What Waterdrop does

Waterdrop is a Vienna-headquartered, privately-held hydration company founded in 2016 by Martin Donald Murray that designs, manufactures, and sells sugar-free microdrink cubes and related hydration products to health-conscious consumers, athletes, and environmentally conscious buyers across Europe, North America, and South Asia. Its core technology is the microdrink cube — a concentrated dissolvable unit that converts 14–20 fl oz of water into a flavored beverage with added vitamins (Microdrinks), electrolytes (Microlyte), or natural caffeine (Microenergy) — packaged alongside a complementary hardware ecosystem of branded reusable bottles (glass, steel, thermo tumblers, kids' bottles) and a smart-cap purification line (LUCY® Drinktech). Supporting the hardware ecosystem is the waterdrop Hydration App, which offers personalized hydration tracking, and a dedicated shopping app for D2C purchase.

The company's business model is a hybrid D2C-plus-retail consumer brand. Direct revenue comes from waterdrop.com and the shopping app, with a Subscribe & Save subscription offering up to 20% off and free shipping above $26, supplemented by a loyalty club. Indirect revenue flows through more than 20,000 retail outlets globally — including US Tier-1 accounts Target, CVS, and HEB — and a regional distribution partnership with Atlantic Grupa covering Austria, Croatia, Serbia, and Slovenia. Sports partnerships (Australian Open Official Bottle Partner for three consecutive years, ATP Tour Gold Partner, ambassadors including Rafael Nadal and Aleksander Aamodt Kilde) function as both brand-building channels and a meaningful merchandising motion during high-visibility events.

At approximately €150 million of annual revenue and profitable, serving over 5 million online customers, Waterdrop sits as a scaled European consumer brand that has used a series of funding rounds — most recently a €100M+ raise in May 2026 led by Aspeya with participation from Atlantic Grupa and athlete investors — to extend its sports-marketing moat, deepen European retail penetration, and accelerate US and Indian market entry via sub-brands such as Waterful.

Name

Waterdrop

Legal name

waterdrop® (legal entity name not disclosed on website)

Website

https://waterdrop.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Waterdrop is a Vienna-based, privately held hydration brand founded in 2016 that sells sugar-free microdrink cubes, electrolyte and natural-energy formulations, and a reusable bottle ecosystem direct-to-consumer and through 20,000+ retail outlets worldwide, serving health-conscious consumers, athletes, and sustainability-minded buyers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Functional Beverages

NAICS

Beverage Manufacturing (3121), Soft Drink and Ice Manufacturing (31211), Bottled Water Manufacturing (312112)

SIC

Bottled & Canned Soft Drinks & Carbonated Waters (2086), Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Functional Hydration & Electrolyte Water Production (AFAFAFAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sports Drinks & Hydration Beverages (CRADAHAK), Bottled Water (Still, Sparkling, Enhanced) (CRADAHAC)

Keywords

• Microdrink cubes
• Hydration products
• Sugar-free beverages
• Flavored water cubes
• Reusable water bottles

Headquarters

HQ city

Osterreicher

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. E-commerce Sales (Direct-to-Consumer): Direct online sales through waterdrop.com with subscription options offering up to 20% savings. Products include microdrinks, microenergy, microlyte, iced teas, soft drink alternatives, and water bottles/accessories.
2. Retail/Distribution Partnerships: Sales through major retail chains including Target, CVS, and HEB, as well as over 20,000 retail outlets globally. Distribution partnerships with companies like Atlantic Grupa covering Austria, Croatia, Serbia, and Slovenia.
3. Sports and Event Sponsorships: Revenue generated through branded merchandise and products sold during sports events including Australian Open and ATP Tour events. Serves as Official Bottle Partner and Gold Partner.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Waterdrop manufactures and sells sugar-free microdrink cubes that dissolve in water to create flavored, vitamin-fortified beverages. Its product portfolio spans three core lines — Microdrinks (daily hydration with vitamins), Microlyte (electrolyte replacement for exercise), and Microenergy (natural caffeine energy boost) — alongside iced teas, soft drink alternatives, and an ecosystem of reusable glass and steel bottles including the LUCY Drinktech smart purification system.

Product overview

Waterdrop is a Vienna-founded hydration company offering a portfolio of sugar-free microdrink cubes and related hydration products. The core product line consists of Microdrinks (Hydration + Vitamins) for daily hydration, Microlyte (Hydration + Electrolytes) for during and post-exercise, and Microenergy (Hydration + Energy) for natural energy boosts. The company also offers Iced Tea, Soft Drink Alternatives, and Fusion Tri-Packs. Complementary products include reusable water bottles (Glass, Steel, All-Purpose Thermo, Ultralight Steel, Explorer Thermo Tumbler, Kids Collection), LUCY® Drinktech smart water purification system, and various accessories (Lids, Caps, Homeware). The company provides subscription options through Subscribe & Save and offers bundled products including Bestseller Sets, Mega Hydration Sets, and Ultimate Recharge Sets. Waterdrop also offers mobile applications including a Hydration App for tracking drinking habits and a Shopping App. Products are available direct-to-consumer online and through retail partners including Target, CVS Pharmacy, and HEB.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Microdrinks: Sugar-free microdrink cubes for daily hydration with vitamins.
• Microenergy
• Microlyte
• Iced Tea
• LUCY® Drinktech
• Waterful

