Fairlife
Fairlife is a US dairy beverage company and wholly-owned Coca-Cola subsidiary that produces ultra-filtered milk, Core Power protein shakes, and Nutrition Plan shakes using a proprietary cold-filtration process delivering 50% more protein and 50% less sugar than regular milk, serving health-conscious consumers and fitness enthusiasts across the US and Canada.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Fairlife does
Fairlife is a US-based dairy beverage company founded in 2012 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Since 2020 it has operated as a wholly owned subsidiary of The Coca-Cola Company. The company produces and markets ultra-filtered milk and protein-based beverages under three core product lines: fairlife Ultra-Filtered Milk (whole, 2%, fat-free, chocolate, and strawberry varieties in 52oz and 14oz formats), Core Power protein shakes (26g and 42g Elite variants marketed for post-workout recovery), and fairlife Nutrition Plan (a 30g protein, 2g sugar wellness shake). All products are lactose-free, kosher, and gluten-free, and are made from real milk without added protein powders.
The company's core technology is a proprietary cold ultra-filtration process that passes milk through soft filters to concentrate naturally occurring proteins (80% casein, 20% whey) and calcium while removing lactose and approximately 50% of the sugar found in conventional milk, yielding finished products with 50% more protein and 50% less sugar than regular milk. The supply chain is anchored by dairy co-op partnerships in geographies where Fairlife operates plants, with all supplying farms required to be FARM and Validus certified for animal welfare. Production currently runs from three facilities in Coopersville Michigan, Goodyear Arizona, and Webster New York, with a $650 million Michigan expansion adding two production lines and approximately 245,000 square feet of capacity targeted for 2028.
Fairlife generates revenue through one-time product sales distributed primarily through The Coca-Cola Company's nationwide distribution network, with shelf placement across major grocery, club (Costco, Sam's Club, BJ's), convenience, military, and e-commerce (Amazon, Instacart, shop.fairlife.com) channels in the United States and Canada. The company targets two primary consumer segments - health-conscious households seeking better-for-you dairy and fitness enthusiasts seeking convenient high-protein recovery options - and prices at a premium to conventional milk, comparable to organic and lactose-free alternatives. The company reached $1 billion in retail sales by 2021, recorded $980 million in dollar sales for the 52 weeks ending November 30, 2025, grew 28% year-over-year in 2025, and serves approximately 30 million US households.
Fairlife firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Fairlife
- Legal name
- fairlife, LLC
- Website
- https://fairlife.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Fairlife is a US dairy beverage company and wholly-owned Coca-Cola subsidiary that produces ultra-filtered milk, Core Power protein shakes, and Nutrition Plan shakes using a proprietary cold-filtration process delivering 50% more protein and 50% less sugar than regular milk, serving health-conscious consumers and fitness enthusiasts across the US and Canada.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Fairlife industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Premium Ultra-Filtered Dairy Beverages
- NAICS
- Fluid Milk Manufacturing (311511), Dairy Product (except Frozen) Manufacturing (31151)
- SIC
- Dairy Products (2020)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Protein & Sports Dairy Beverages (RTD Protein Shakes, High-Protein Milk) (AFAHAIAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Dairy-Based Protein & Meal Replacement Shakes (RTD Dairy Shakes) (AFAFAEAD), Flavored & Sweetened Milk Drinks (Chocolate/Strawberry, Malted Milk) (AFAHAIAA)
Keywords
Where Fairlife is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Fairlife business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Product Sales: Fairlife generates revenue through the sale of ultra-filtered milk products, Core Power protein shakes, and Nutrition Plan shakes to consumers via retail stores and online channels. Products are distributed through Coca-Cola's distribution network and are available at major retailers, club stores, and e-commerce platforms.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Fairlife product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Fairlife produces and markets premium ultra-filtered dairy beverages using a proprietary cold-filtration process that yields 50% more protein and 50% less sugar than regular milk while remaining lactose-free. Core product families are fairlife Ultra-Filtered Milk (whole, 2%, fat-free, chocolate, and strawberry varieties in 52oz and 14oz sizes), Core Power high-protein shakes (26g and 42g formulations for post-workout recovery), and fairlife Nutrition Plan (30g protein wellness shakes with 2g sugar). Products are distributed across the U.S. and Canada via Coca-Cola's distribution network and sold through grocery, club stores, e-commerce, and direct online channels.
