Annual sales of more than 700 million! Foreigners found a big business from "drinking water"

In recent years, the health trend has swept the world, profoundly affecting the lifestyles of people in various countries. As more and more people pay attention to healthy eating, labels such as "zero sugar, zero calories" and "sugar-free" frequently appear on various food and beverage bottles and become the first choice for consumers.

As sugar-free beverages are becoming an emerging force in the beverage market, a brand from Austria , waterdrop, has redefined the concept of "drinking water" and stood out from the competition with its more convenient and healthier way of drinking water.

At present, waterdrop products have been sold to more than 40 countries and regions around the world, with annual sales exceeding US$100 million (approximately RMB 717 million). It has also received a RMB 450 million Series B financing led by Temasek.

Entering the market from the demand for "healthy drinking water"

According to information, waterdrop was founded in 2016 and is a brand that focuses on "healthy drinking water solutions". Its main product is a "micro-drink" that dissolves in water. Its founder is Austrian Martin Murray (hereinafter referred to as Martin), who is committed to helping people drink more water and live a healthier and more sustainable life through such products.

The story of how waterdrop was founded dates back to 2016.

At that time, Martin was on a flight to Singapore. When he was about to drink a drink from a plastic bottle, he suddenly wondered: Why should health drinks be packaged in plastic bottles? They are heavy, inconvenient to carry, and can easily cause environmental pollution if thrown away at will.

If the important ingredients in a beverage, such as fruit and plant essences, could be concentrated into a small piece and instantly turned into a drink by simply mixing it with pure water, wouldn’t that be healthier and more convenient?

Martin decided to turn this inspiration into reality, and immediately pulled his friends Henry and Christoph to start working hard. However, the road to success was not so easy. They made dozens of adjustments to the formula ratio, and even their taste buds temporarily failed.

Fortunately, after countless experiments, they finally succeeded in producing the first generation of micro beverages. This "magic sugar cube" is only the size of a fingernail and weighs less than 3 grams, but it can concentrate up to about 600 milliliters of water . It will dissolve instantly when thrown into water. It has zero sugar and calories, a fragrant fruit flavor, and tastes just like a bottled drink. The results surprised the team members.

Christoph pointed out, " This is a sugar-free micro-drink that is rich in natural tea, plant and fruit extracts, which can help people drink more water and take in more precious vitamins . "

In 2017, waterdrop opened a pop-up store in Vienna, attracting many curious customers to come and watch and taste. Some people exclaimed: "Is this really made with plain water?"; In 2018, waterdrop appeared on a German entrepreneurial program and received high recognition from the judges, which led to its popularity.

In 2021, the outbreak of the epidemic triggered a trend of working from home, and consumers began to stockpile mini drinks in large quantities. During this wave of enthusiasm, Waterdrop successfully won 1 million customers.

The product is sold in more than 40 countries, with annual sales of US$100 million

As the brand's popularity grows, Waterdrop began to expand its product line in 2021. According to the independent website display, its products include sugar-free beverage blocks (blueberry, raspberry, lime, grapefruit, peach and other flavors), glass water cups, stainless steel cups, smart cup lids, kettles and other categories.

In addition to the popular sugar-free beverage blocks, waterdrop's smart bottle caps are also popular among consumers.

According to the introduction, it has a built-in sensor that can detect and record the amount of water, helping consumers accurately complete their water drinking. Not only that, it also uses UV-C (ultraviolet disinfection) technology to inactivate bacteria and achieve water purification effect.

On the one hand, it provides more convenient and healthy sugar-free micro beverage cubes, and on the other hand, it saves people from the trouble of searching for pure water everywhere. At the same time, its products also adhere to the "environmental protection concept" of the overseas market. It can be said that Waterdrop provides a perfect set of healthy drinking water solutions.

With such advantages, the brand's annual growth rate, sales, and popularity have continued to increase.

Data shows that as of 2021, Waterdrop's total revenue reached $100 million, and in 2022, it achieved annual sales of $96 million. In addition, Waterdrop's achievements in the capital market are also not to be ignored. In 2022, it announced the completion of a 60 million euro (about 450 million yuan) round of B financing led by Temasek.

In recent years, waterdrop has increased its investment in brand marketing, and with the help of social media platforms, its performance has achieved new breakthroughs.

In 2024, Waterdrop's annual sales will reach US$100 million. Since its establishment, the cumulative number of miniature drinks sold has exceeded 100 million, with an annual growth rate of more than 400%.

On the TikTok platform, waterdrop has 730,000 followers and more than 5.7 million likes on its videos. The video content is mainly about interesting product demonstrations, real-life introductions and reviews, which attract a large number of users. At the same time, it often interacts with fans in the comment area, which enhances the stickiness between the brand and users.

On Instagram and YouTube platforms, waterdrop also actively publishes videos or pictures to convey concepts such as "sugar-free", "healthy" and "environmentally friendly" to fans. In addition, it has also cooperated with many Internet celebrities to further expand its brand influence.

New opportunities emerge in the global sugar-free product market

As of now, waterdrop products have been sold to 45 countries and regions around the world, and have been recognized by more than 10 million consumers, with a score as high as 4.7 points . They are especially popular among consumers who insist on the sugar-free concept.

One user commented, "This drink contains vitamins, is healthy and inexpensive, which is great, and the most important thing is that it does not contain sugar." Another user said, "It tastes very refreshing after dissolving in ice water. With it, I can easily drink 2 liters of water a day."......

In today's era, the health awareness of global consumers is constantly improving. We often hear people calling for "sugar control" and "sugar abstinence". Under this concept, low-sugar or even sugar-free products have attracted more and more attention. Waterdrop is standing at the forefront of the "sugar-free" trend and has become a popular choice for countless consumers.

In recent years, overseas markets have seen a continuous surge in the sales of sugar-free products, such as the sugar-free candy brand Smart Sweets, the sugar-free Chinese tea brand Tea Drops, which was created by a mixed-race girl, and the sugar-free chewing gum brand Nathan and Sons. In this field, there are also many domestic brands that have gone overseas, such as McDove "Big Oolong" and Oriental Leaves, which focuses on "0 sugar, 0 calories, 0 fat".

The awakening of global consumers' health awareness has led to a rapid increase in the click-through rate of low-sugar and sugar-free products. Relevant data shows that the search volume of "sugar-free" labels has increased by 740% in the past three years. Under this trend, the food and beverage industry may set off a "sugar-reducing consumption" craze in the future, which may be a new overseas direction for cross-border sellers.