HpO

What HpO does

HpO is a Denver-based, privately held functional beverage company that sells a sparkling protein water brand through a direct-to-consumer e-commerce channel. Its product line consists of three SKUs — Blood Orange, Lemon, and a Variety Pack — each delivering 5g of hydrolyzed pea protein, 0g sugar, and roughly 30 calories per 355mL can, with real fruit juice concentrate for flavoring. The core technical differentiator is the use of hydrolyzed pea protein that has been pre-broken-down into smaller peptides, which the company states dissolves completely in carbonated water without chalkiness or heaviness — addressing a common complaint with traditional protein shakes. The formulation uses a clean-label, five-ingredient approach that the company contrasts against the 15–30+ ingredient lists typical of mass-market protein drinks.

HpO generates revenue through two streams on its Shopify-powered DTC storefront: one-time purchases in 8, 16, 24, and 48-can pack sizes, and a recurring Subscribe & Save subscription offering a 10% discount with flexible monthly or bi-monthly cadence. Pricing is roughly $2.87 per can at the 16-can tier ($45.98), with subscription pricing at $2.59 per can; per-unit economics improve materially at the 48-can tier ($0.96/can), signaling a deliberate push toward higher-volume purchases and retention. The company serves three overlapping consumer segments: health-conscious general consumers, active individuals seeking lighter protein delivery post-workout, and specialized-diet followers (vegan, plant-based, gluten-free, keto-friendly). The company also accepts wholesale and partnership inquiries, indicating intent to expand beyond pure DTC into retail and distributor channels, though no such partnerships have been disclosed. Marketing is content-led, anchored on an educational blog, Instagram (@drinkhpo), and an email newsletter, with shipping currently restricted to the United States.

HpO is a single-product, single-geography, founder-led business with no disclosed venture capital, private equity, or institutional investment, and no reported headcount, revenue, or funding. The company appears bootstrapped or self-funded, and the entire operation — formulation, packaging, e-commerce, content — is managed from a single Denver headquarters. The strategic posture is consistent with an early-stage consumer brand focused on category creation in the protein-water subsegment of functional beverages, with expansion levers (pack size, flavors, channels, geographies) identified but not yet visibly executed beyond the core DTC storefront.

Name

HpO

Legal name

HpO

Website

https://drinkhpo.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

HpO is a Denver-based DTC brand selling sparkling protein water made with hydrolyzed pea protein (5g per can, 0g sugar, 30 calories) across Blood Orange, Lemon, and Variety Pack SKUs, targeting health-conscious, active, and diet-restricted US consumers via a Shopify storefront with subscription pricing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Functional Beverages / Sparkling Protein Water

NAICS

Soft Drink Manufacturing (312111), Beverage Manufacturing (3121)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Functional Beverages (Vitamins, Probiotics, Nootropics, etc.) (CRADAHAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Plant-Based & Dairy Alternative Beverages (Oat, Almond, Soy, etc.) (CRADAHAM)

Keywords

• Sparkling protein water
• Functional beverages
• Plant-based protein drinks
• Clean-label hydration
• DTC beverage brand

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: E-commerce sales of HpO sparkling protein water in multiple pack sizes (8, 16, 24, 48 cans). One-time purchase option available. Revenue generated per transaction with no recurring commitment from customer unless they opt into subscription.
2. Subscription (Subscribe & Save): Recurring monthly or bi-monthly delivery of HpO products with 10% discount. Customers can skip, pause, or cancel anytime. Provides predictable recurring revenue and customer lifetime value.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

HpO manufactures and sells a sparkling protein water beverage line built on hydrolyzed pea protein, delivering 5g of plant protein, 0g sugar, and approximately 30 calories per 355 mL can with real fruit flavor. The product is offered in Blood Orange, Lemon, and Variety Pack SKUs in 8, 16, 24, and 48-can pack sizes through a Shopify-powered direct-to-consumer storefront with a Subscribe & Save subscription option.

