Rambler
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersAustin, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Rambler does
Rambler, operating through its legal entity Riptide Waters LLC, is a privately held sparkling mineral water manufacturer founded in Austin, Texas in 2015 by Jeff Trucksess and Dave Mead. The company produces canned sparkling water built around a proprietary limestone mineral blend containing calcium, magnesium, and potassium, processed through reverse osmosis purification and crisp carbonation. Its seven-SKU portfolio (Original, Blackberry, Grapefruit, Lemon-Lime, Satsuma, Wild Cherry, and a seasonal Cranberry) is sold in 12oz cans with a 'water that drinks like a beer' positioning aimed at health-conscious adults and active lifestyle consumers seeking zero-calorie, zero-sugar, PFAs-free hydration in a canned format at accessible price points.
Rambler's go-to-market is anchored on three channels: (1) Retail distribution across 5,400+ doors nationwide spanning tier-1 national grocers (Whole Foods, Target, Kroger, Sprouts), regional chains (HEB, Central Market, New Seasons Market, Nugget Markets, Fresh Market, Ingles), and Amazon online; (2) Foodservice/On-Premise in bars and restaurants as a non-alcoholic bar beverage alternative; and (3) Direct-to-consumer e-commerce through a Shopify storefront offering 16-pack variety bundles. The company employs an enterprise field sales motion with field sales managers covering Grocery, Class B, Independents, and Foodservice channels, supplemented by event-driven cultural marketing including partnerships with Harley Davidson, pro skateboarder Leo Romero, punk band Die Spitz, and on-pack conservation giveback programs with American Rivers and Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation.
The business has raised approximately $14.3M across two funding rounds ($2.7M in 2019 and $11.6M in October 2022), remains founder-controlled with no disclosed institutional investors, and is currently expanding geographically from its Texas base into the Pacific Northwest, Mountain, and Southwest regions as evidenced by active field sales hiring in Portland, Denver, and Phoenix. Headcount sits in the 11-50 range. The company's intellectual property centers on the proprietary mineral blend and a registered 'Rambler' trademark, with brand visibility amplified by Forbes coverage tied to the Topo Chico supply disruption.
Rambler firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rambler
- Legal name
- Riptide Waters LLC
- Website
- https://ramblersparklingwater.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Rambler industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sparkling Mineral Water
- NAICS
- Glass Container Manufacturing (327213)
- SIC
- Bottled & Canned Soft Drinks & Carbonated Waters (2086)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Vitamin- & Mineral-Fortified Beverage Production (AFAFAFAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Sparkling/Carbonated Bottled Water Production (AFAFACAE)
Keywords
Where Rambler is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Austin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Rambler 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 E-commerce Sales: Online sales through official Shopify store. Offers 16-pack variety bundles and individual flavors shipped directly to consumers. Subscription model implied but not confirmed.
- Retail Distribution: Sales through grocery stores, natural food retailers, and mass market channels. Available in 5,400+ retail doors nationwide including Whole Foods, HEB, Target, Kroger, Sprouts, and regional chains.
- Foodservice/On-Premise: Sales to bars, restaurants, and on-premise establishments. Product positioned as 'water that drinks like a beer' making it suitable for bar environments as a non-alcoholic alternative.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
Rambler product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Rambler manufactures and sells canned sparkling mineral water built around a proprietary limestone mineral blend (calcium, magnesium, potassium) added after reverse osmosis purification. The lineup spans an unflavored Original and six flavors (Blackberry, Grapefruit, Lemon-Lime, Satsuma, Wild Cherry, plus a limited-time Cranberry seasonal SKU) sold in 12oz cans as individual packs and as a 16-pack variety bundle. Distribution runs through direct-to-consumer e-commerce, national and regional grocery chains, natural food retailers, Amazon, and foodservice/on-premise venues.
Product overview
Rambler is a single-product sparkling mineral water brand built around its proprietary limestone mineral blend. The product line consists of seven flavored and unflavored sparkling water varieties: Original, Blackberry, Grapefruit, Lemon-Lime, Satsuma (mandarin orange), Wild Cherry, and a limited-time Cranberry seasonal flavor. All varieties contain calcium, magnesium, and potassium, with zero calories, zero sugar, no sodium, and no artificial ingredients. The brand is available in 12oz cans, sold both as individual flavor packs and as a 16-pack variety bundle through direct-to-consumer online sales and major retail partners nationwide.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Original Sparkling Water Flagship unflavored sparkling mineral water featuring Rambler's proprietary limestone mineral blend with calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Zero calories, zero sugar, no sodium, no artificial ingredients; sold in 12oz cans for retail, foodservice, and online purchase.
- Blackberry Sparkling Water Blackberry-flavored sparkling mineral water made with Rambler's signature limestone mineral blend. Zero calories, zero sugar, no artificial ingredients; sold in 12oz cans through retail and online channels.
- Grapefruit Sparkling Water Grapefruit-flavored sparkling mineral water made with Rambler's signature limestone mineral blend. Zero calories, zero sugar, no artificial ingredients; sold in 12oz cans through retail and online channels.
- Lemon-Lime Sparkling Water Lemon-lime flavored sparkling mineral water made with Rambler's signature limestone mineral blend. Zero calories, zero sugar, no artificial ingredients; sold in 12oz cans through retail and online channels.
- Satsuma Sparkling Water Satsuma (mandarin orange) flavored sparkling mineral water made with Rambler's signature limestone mineral blend. Zero calories, zero sugar, no artificial ingredients; sold in 12oz cans through retail and online channels.
