Joyburst

Joyburst is a Canadian better-for-you beverage brand built around sugar-free hydration, energy, and a growing run of protein and functional drinks. It launched around 2022, and its founders say it hit roughly $100M in annual sales by year four.

The pitch is simple: bold flavor without the sugar. Joyburst's hydration line is caffeine-free and zero sugar, sweetened with sucralose, and packed in recyclable Tetra Pak cartons. The formula pairs electrolytes (magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, and calcium) with B vitamins and lion's mane mushroom powder. The brand pitches lion's mane as a focus play, but it describes the amount only as a proprietary formula, so there's no dose to judge. The energy line uses natural caffeine and is vegan, as is hydration. The protein drinks are not, since they use whey.

The product map has widened fast. Joyburst now plays in creatine soda and protein coffee, and it has run licensed collabs, including a Disney Moana tie-in. Founder Brad Woodgate calls the strategy reinvention across hydration, protein and functional soda, creatine soda, and coffee. That's a wide lane for a brand this young, and it reads like a team chasing big categories rather than adding SKUs for the sake of it.

The Team

Woodgate came up through earlier nutrition and food businesses and is the brand's most public voice. Zelka Ridjosic Traikos is President and Co-Founder, and Woodgate credits her with the major retail relationships and day-to-day operations. Both say Joyburst was bootstrapped, with no venture capital, private equity, or outside investors, and run by a small team near Toronto.

Where It Sells

Joyburst's distribution leans mass and club. Its site lists select Walmart, Dollar Tree, Aldi, Sam's Club, and Costco locations, plus online channels. Products are made in Canada and Mexico. The brand also says its drinks use no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.

Joyburst is for shoppers who want a zero-sugar can or carton they can grab in a bulk run, from a brand that keeps stacking categories. It has the retail footprint and the momentum to be a name to watch across functional beverages.