waterdrop® Closes Landmark Funding Round Exceeding €100 Million, Welcoming Aspeya, Atlantic Grupa and Aleksander Aamodt Kilde as Partners in Its Next Chapter of Global Growth

The global hydration brand announces its largest capital raise to date, reinforcing its position as the category-defining leader in taste-led, functional hydration

VIENNA, May 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- waterdrop® has secured more than €100 million in funding from Aspeya, Atlantic Grupa and alpine ski World Cup champion Aleksander Aamodt Kilde. The three partners join an already distinguished shareholder base that includes Temasek, Döhler and Bitburger – as well as a number of the world's leading athletes – alongside the continued full backing of waterdrop's board, chaired by Hikmet Ersek. The announcement marks the most significant milestone in the company's history: a business that is profitable, growing, and now fuelled to move faster.

waterdrop® was founded in Vienna in 2016 with a clear mission: to help people Drink More Water in a tastier, more functional, and more convenient way. The company pioneered the Microdrink – a compact, sugar-free cube made with real fruit and plant extracts that dissolves in water to deliver great taste and real functional benefit wherever you are. A decade later, what began as one product has grown into a full hydration ecosystem: cubes across dozens of flavours, expanded with Microenergy for a caffeine boost and Microlyte for electrolyte replenishment, alongside design-led bottles and water filtration technology. Today, waterdrop® serves more than 5 million online customers worldwide, generates revenues of around €150 million, operates profitably, and is present across more than 20,000 retail outlets and approximately 50 dedicated stores across Europe, the United States, Japan and Australia.

The announcement comes in a landmark year. 2026 marks ten years of waterdrop® – a decade of pioneering the Microdrink category and proving that a brand built around taste, functionality and convenience could become a genuinely global force. As Official Bottle Partner of the Australian Open for the third consecutive year and a Gold Partner of the ATP Tour, waterdrop® has built its brand where performance culture and global audiences converge. World-class athletes – among them alpine ski champion Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, who joins this round as brand ambassador and investor – have chosen waterdrop® not as a marketing arrangement but as a genuine part of how they compete, train and recover.

"We have spent ten years building something we genuinely believe in – a brand that makes it easier and more enjoyable for people to drink more water, and a business that has earned the right to grow," says Founder and CEO Martin Murray. "Aspeya and Atlantic Grupa bring the strategic depth, the distribution reach, and the long-term conviction that this next chapter demands. We are profitable, we are growing, and with these partners behind us, we are ready to move faster – and go further – than ever before."

Aspeya, which is developing and commercializing a pipeline of wellness products and brands, takes a minority stake as part of its strategy to support companies shaping the future of consumer wellness. "waterdrop® has done something rare – it has created a category, built a loyal global community, and reached profitability without compromising on its mission," says Michael Kunst, CEO of Aspeya. "Aspeya was created to back companies that are genuinely shaping the future of consumer wellness, and waterdrop® is among the most compelling we have encountered. We are proud to be part of this next chapter."

Atlantic Grupa brings a dimension as valuable as the capital itself. As one of South and East Europe's most established food and beverage groups, and already waterdrop's distribution partner across Austria, Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia, Atlantic Grupa deepens its commitment with a double-digit million euro investment, and a seat on the Investment Committee. "We have seen waterdrop® grow up close. The brand resonates deeply with European consumers and reflects the trends and shared goals: premiumiation, functional hydration, and an uncompromising standard of taste. This investment reflects our conviction in waterdrop's long-term potential and our commitment to growing it together across Europe and beyond," says Lada Tedeschi Fiorio, Group Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Investments at Atlantic Grupa.

The investment will be deployed with clear intent. European expansion comes first – deepening retail operations, strengthening local teams, and scaling direct-to-consumer capabilities across key markets. Product development follows closely, with the next generation of innovations. The brand's recently announced partnership with Ricola – co-developing a herbal hydration range that brings together two iconic names united by a commitment to functional, great-tasting products – signals the kind of collaborations waterdrop® is now positioned to pursue at scale.

What comes next is as ambitious as anything the brand has done before. Hydration season is underway – and with it, the most comprehensive marketing campaign in waterdrop's history. A fully integrated push spanning out-of-home, digital and live activations is running across the brand's core European markets, anchored by its presence at the ATP Tour this summer and amplified by the athletes who have made waterdrop® their hydration of choice. New flavours and product innovations are landing throughout the coming months. Local teams are being built out and strengthened across Europe. The category waterdrop® created is expanding. The brand that created it intends to lead it.

About waterdrop®

Founded in Austria in 2016, waterdrop® set out to revolutionise the beverage industry with the world's first "Microdrink". The concept is as simple as it is brilliant: a small, sugar-free cube that dissolves in water to create a unique flavour experience from natural fruit and plant extracts. At its core, waterdrop® has one mission: Drink More Water.

With an unwavering commitment to reducing plastic waste, waterdrop's Microdrinks help reduce up to 98% of plastic compared to pre-filled beverages in 500ml plastic bottles. The brand doesn't stop at hydration cubes – it also develops reusable drinking bottles, and water filtration systems, ensuring the entire water drinking experience is both innovative and more sustainable.

Today, waterdrop® serves more than 5 million online customers, has over 400 employees, and is available in over 20,000 retail outlets worldwide, with more than 50 dedicated stores across Europe and the USA. waterdrop® products are currently sold in Europe, the USA, Japan, and Australia.

For more information, visit: www.waterdrop.com

About Aspeya

Aspeya, which operates as a separate company under the ownership of Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI), is harnessing deep insight and scientific expertise to develop and commercialize a pipeline of wellness products and brands. Aspeya has three areas of focus: Consumer wellness, cannabinoids, and inhaled therapeutics. PMI is a leading international consumer goods company, actively delivering a smoke-free future, which accounted for 43% of PMI's first-quarter 2026 total net revenues. For more information, visit aspeya.com

About Atlantic Grupa

Atlantic Grupa is one of the leading branded FMCG companies in Southeast Europe, with a strong portfolio of own brands and strategic distribution partnerships with external principals across food, beverages, sports nutrition, and personal care. Atlantic Grupa is a successful multinational company headquartered in Zagreb, and listed in the Prime market of the Zagreb Stock Exchange, with a track record of delivering promised results for nearly 20 years. With companies in 8 countries and a strong performing brand portfolio in over 40 markets, Atlantic records an annual sales revenue of EUR 1.2 billion.

Media Contact:
Hanna Martetschlaeger
[email protected]

SOURCE waterdrop Microdrinks