Sanzo
Sanzo is a New York-based sparkling water company founded in 2019 by Filipino-American Sandro Roco, selling canned sparkling waters flavored with real Asian fruits (yuzu, lychee, calamansi, mango, mandarin, pomelo) via DTC e-commerce, Amazon, and wholesale retail to health-conscious and Asian-American consumers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Sanzo does
Sanzo Brands Inc. is a privately held, New York-based beverage company founded in 2019 by Filipino-American entrepreneur Sandro Roco. The company produces a portfolio of canned sparkling waters flavored with real Asian fruit juices — Yuzu with Ginger, Lychee, Mandarin, Calamansi, Pomelo, and Alphonso Mango — plus a Variety Pack sampler. Products are positioned as better-for-you alternatives to mainstream flavored sparkling waters, formulated with real fruit juice, cane sugar, and monk fruit sweetener, with no artificial flavors, and at calorie counts of 5-25 per 12oz can. The core technology is the formulation and sourcing of authentic Asian fruit juices into a carbonated water base; production appears to rely on standard co-packing rather than disclosed proprietary manufacturing.
The business model operates across three channels: direct-to-consumer e-commerce via a Shopify-powered storefront (drinksanzo.com) with free shipping on orders above $50, Amazon marketplace listings for all SKUs, and wholesale distribution to physical retail partners supported by a 'Find In Store' locator. Single-flavor 12-packs retail at $29.99 and the Variety Pack at $34.99. The company is targeting health-conscious beverage consumers, Asian-American consumers seeking cultural connection through familiar flavors, and flavor-curious consumers seeking non-mainstream taste profiles. Marketing relies on Instagram, Facebook, an email newsletter, and earned media in food and lifestyle publications.
To date, Sanzo has raised approximately $16.3M across four funding rounds (2020 seed, 2021 Target Takeoff participation, February 2022 $10M Series 2 led by CircleUp, and January 2024 $5M from Morrison Seger Venture Capital Partners). Operations are US-only with explicit restrictions on territories and international shipping. The team comprises 11-50 employees, and the company holds no disclosed patents, trademarks of record, or institutional partnerships beyond its investor base.
Sanzo firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sanzo
- Legal name
- Sanzo Brands Inc.
- Website
- https://drinksanzo.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Sanzo is a New York-based sparkling water company founded in 2019 by Filipino-American Sandro Roco, selling canned sparkling waters flavored with real Asian fruits (yuzu, lychee, calamansi, mango, mandarin, pomelo) via DTC e-commerce, Amazon, and wholesale retail to health-conscious and Asian-American consumers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sanzo industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sparkling Water Beverages
- NAICS
- Bottled Water Manufacturing (312112), Soft Drink and Ice Manufacturing (31211)
- SIC
- Bottled & Canned Soft Drinks & Carbonated Waters (2086)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Flavored/Enhanced Bottled Water Production (Essenced, Vitamin, Electrolyte) (AFAFACAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sparkling/Carbonated Bottled Water Production (AFAFACAE), Bottled Water (Still, Sparkling, Enhanced) (CRADAHAC)
Keywords
Where Sanzo is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Sanzo business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Direct Product Sales (DTC E-commerce): Direct-to-consumer sales through drinksanzo.com website. Customers purchase 12-packs of sparkling water flavors. Offers free shipping on orders $50+.
- Marketplace Sales (Amazon): Products sold through Amazon marketplace with dedicated product listings for each flavor and variety packs.
- Wholesale/B2B: Wholesale distribution channel for retail partners. Contact email [email protected] for inquiries.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Single Flavor 12-Pack |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Variety Pack |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Free Shipping Threshold |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Sanzo product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sanzo manufactures and sells ready-to-drink sparkling water beverages made with real Asian fruit juice, offered in six single-flavor 12-packs (Yuzu with Ginger, Lychee, Mandarin Orange, Calamansi, Pomelo Grapefruit, and Alphonso Mango) plus a variety sampler pack. All products are positioned as better-for-you alternatives with no artificial flavors, no artificial sweeteners, low calories, and gluten-free ingredients, priced at $29.99 per single-flavor 12-pack and $34.99 per variety pack. The company sells direct-to-consumer via drinksanzo.com, through Amazon, and via wholesale to retail partners.