- Wild Cherry Sparkling Water Wild cherry flavored sparkling mineral water made with Rambler's signature limestone mineral blend. Zero calories, zero sugar, no artificial ingredients; sold in 12oz cans through retail and online channels.
- Cranberry Sparkling Water (Limited-Time Holiday Seasonal) Limited-time holiday seasonal cranberry-flavored sparkling mineral water made with Rambler's signature limestone mineral blend. Zero calories, zero sugar, no artificial ingredients; released as a seasonal SKU available in 12oz cans through retail and online channels.
- 16-Pack Variety Bundle Bundled offering of 16 12oz cans featuring the full Rambler flavor lineup (Original, Lemon-Lime, Grapefruit, Satsuma, Blackberry, and Wild Cherry). Available for direct-to-consumer online purchase through the Rambler Shopify storefront.
Companies that use Rambler
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Rambler technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Rambler partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.
- Harley DavidsonflagshipCultural partnership featuring 13,000-mile cross-country motorcycle tour as part of 'Chug Life' campaign. Tour ended with a failed Jeep Grand Wagoneer launch stunt. Represents adventure lifestyle brand alignment.
- Leo RomerominorPro skateboarder cultural partnership as part of 'Chug Life' campaign. Represents youth/adventure culture positioning.
- Die SpitzminorPunk band cultural partnership as part of 'Chug Life' campaign. Represents alternative music/culture alignment.
- American RiverscoreOn-pack giveback program supporting American Rivers conservation efforts. Rambler is the only sparkling water with an on-pack giveback program of its kind. Customers contribute to river conservation with each purchase.
- Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation (TPWF)coreOn-pack giveback program supporting Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation. Partnership for Texas State Parks 100th anniversary commemorative can and package release. Joint brand activation celebrating Texas outdoor heritage.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Rambler competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Polar Seltzer: Family-owned regional seltzer brand (Northeast US) that has scaled nationally through retail. Comparable private/independent CPG with strong regional roots expanding nationally; useful benchmark for family/founder-led scaling in seltzer.
- Bubly: PepsiCo-owned flavored sparkling water brand sold in cans across national grocery. Direct competitor with broader flavor portfolio and substantially larger marketing budget; competing for the same shelf space and consumer occasions.
- Liquid Death: Fast-growing canned water brand marketed with bold, countercultural branding and similar cultural-marketing playbook (heavy metal, extreme sports). Comparable in tone, target consumer, and DSD/retail expansion strategy though more advanced in fundraising.
- Spindrift: Premium sparkling water brand made with real fruit. Similar better-for-you positioning, comparable price point, and natural/specialty retail presence; a more mature comparable in the same premium-seltzer niche.
- LaCroix: National seltzer leader owned by National Beverage Corp. Direct competitor in flavored sparkling water cans; comparable flavor lineup and retail channel mix, though LaCroix does not emphasize mineral content.
- Topo Chico: Coca-Cola-owned sparkling mineral water brand in cans and glass bottles. Direct substitute product with very similar positioning (mineral water, Texas-rooted identity), and the most directly comparable competitor given the supply disruption creating share-shift dynamics.
- AHA Sparkling Water: Coca-Cola-owned flavored sparkling water positioned as a premium alternative with fruit essences. Competes in the same flavored-seltzer shelf set and benefits from parent-company distribution leverage that Rambler must match via field sales.
- Waterloo Sparkling Water: Texas-based sparkling water brand with similar flavor lineup and national grocery distribution. Strong direct comparable given overlapping regional roots, flavor architecture, and channel mix.
Broad incumbents
- San Pellegrino: Nestlé-owned Italian sparkling mineral water brand with premium positioning. Comparable mineral-water credentials and foodservice/on-premise presence; larger incumbent with global distribution and longer brand history.
- Perrier: Nestlé-owned naturally sparkling mineral water brand. Competes in mineral water segment and on-premise channels; broader incumbent with established international brand recognition.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Rambler social profiles
Digital presenceRambler financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rambler leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Rambler funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rambler 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 Rambler
What does Rambler do?
Rambler manufactures and sells canned sparkling mineral water built around a proprietary limestone mineral blend (calcium, magnesium, potassium) added after reverse osmosis purification. The lineup spans an unflavored Original and six flavors (Blackberry, Grapefruit, Lemon-Lime, Satsuma, Wild Cherry, plus a limited-time Cranberry seasonal SKU) sold in 12oz cans as individual packs and as a 16-pack variety bundle. Distribution runs through direct-to-consumer e-commerce, national and regional grocery chains, natural food retailers, Amazon, and foodservice/on-premise venues.
Is Rambler a public or private company?
Rambler is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Rambler founded?
Rambler was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Rambler based?
Rambler is headquartered in Austin, United States, in the North America region.
How does Rambler make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Direct E-commerce Sales are the primary driver. The others are retail Distribution and foodservice/On-Premise.
Who are Rambler's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Polar Seltzer, Bubly, Liquid Death, Spindrift, LaCroix, Topo Chico, AHA Sparkling Water and Waterloo Sparkling Water. Broad incumbents are San Pellegrino and Perrier.
Does Rambler have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rambler.
What industry is Rambler in?
Rambler's product category is Sparkling Mineral Water. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAFAFAC, Vitamin- & Mineral-Fortified Beverage Production, with a secondary code of AFAFACAE, Sparkling/Carbonated Bottled Water Production. Its NAICS code is 327213 and its SIC code is 2086.