Product overview

HpO is a functional sparkling protein water brand offering three product variants: Blood Orange, Lemon, and a Variety Pack combining both flavors. All products deliver 5g of hydrolyzed pea protein per 355mL can with 0g sugar, approximately 30 calories, and real citrus fruit flavor. The product line is positioned as a light, everyday hydration alternative to traditional protein shakes, designed for daily consumption without chalkiness or heaviness. Available in 8, 16, 24, and 48-can pack sizes with subscription options.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HpO Protein Sparkling Water - Blood Orange Sparkling citrus protein water with 5g hydrolyzed pea protein, 0g sugar, and 30 calories per 355 mL can, made with real blood orange juice concentrate and natural flavor, free from artificial sweeteners, chalky texture, and heavy mouthfeel. Available in 8, 16, 24, and 48-can packs via DTC storefront with subscription option.
• HpO Protein Sparkling Water - Lemon Bright, zesty sparkling protein water delivering crisp, bubbly hydration with 5g plant-powered protein, 0g sugar, and 30 calories per 355 mL can, flavored with real lemon juice concentrate. Available in 8, 16, 24, and 48-can packs via DTC storefront with subscription option.
• HpO Protein Sparkling Water - Variety Pack Assortment pack featuring both HpO Blood Orange and Lemon sparkling protein water flavors. Each 355 mL can delivers 5g plant protein, 0g sugar, and 30 calories with real citrus fruit flavor derived from natural sources. Available in 8, 16, 24, and 48-can packs via DTC storefront with subscription option.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30 calories per can
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationHpO's e-commerce platform is powered by Shopify, which enables the online storefront, payment processing, order fulfillment, customer accounts, and subscription management. Shopify provides the underlying infrastructure for the Services, including hosting, checkout, and customer data management.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ope: Ope is a direct-to-consumer brand selling sparkling protein water with plant-based protein and clean ingredients. It is the closest analogue to HpO in product form, target consumer (health-conscious adults), and DTC subscription-led GTM.
• Iconic: Iconic produces ready-to-drink protein beverages positioned around clean-label, low-sugar, functional nutrition. Its overlapping value proposition (protein + wellness, premium positioning) makes it a direct functional competitor to HpO.
• Protein2o: Protein2o is a protein-infused water brand with multiple flavors sold across DTC and retail channels. It shares HpO's core concept (protein + flavored water) while operating at a more mature scale and broader retail distribution.
• Aspire Beverages: Aspire offers protein- and functional-ingredient sparkling waters targeting health-conscious consumers. The comparable product format (sparkling + protein + low-calorie) and lifestyle positioning make it a relevant like-for-like.

Broad incumbents

• Spindrift: Spindrift is an established sparkling water brand known for real-fruit ingredient transparency. Its "real ingredients, no artificial anything" ethos closely tracks HpO's clean-label positioning, although its flagship product lacks protein.
• Olly: Olly (Unilever) is a broad functional wellness brand spanning gummies, powders, and functional beverages. Its functional-wellness halo, retail ubiquity, and lifestyle marketing mirror HpO's positioning while operating at vastly larger scale.
• Premier Protein: Premier Protein is a leading mass-market protein shake and drink brand. While primarily shakes, its penetration of the protein-beverage category makes it the most relevant incumbent reference for HpO's positioning and retail expansion ambitions.
• Liquid IV: Liquid IV (Unilever) is a leading functional hydration brand selling electrolyte drink mixes. It overlaps HpO on the functional-hydration, low-sugar, plant-friendly positioning and represents the scaled incumbent HpO could compete with at retail.

Emerging players

• Aura Bora: Aura Bora is a DTC sparkling water brand flavored with herbs and botanicals. While not protein-based, it shares HpO's sparkling-water DTC subscription model, ingredient-conscious positioning, and primary target of wellness-oriented consumers.
• Liquid Death: Liquid Death is a high-growth canned water brand built on DTC and disruptive branding. While not protein-based, its canned-beverage DTC playbook, millennial targeting, and subscription access make it a useful peer for go-to-market benchmarking.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/drinkhpo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about HpO