Product overview
Sanzo is an Asian American-founded sparkling water company offering a portfolio of seven fruit-flavored sparkling water products. The core product line consists of six single-flavor sparkling waters featuring authentic Asian fruits (Yuzu with Ginger, Lychee, Mandarin Orange, Calamansi, Pomelo Grapefruit, and Alphonso Mango), each sold as 12-packs at $29.99, plus a Variety Pack sampler at $34.99. All products are positioned as natural, low-calorie beverages made with real fruit juice, cane sugar, and monk fruit as sweetener—containing no artificial flavors or artificial sugar. The products are sold directly via the Sanzo e-commerce website and through Amazon, targeting health-conscious consumers seeking authentic Asian fruit flavors in a better-for-you sparkling water format.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Yuzu with Ginger Sparkling Water Japanese yuzu citrus sparkling water with ginger, described as fragrant, lemony, and invigorating with a balanced punch. Contains 3% juice, 5 calories per 12 fl oz, made with carbonated water, lemon juice, yuzu juice, cane sugar, monk fruit juice concentrate, and ginger extract. For health-conscious consumers seeking authentic Asian-flavored sparkling water.
- Lychee Sparkling Water Lychee tropical berry sparkling water, described as floral, fragrant, and subtly sweet. Contains 7% juice, 25 calories per serving, made with carbonated water, lychee juice, cane sugar, citric acid, cassava root fiber, and monk fruit juice concentrate. For consumers seeking authentic Asian fruit flavors in a sparkling water format.
- Mandarin Orange Sparkling Water Mandarin orange sparkling water, described as vibrant, sweet, and tangy. Contains 6% juice, 5 calories per serving, made with carbonated water, mandarin juice, cane sugar, monk fruit juice concentrate, and beta carotene for color. Mandarin oranges are native to China and a staple of Asian culture. For consumers seeking authentic Asian citrus flavors.
- Calamansi Sparkling Water Filipino golden lime sparkling water, described as the perfect balance of tart lime with hints of tangerine. Contains 4% juice, 5 calories per serving, made with carbonated water, calamansi juice, cane sugar, ascorbic acid, citric acid, and vegetable juice for color. For Filipino-American consumers and flavor-curious consumers seeking authentic Southeast Asian flavors.
- Pomelo Grapefruit Sparkling Water Pomelo (the King of Citrus) sparkling water, described as bright, juicy, and zesty, with grapefruit positioned as pomelo's sweeter and larger cousin. Made with carbonated water, grapefruit juice, cane sugar, citric acid, and vegetable juice for color. For consumers seeking less common Asian citrus flavors in sparkling water.
- Alphonso Mango Sparkling Water Indian Alphonso mango sparkling water, considered the King of Mangoes, described as radiant orange, sweeter and less fibrous. Subtly sweet with real fruit, made with carbonated water, mango juice, cane sugar, cassava root fiber, citric acid, and beta-carotene for color. For consumers seeking authentic Indian Alphonso mango flavor in sparkling water form.
- Variety Pack (12-Can) Sampler 12-pack containing all six Sanzo flavors: Lychee, Yuzu with Ginger, Mandarin, Calamansi, Pomelo, and Mango. Allows customers to try all flavors before committing to single-flavor packs. Priced at $34.99 per 12-pack, versus $29.99 for single-flavor 12-packs. Designed for standalone consumption or as cocktail/mocktail mixers.
Companies that use Sanzo
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Sanzo technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Feature1 record
Sanzo partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Sanzo competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Spindrift: Spindrift is a direct competitor in real-fruit sparkling water, using actual fruit juice (not concentrates or flavorings) to flavor its canned seltzers — the same 'real fruit, no artificial flavors' positioning Sanzo occupies, though with mainstream fruits.