Product overview
Fairlife is a dairy beverage company owned by The Coca-Cola Company that produces ultra-filtered milk products using a proprietary cold-filtration process. The product portfolio centers on three core offerings: fairlife® Ultra-Filtered Milk (available in 52oz and 14oz bottles in whole, 2%, fat-free, chocolate, and strawberry varieties), Core Power® Protein Shakes (available in 26g standard and 42g Elite formulations for post-workout recovery), and fairlife Nutrition Plan® (a 30g protein wellness shake for everyday nutrition). All products leverage ultra-filtration technology to deliver 50% more protein and 50% less sugar than conventional milk while maintaining lactose-free status. The company operates production facilities in Coopersville, Michigan, Goodyear, Arizona, and Webster, New York, with a $650 million Michigan expansion underway.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Core Power: High protein shakes designed for post-workout recovery, available in 26g and 42g protein variants. Made from fairlife ultra-filtered milk with electrolytes for hydration.
- fairlife Nutrition Plan
- fairlife Ultra-Filtered Milk
Products and services
- fairlife Ultra-Filtered Milk Lactose-free ultra-filtered milk made using a proprietary cold-filtration process that yields 50% more protein and 50% less sugar than regular milk. Available in 52oz and 14oz sizes in whole, 2% reduced fat, fat-free, chocolate, and strawberry varieties for health-conscious consumers and lactose-intolerant households.
- Core Power Protein Shakes High-protein milk-based shakes designed for post-workout recovery, made from fairlife ultra-filtered milk with electrolytes for hydration. Available in 26g (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry banana) and 42g Elite (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry) variants in 14oz bottles for athletes and fitness enthusiasts.
- fairlife Nutrition Plan Light-tasting nutrition shake for everyday wellness routines providing 30g of high-quality protein with only 2g of sugar and 150 calories per serving. Available at club stores and military retailers in chocolate flavor for calorie- and macro-conscious consumers seeking meal replacement or snack options.
Quantifiable outcome
- Reached $1 billion in retail sales in 2021, making fairlife Coca-Cola's newest billion-dollar retail brand
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Fairlife
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Fairlife technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Fairlife partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- United Dairymen of ArizonacorePartnership with United Dairymen of Arizona (UDA) to source milk from numerous dairy farmers in Goodyear, Arizona for the company's western region production facility.
- Dairy Co-opscoreFairlife partners with dairy co-ops in geographies where they have plant locations to source milk for fairlife products. All co-op member farms must adhere to fairlife's stringent animal care expectations and be FARM and Validus certified.
- FARM Program and ValiduscoreThird-party audit and certification programs for animal welfare compliance. All supplying farms must be FARM (Farmers Assuring Responsible Management) and Validus certified.
- AmazonminorAmazon serves as an online retail channel for fairlife products including Core Power protein shakes.
- InstacartminorInstacart provides same-day delivery service for fairlife products through their platform.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Fairlife competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- OWYN (Only What You Need): OWYN is a fast-growing RTD protein shake brand targeting the same active, health-conscious consumer as fairlife's Core Power and Nutrition Plan. It competes directly for shelf space in the nutrition/protein set with a clean-label, plant-protein-forward positioning.
- Orgain: Orgain is a premium, clean-label RTD protein shake and nutrition brand directly comparable to fairlife Nutrition Plan and Core Power. It sells through grocery, club, and natural channels with a similar functional-nutrition value proposition: high protein, low sugar, no artificial ingredients.
- Cytosport Muscle Milk: Muscle Milk is one of the original RTD protein-shake brands positioned for athletes and post-workout recovery, the same occasion fairlife Core Power targets. Its product format, packaging, and channel mix (grocery, convenience, fitness retail) closely mirror Core Power's go-to-market.
