• Projecting over CAD 100m sales for 2026
• Receives inbound inquiries regularly

Joyburst, a founder-owned hydration and energy drink company, could raise funds in the next few years to support its rapid growth trajectory, founder Brad Woodgate said.

The Mississauga, Ontario, Canada-based company is projecting more than CAD 100m (USD 73m) in sales for 2026, which will be its fourth year of business, Woodgate said.

Woodgate, an entrepreneur who also owns No Sugar Company and Wellnx Life Sciences, has self-funded all his companies to this point, but acknowledged that the success of Joyburst’s line of hydration drinks meant that a raise would likely be required to support future marketing and innovation efforts.

“If we’re growing over 100% year-over-year and that were to continue into 2027 and go towards CAD 200m in sales, then I would see us needing a raise, or wanting to look for a raise on that type of growth,” Woodgate said, declining to note a specific amount he would want to raise. “That would be a reflection of how aggressive we would want to go from CAD 100m to CAD 300m or CAD 100m to CAD 250m, because a lot of this industry is driven by two things: marketing and innovation – and both of them are very expensive.”

Joyburst Hydration is a sugar-free and calorie-free electrolyte drink designed to replenish fluids, boost focus, and support daily hydration. It features a blend of magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and B vitamins, along with Lion’s Mane mushroom for mental clarity.

Joyburst has been profitable since its onset as it is self-funded, Woodgate noted. Joyburst’s growth rate in its first four years is higher than prebiotic soda brand Poppi’s was in the same timeframe, Woodgate added.

PepsiCo completed a USD 1.95bn acquisition of Poppi in May 2025. Founded in 2018 by Stephen and Allison Ellsworth, Poppi offers a variety of low-sugar flavors, each with 35 calories or less.

Joyburst receives inbound inquiries “all the time” from potential acquirers such as venture capital firms and strategics, Woodgate said. Although he would be open to bringing on a potential partner, the founder does not envision himself exiting the company in the foreseeable future.

“It has to be a significant opportunity to make it worth my while, and we’re having such a fun time on these companies that it would be more so a strategic partner that could come on in a role that would allow us to grow even faster than we are today,” Woodgate said.

Joyburst is aiming to have retail penetration of over 200,000+ retail doors in North America within the next five years, the founder noted.

The company has not formally retained a financial advisor, Woodgate said.

Joyburst currently sells its products mainly in Canada, the US, and Mexico, Woodgate said, noting that around 60% of its business is in the US, with around 20% apiece for Canada and the rest of the world. The company has partnered with Costco to expand its reach to countries such as Taiwan, Spain, France, the UK, and Australia, he added, with additional plans to explore more expansion in the UK and China in the future.

The company has around 50 direct employees, with a significant number of outsourced employees, Woodgate said.

Woodgate owns the majority of Joyburst, with company president Zelka Ridjosic holding a smaller ownership stake, the founder said.

Joyburst competes with beverage brands including Alani Nu, Unwell Beverages, Roar Organic, and Poppi, but Woodgate sees a gap for a female-forward leadership brand in the hydration space. After doing consumer research on what would appeal to females, the company decided to use Tetra Pak packaging for all of its Hydration beverages, as well as applying softer, pastel-like colors and female-geared marketing.

“The positioning of the brand is to market to female consumers as well,” Woodgate said. “In the hydration space, which is our flagship, one of the reasons why we’ve gotten so much attention is that there really hasn’t been a leadership brand in the female space that is doing what we’re doing.”