- Recess: Recess sells flavored sparkling water positioned around mood and lifestyle, competing with Sanzo in the better-for-you premium sparkling water segment and targeting similar digitally-engaged, wellness-conscious millennial consumers.
- Aura Bora: Aura Bora is a direct peer offering herb- and plant-inspired flavored sparkling water (lavender cucumber, etc.) — a small DTC-first brand built on unusual, botanical flavor profiles in the same premium better-for-you category Sanzo targets.
Broad incumbents
- Olipop: Olipop is a larger, well-funded better-for-you beverage brand competing in the same premium sparkling drinkshelf space; while Olipop leans functional/prebiotic rather than authentic-flavor-driven, it competes for the same health-conscious beverage consumer and retail shelf set.
- LaCroix: LaCroix is the mass-market flavored sparkling water incumbent and category creator — broadly defines the segment Sanzo competes within, with vastly superior distribution, but a more generic, less culturally authentic flavor portfolio.
- Bubly: Bubly is PepsiCo's mass-market flavored sparkling water — a CPG-incumbent competitor with massive marketing and retail support that competes directly for flavored sparkling water shelf and consumer occasions, even without Sanzo's Asian-flavor niche.
- AHA Sparkling Water: AHA is Coca-Cola's flavored sparkling water entry, competing in the same flavored-essence seltzer category as Sanzo with the distribution, slotting, and promotional resources of the world's largest beverage company.
- Liquid Death: Liquid Death is a culturally differentiated canned water brand that, like Sanzo, built a strong identity-led brand in a commodity-flavored water category — a useful peer for benchmarking how a small CPG can scale brand equity, though Liquid Death leans on aluminum/punk aesthetic rather than cultural authenticity.
Emerging players
- Minna Life: Minna produces lightly sparkling botanical beverages with a similarly small-batch, ingredient-forward, identity-driven brand posture — a relevant emerging peer for benchmarking Sanzo's premium DTC better-for-you positioning and growth pattern.
- Töst Beverages: Töst is a small premium sparkling beverage brand (non-alcoholic, flavor-led, DTC and retail) — a comparable emerging peer in the better-for-you premium seltzer space where Sanzo competes, though focused on white tea/grape flavor profiles rather than Asian fruits.
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Sanzo social profiles
Digital presenceSanzo compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Sanzo financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sanzo leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Sanzo funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors13 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sanzo M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sanzo
What does Sanzo do?
Sanzo manufactures and sells ready-to-drink sparkling water beverages made with real Asian fruit juice, offered in six single-flavor 12-packs (Yuzu with Ginger, Lychee, Mandarin Orange, Calamansi, Pomelo Grapefruit, and Alphonso Mango) plus a variety sampler pack. All products are positioned as better-for-you alternatives with no artificial flavors, no artificial sweeteners, low calories, and gluten-free ingredients, priced at $29.99 per single-flavor 12-pack and $34.99 per variety pack. The company sells direct-to-consumer via drinksanzo.com, through Amazon, and via wholesale to retail partners.
Is Sanzo a public or private company?
Sanzo is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Sanzo founded?
Sanzo was founded in 2019. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sanzo based?
Sanzo is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sanzo make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Direct Product Sales (DTC E-commerce) is the primary driver. The others are marketplace Sales (Amazon) and wholesale/B2B.
Who are Sanzo's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Spindrift, Recess and Aura Bora. Broad incumbents are Olipop, LaCroix, Bubly, AHA Sparkling Water and Liquid Death. Emerging players are Minna Life and Töst Beverages.
Does Sanzo have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sanzo.
What industry is Sanzo in?
Sanzo's product category is Sparkling Water Beverages. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAFACAF, Flavored/Enhanced Bottled Water Production (Essenced, Vitamin, Electrolyte), with a secondary code of AFAFACAE, Sparkling/Carbonated Bottled Water Production. Its NAICS code is 312112 and its SIC code is 2086.