Mela Water
Mela Water is a US beverage company founded in 2021 that produces premium canned watermelon water in five flavors, selling direct-to-consumer via its website, through Amazon, and via retail partners including Target, CVS, 7-Eleven, and Erewhon, primarily in Southern California.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersSanta Monica, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Mela Water does
Mela Watermelon Water (operating as Mela Water) is a US-based beverage company founded in 2021 that produces and markets premium canned watermelon water under the Mela brand. The company's core product is a watermelon-water beverage made from Vietnamese-sourced watermelon juice, organic cane sugar (less than 1%), and Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) as a natural preservative. The line spans five flavored SKUs — Original Watermelon, Watermelon + Passionfruit, Watermelon + Pineapple, Watermelon + Ginger, and Watermelon + Chili Mango — packaged in 11 oz and 16.9 oz cans sold in 12-packs at $33.99, plus a Variety Pack. Products are marketed as Non-GMO, gluten-free, plant-based, and containing naturally occurring electrolytes and antioxidants. Manufacturing is described as small-batch.
Mela operates a multi-channel go-to-market: direct-to-consumer via a Shopify-powered website (melawater.com) with both one-time purchases and subscription; third-party marketplace via Amazon; and wholesale distribution to physical retail partners including 7-Eleven, Bristol Farms, Erewhon, Target, CVS, and specialty food stores concentrated in the Los Angeles/Santa Monica/Venice area. Marketing is primarily organic, driven by Instagram (@mela) and TikTok (@melawater), with an email newsletter ('Your Ticket to Paradise'). Revenue is generated through unit sales across these channels with no disclosed recurring SaaS, licensing, or advertising components.
In April 2025, Mela Water was acquired by KJ Holding Corp., a US-based beverage firm, for an undisclosed sum as part of KJ Holding's strategy to strengthen its presence in the flavored and plant-based water segment. Mela now operates as a subsidiary under KJ Holding Corp.'s beverage portfolio. The company is privately held, headquartered in Santa Monica, CA (mailing address in Milwaukee, WI), and employs 11–50 people. No funding rounds, management team details, or revenue figures are disclosed in available sources.
Mela Water firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Mela Water
- Legal name
- Mela Watermelon Water
- Website
- https://melawater.com/
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Mela Water is a US beverage company founded in 2021 that produces premium canned watermelon water in five flavors, selling direct-to-consumer via its website, through Amazon, and via retail partners including Target, CVS, 7-Eleven, and Erewhon, primarily in Southern California.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Mela Water is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Santa Monica
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Mela Water business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Direct Product Sales: Mela Water generates revenue through direct-to-consumer sales via their e-commerce website melawater.com, offering both one-time purchases and subscription plans for their watermelon water products sold in 12-pack cans.
- Subscription Service: Recurring subscription model allowing customers to receive regular deliveries of watermelon water products, providing predictable revenue and customer retention.
- Marketplace Sales: Sales through Amazon marketplace, reaching customers through third-party e-commerce platforms.
- Wholesale Distribution: Bulk sales to retail partners including convenience stores, liquor stores, health food stores, and restaurants for resale to end consumers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | The Original Watermelon - 16.9 OZ 12-Pack |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Flavor Variants - 11 OZ 12-Pack |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Chili Mango - 16 OZ 12-Pack |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Variety Pack |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Mela Water product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Mela Water manufactures and sells premium canned watermelon water beverages made with real Vietnamese watermelon juice, organic cane sugar, Vitamin C, and natural flavors. The product line includes five flavored varieties (Original, Passionfruit, Pineapple, Ginger, Chili Mango) plus a Variety Pack, sold in 11 OZ and 16.9 OZ 12-pack cans through direct e-commerce, Amazon, and wholesale retail partners.
Product overview
Mela Water is a watermelon water beverage company offering a single-product line of flavored watermelon waters packaged in cans. The core product line consists of five flavored varieties: The Original Watermelon, Watermelon + Passionfruit, Watermelon + Pineapple, Watermelon + Ginger, and Watermelon + Chili Mango. The company also offers a Variety Pack bundling four flavors together. Products are sold in 11 OZ and 16.9 OZ cans, available in 12-packs. All products feature real watermelon juice as the base ingredient, with naturally occurring electrolytes and antioxidants, and are Non-GMO certified. Distribution includes the company's own e-commerce website, Amazon, and physical retail stores across the US, primarily in the Southern California area.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- The Original Watermelon Premium watermelon water in a 16.9 OZ can, made with real watermelon juice, organic cane sugar, vitamin C, and natural flavors. Contains naturally occurring electrolytes and antioxidants. Targeted at health-conscious adult consumers seeking functional hydration.
