamed up with a microbiologist to develop a new soft drink. By 2012, he had created Obi, a probiotic beverage. In 2013, Goodwin joined forces with David Lester to further develop the product. Following Obi’s lack of market success, they sold it in 2016 for an undisclosed sum and redirected their efforts toward creating Olipop.[2][3]
Olipop
Founded in 2018 by Ben Goodwin and David Lester, Olipop began with $100,000 raised from Obi’s sale. Initially launched with three flavors—ginger lemon, strawberry vanilla, and cinnamon cola—the product was available in 40 grocery stores throughout Northern California during its first year, earning $852,000 in revenue. The brand later expanded distribution to Target and Walmart locations. In 2019, Olipop secured $2.5 million in seed capital. By early 2024, the number of flavors had grown from 12 to 16.
In 2022, Olipop completed a Series B funding round that raised $39.7 million, attracting investors such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Mindy Kaling, and the Jonas Brothers. Total funding reached $55.4 million by that time. The company reported gross revenues of $73.4 million in 2022—a year-over-year increase of 223%—and exceeded $100 million in revenue during the first half of 2023. CEO Ben Goodwin highlighted that Olipop’s root beer sales surpassed those of A&W.
That same year, Olipop released a banana cream flavor featuring Minions branding; this variant remains on the market without the licensed characters. In 2024, Olipop collaborated with Mattel to launch a peaches and cream flavor inspired by Barbie, which continued as a permanent product after the promotional period.
By 2025, following a Series C round that raised $50 million and valued the company at $1.85 billion, Olipop had reached profitability and was distributed in over 50,000 stores.
Operations
As of August 2025, Olipop employs around 373 remote staff members. The company operates a subscription model that delivers boxes of beverages every few weeks. Presently, Olipop’s products are sold exclusively within the United States, though expansion into markets in Asia and Australia is under consideration.
Flavors
Olipop offers a wide array of flavors, including Ridge Rush (a blend of Lemon, Lime, and 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, and Pineapple Paradise. While these beverages traditionally required refrigeration, Olipop introduced shelf-stable options in 2024. This updated range incorporates a revised OLISMART fiber formula that replaces Chicory Root and Jerusalem Artichoke Inulin with Acacia and Guar Fiber, resulting in approximately 30% less fiber content.
- ↑ Amenabar, Teddy; O'Connor, Anahad (3 April 2023). "Prebiotic sodas claim to boost your health. Experts are skeptical". The Washington Post. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named:1 - ↑ Kirol, Payton (December 18, 2023). "Olipop's 38-year-old founder reveals his daily routine". Fortune Well. Retrieved 2023-12-26.