- Premier Protein: Premier Protein is the closest direct competitor to fairlife's Core Power line, selling high-protein, ready-to-drink shakes (30g protein) across grocery, club, and convenience channels. It is the shelf-share leader in carton RTD protein shakes and competes head-to-head with Core Power for the post-workout and on-the-go high-protein occasions.
- Lactaid: Lactaid is the leading lactose-free fluid milk brand in the U.S. and fairlife's most direct substitute in the dairy aisle: fairlife's ultra-filtered milk is also lactose-free. Both compete for the same lactose-intolerant and health-conscious household and benefit from the same shelf sets and cold-chain merchandising.
- Iconic Protein Drinks: Iconic is a premium RTD protein drink brand with a similarly positioned low-sugar, high-protein shelf-stable product. It competes with fairlife's Core Power and Nutrition Plan for fitness-oriented and weight-management consumers in grocery and club channels.
- Abbott Ensure: Ensure is Abbott's medical/nutritional RTD shake brand competing directly with fairlife's Nutrition Plan and Core Power for nutrition, recovery, and meal-replacement occasions. Both brands target similar demographics (active adults, older consumers seeking balanced nutrition) and sell through grocery, pharmacy, and mass channels.
Broad incumbents
- Chobani: Chobani is a much larger, broader dairy and better-for-you food company (Greek yogurt, oat milk, creamers, drinks) that overlaps with fairlife in high-protein dairy beverages and lactose-free positioning. Unlike fairlife, Chobani's portfolio extends beyond beverages and across multiple categories, making it a broader incumbent competitor.
- Silk (Danone North America): Silk is Danone's plant-based (almond, oat, soy) dairy-alternative brand competing with fairlife for better-for-you, lactose-free, and high-protein occasions. As a broad incumbent, Silk offers a wider portfolio (milk, yogurt, creamer, protein) and competes for the same wellness-minded shopper that fairlife targets.
Emerging players
- Koia: Koia is a plant-based RTD protein drink brand addressing the same functional-beverage and meal-replacement occasions as fairlife Nutrition Plan. It overlaps partially with fairlife on occasion and target consumer, but uses plant proteins — making it an emerging substitute threat rather than a direct dairy-based competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Fairlife social profiles
Digital presenceFairlife compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Fairlife financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Fairlife leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Fairlife funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Fairlife 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 Fairlife
What does Fairlife do?
Fairlife produces and markets premium ultra-filtered dairy beverages using a proprietary cold-filtration process that yields 50% more protein and 50% less sugar than regular milk while remaining lactose-free. Core product families are fairlife Ultra-Filtered Milk (whole, 2%, fat-free, chocolate, and strawberry varieties in 52oz and 14oz sizes), Core Power high-protein shakes (26g and 42g formulations for post-workout recovery), and fairlife Nutrition Plan (30g protein wellness shakes with 2g sugar). Products are distributed across the U.S. and Canada via Coca-Cola's distribution network and sold through grocery, club stores, e-commerce, and direct online channels.
Is Fairlife a public or private company?
Fairlife is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Fairlife founded?
Fairlife was founded in 2012. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Fairlife based?
Fairlife is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Fairlife make money?
One revenue line is on record: product Sales.
Who are Fairlife's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are OWYN (Only What You Need), Orgain, Cytosport Muscle Milk, Premier Protein, Lactaid, Iconic Protein Drinks and Abbott Ensure. Broad incumbents are Chobani and Silk (Danone North America). Koia is listed as an emerging player.
Does Fairlife have an API?
No public API is recorded for Fairlife.
What industry is Fairlife in?
Fairlife's product category is Premium Ultra-Filtered Dairy Beverages. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAHAIAD, Protein & Sports Dairy Beverages (RTD Protein Shakes, High-Protein Milk), with a secondary code of AFAFAEAD, Dairy-Based Protein & Meal Replacement Shakes (RTD Dairy Shakes). Its NAICS code is 311511 and its SIC code is 2020.