- Watermelon + Passionfruit Watermelon water blended with passionfruit juice, organic cane sugar, vitamin C, and natural flavors. Features exotic sweet notes with tart undertones. Sold as an 11 OZ 12-pack.
- Watermelon + Pineapple Watermelon water combined with pineapple juice, organic cane sugar, vitamin C, pineapple extract, and natural flavors. Offers bold citrus notes and crisp sweetness. Sold as an 11 OZ 12-pack.
- Watermelon + Ginger Watermelon water with ginger juice, organic cane sugar, vitamin C, and natural flavors. Features a soulful, sharp, and slightly spicy flavor profile. Sold as an 11 OZ 12-pack.
- Watermelon + Chili Mango Watermelon water with mango juice, chili juice, organic cane sugar, vitamin C, and natural flavors. A zesty fusion of spice and crisp sweetness. Sold as a 16 OZ 12-pack for $33.99.
- Variety Pack Mixed 12-pack containing Mela OG, Mela Pineapple, Mela Passionfruit, and Mela Ginger in 11 OZ cans. Designed for consumers trying multiple flavors or entertaining.
Companies that use Mela Water
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Mela Water technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Mela Water partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Mela Water competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- JUST Water: Plant-based bottled water in carton packaging, sold across US retail and DTC. Comparable on clean-label, sustainability-positioned hydration narrative and premium direct-to-consumer-led brand building.
- Waterloo Sparkling Water: Flavored sparkling water brand sold via DTC and broad retail. Comparable on premium canned water positioning, real-fruit flavor extensions, and health-conscious consumer targeting.
- Halo Life: Watermelon-based functional hydration beverage in cans. Closely overlaps Mela's hero ingredient and flavor-extension model, targeting the same functional-hydration occasion.
- Spindrift: Sparkling water made with real squeezed fruit, sold in cans and bottles via DTC and mass retail. Directly comparable to Mela on the 'real fruit + clean label + canned format' positioning targeting health-conscious consumers willing to pay a premium.
- WTRMLN WTR: Cold-pressed watermelon juice brand sold in bottles/cans across US retail. The most direct head-to-head competitor to Mela Water, competing on the same hero ingredient, similar clean-label positioning, and overlapping natural/functional hydration narrative.
- Liquid Death: Premium canned water brand with edgy branding sold across DTC, c-store, and grocery. Comparable on canned format, premium pricing, social-media-driven brand building, and c-store/wholesale distribution overlap.
- True Citrus: Flavored water enhancer brand (citrus and fruit) sold across grocery and DTC. Comparable on the flavored-hydration occasion and clean-label positioning, though delivered via a concentrate format rather than RTD can.
Broad incumbents
- Vita Coco: Public, scaled coconut-water brand that has expanded into flavored and enhanced water SKUs. Comparable on functional-hydration narrative, canned format, and broad retail footprint, with materially greater distribution and marketing scale.
- BODYARMOR: Sports and hydration beverage brand owned by Coca-Cola. Comparable on functional hydration, electrolyte positioning, and mainstream retail presence, with substantially deeper trade leverage than Mela.
- Bai: Flavored antioxidant-infused beverages sold across US retail, owned by Dr Pepper Snapple/Keurig Dr Pepper. Comparable on flavored-water adjacent positioning and natural-ingredient messaging, with much broader distribution.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Mela Water social profiles
Digital presenceMela Water financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Mela Water leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Mela Water funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Mela Water 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 Mela Water
What does Mela Water do?
Mela Water manufactures and sells premium canned watermelon water beverages made with real Vietnamese watermelon juice, organic cane sugar, Vitamin C, and natural flavors. The product line includes five flavored varieties (Original, Passionfruit, Pineapple, Ginger, Chili Mango) plus a Variety Pack, sold in 11 OZ and 16.9 OZ 12-pack cans through direct e-commerce, Amazon, and wholesale retail partners.
Is Mela Water a public or private company?
Mela Water is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Mela Water founded?
Mela Water was founded in 2021. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Mela Water based?
Mela Water is headquartered in Santa Monica, United States, in the North America region.
How does Mela Water make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Direct Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are subscription Service, marketplace Sales and wholesale Distribution.
Who are Mela Water's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are JUST Water, Waterloo Sparkling Water, Halo Life, Spindrift, WTRMLN WTR, Liquid Death and True Citrus. Broad incumbents are Vita Coco, BODYARMOR and Bai.
Does Mela Water have an API?
No public API is recorded for Mela Water.