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Title

Article: Poppi founder on TikTok, Super Bowl ads, and her return to Shark Tank

Impact Score

4 / 10

AI Summary (Processed Content)

A new wave of functional soda companies is challenging venture capital skepticism of beverage startups, exemplified by Poppi's $1.95 billion acquisition by PepsiCo.

On a podcast, Poppi co-founder Allison Ellsworth discussed building a consumer brand in a venture landscape focused on SaaS and AI, sharing unconventional growth tactics from TikTok virality to a Super Bowl ad.

She also detailed her transition from entrepreneur to investor, now offering her experience as a judge on Shark Tank.

The main topics covered are the functional soda market, venture capital trends, entrepreneurial strategy in consumer goods, and brand building.

Original URL

https://techcrunch.com/video/poppi-founder-on-tiktok-super-bowl-ads-and-her-return-to-shark-tank/

Source Feed

TechCrunch

Published Date

2026-03-11 17:47

Fetched Date

2026-03-11 15:30

Processed Date

2026-03-11 15:32

Embedding Status

Present

Cluster ID

Not Clustered

Raw Extracted Content

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, 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 nine months pregnant to going viral on TikTok and buying a last-minute Super Bowl ad, Ellsworth breaks down what it really takes to build a category-defining consumer brand — and what she looks for now that she’s back on Shark Tank as an investor herself.
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