Products and services

• Microdrinks (Hydration + Vitamins) Sugar-free microdrink cubes that dissolve in 14-20 fl oz of water to provide flavored, vitamin-fortified daily hydration for health-conscious consumers.
• Microlyte (Hydration + Electrolytes) Electrolyte-enhanced microdrink cubes with zinc, 6 vitamins, and 4 electrolytes for during- and post-exercise rehydration, targeted at athletes and fitness enthusiasts.
• Microenergy (Hydration + Energy) Zero-sugar microdrink cubes featuring caffeine from natural sources, providing a portable natural energy boost as an alternative to conventional energy drinks.
• Iced Tea Ready-to-mix iced tea microdrinks in flavors including Peach and Raspberry, offering a lower-sugar flavored refreshment option.
• Soft Drink Alternatives Fizzy microdrink alternatives to conventional soft drinks, including a Cola flavor, positioned as a healthier familiar-tasting option.
• Fusion Tri-Packs Variety flavor combination packs including Mix Fusion, Evergreen Fusion, Wildberry Fusion, and Paradise Fusion, sold as multi-flavor bundles.
• Glass Bottles Reusable borosilicate glass water bottles, including the Edition Glass Bottle in 600ml with themed variants, designed to pair with microdrink cubes.
• All-Purpose Steel Thermo Bottles Stainless steel thermal bottles with wide openings and mix-and-match lids, available in 400ml, 600ml, and 1L sizes with spout or straw lid options.
• Ultralight Steel Bottle Lightweight 800ml stainless steel sport bottle designed for active use and on-the-go hydration.
• Explorer Thermo Tumbler 1.1L thermal tumbler with built-in straw lid, available in multiple color variants, designed for portable insulated hydration.
• Kids Collection Water Bottles Child-friendly reusable water bottles from the kids collection, designed for easy cleaning and everyday use.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 5 million online customers served
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• Aleksander Aamodt KildecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 May 2026Alpine ski World Cup champion Aleksander Aamodt Kilde joined as investor and brand ambassador, contributing to Waterdrop's athlete partnership portfolio alongside six ATP tennis players.
• ATP Tour (Six Top Tennis Players)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSix top ATP tennis players invested in Waterdrop and serve as both investors and brand ambassadors, supporting the company's expansion and promoting sustainable hydration solutions.
• Australian OpencoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWaterdrop is the Official Bottle Partner of the Australian Open for the third consecutive year, providing hydration products at one of tennis's four Grand Slam tournaments.
• ATP TourcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWaterdrop is a Gold Partner of the ATP Tour, the premier men's professional tennis circuit.
• Rafael NadalcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTennis champion Rafael Nadal is partnered with Waterdrop as a brand ambassador and sports partner.
• Mouratoglou AcademycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPatrick Mouratoglou's tennis academy is an official partner of Waterdrop.
• RicolaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWaterdrop announced a partnership with Ricola, the Swiss herbal candy company, as part of their product development initiatives.
• Atlantic Grupa (Distribution)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAtlantic Grupa has an existing distribution partnership with Waterdrop covering Austria, Croatia, Serbia, and Slovenia, deepened with their investment stake.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Liquid Death: Premium, edgy hydration brand selling flavored and functional water in cans and other formats via DTC, retail, and event sponsorships. Directly comparable as a bold-positioned, sustainability-leaning hydration brand targeting similar health-conscious consumer segments with alternative beverage packaging.
• Liquid I.V. Functional hydration brand offering electrolyte drink mixes and 'Hydration Multiplier' stick packs that dissolve in water — a directly comparable concentrate/powder format to Waterdrop's microdrink cubes, sold through retail and DTC with similar functional benefits positioning.
• Hint Water: Direct-to-consumer and retail flavored water brand with zero-sugar positioning. Comparable as a sugar-free flavored hydration brand competing for the same health-conscious consumer at retail and DTC, though Hint delivers RTD rather than concentrates.
• Nuun: Electrolyte tablet brand that dissolves in water, sold through sports, fitness, and retail channels. Closely comparable product format (dissolvable hydration tablet vs. cube) targeting athletes and active consumers — Waterdrop's Microlyte line competes head-to-head with Nuun.

Emerging players

• Cure Hydration: Plant-based electrolyte hydration mix brand with no added sugar, sold as powder packets. Comparable as a clean-label functional hydration brand targeting similar health-conscious, active consumers via DTC and retail.
• Olipop: Functional, low-sugar better-for-you beverage brand sold via DTC and major retail. Comparable as a digitally-native CPG challenger using social, sustainability, and brand-led positioning to disrupt legacy beverage categories — same playbook as Waterdrop.

Broad incumbents

• BODYARMOR: Sports hydration drink brand owned by The Coca-Cola Company, distributed through mass retail. Comparable as a hydration/electrolyte beverage at retail competing for the same athlete and active-consumer segments, with materially larger marketing and distribution budgets.
• Aquafina / LIFEWTR (PepsiCo): PepsiCo's enhanced and premium bottled water brands. Comparable as broad-incumbent hydration products competing for the same retailer shelf space; LIFEWTR specifically overlaps with Waterdrop's positioning on added vitamins and minerals.

Others

• Brita: Leading at-home water filtration brand owned by Clorox. Comparable as an adjacent product in the household hydration ecosystem that competes for the same plastic-reduction-driven consumer — Brita filters tap water; Waterdrop enhances bottled or tap water.
• Hydro Flask: Premium reusable water bottle brand owned by Helen of Troy. Comparable as a complementary product in the consumer's reusable hydration ecosystem — many Waterdrop customers also own Hydro Flask bottles, creating an ecosystem rather than direct competition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/drink_waterdrop

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds7 records

Investors6 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Waterdrop