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Berlin-based startup HOLY was founded in 2020 with a mission to disrupt the age-old soft drinks industry and become the “Coca-Cola of the 21st century.”
Founders Frederick Jost, Mathias Horsch and Philipp Nass had observed a gap in the market: traditional soft drinks were full of sugar and artificial additives, while providing no real nutritional value. And healthy drinks were good for you but just not that tasty.
HOLY turned the category on its head and launched a line of powdered energy drinks that contain none of the nasty ingredients, while including extra vitamins, fibre and antioxidants.
Today, the company’s product range includes iced teas, milkshakes and hydration drinks, with various flavours and non-caffeinated alternatives. In just a few years, the company has grown to over €150m in revenue and has 2.5m customers — and counting.
“I think what customers love about HOLY is that it’s really taking on traditional brands like Coca-Cola and Red Bull,” says Jannis Fett, principal at HV Capital. “HOLY brought a fresh, funky take on an old industry that has been slow to innovate.”
Berlin-based startup HOLY was founded in 2020 with a mission to disrupt the age-old soft drinks industry and become the “Coca-Cola of the 21st century.”
Founders Frederick Jost, Mathias Horsch and Philipp Nass had observed a gap in the market: traditional soft drinks were full of sugar and artificial additives, while providing no real nutritional value. And healthy drinks were good for you but just not that tasty.
HOLY turned the category on its head and launched a line of powdered energy drinks that contain none of the nasty ingredients, while including extra vitamins, fibre and antioxidants.
Today, the company’s product range includes iced teas, milkshakes and hydration drinks, with various flavours and non-caffeinated alternatives. In just a few years, the company has grown to over €150m in revenue and has 2.5m customers — and counting.
“I think what customers love about HOLY is that it’s really taking on traditional brands like Coca-Cola and Red Bull,” says Jannis Fett, principal at HV Capital. “HOLY brought a fresh, funky take on an old industry that has been slow to innovate.”
HOLY’s products speak to a generation of consumers who are increasingly health conscious and focused on sustainability.
Instead of offering pre-made drinks in a can or plastic bottle, HOLY makes powder-based drinks that can be mixed with water and taken easily on the go. That way, the company reduces plastic waste and extends the shelf life of its products, as powders can be stored for months without refrigeration.
The company recently expanded its product line to include HOLY syrups that are liquid-based, but still long-life. In true HOLY fashion, the syrups were launched with a shaker that has a dial on the front, allowing the drinker to adjust the flavour intensity on a scale from one to five. In the first week of its launch, Holy sold more than 150,000 bottles.
“Sometimes what people really like is if you bring an existing function, in this case caffeine, into a new form like a powdered soft drink. It’s what many successful consumer brands did — like Grüns that brought vitamins into gummies, or Huel that brought a physical meal into a liquid form,” says Jannis. “If it’s done right, I think it really resonates with people.”
HOLY tapped into customer groups it previously didn’t imagine would love the brand. At first, the startup marketed its soft drinks to gamers and students needing energy and focus, but it soon found that other customer groups — from healthcare workers and firefighters to members of the police force — were drinking its products on shift.
Soon after HOLY launched its first energy drinks in 2020, customers reached out to the startup with stories of how its drinks helped get them through study sessions — and how it was a relief to buy a healthy drink that didn’t come in a plastic bottle.
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Part of HOLY’s success is down to its strong brand identity that seeps through every aspect of the startup’s products and culture.
Its office in Prenzlauer Berg is dubbed the ‘HOLY Temple’, a colourful space where huge pictures of its best-selling flavours hang on the walls. There’s a dedicated room showcasing the creative and extraordinary things HOLY customers (otherwise known as the ‘HOLY Squad’) have sent over the years: from fan mail to handwoven carpets.
Its Discord channel, which has over 70,000 members, acts as an inner circle where the Holy Squad get sneak peeks of new products and give feedback on new flavours.
HOLY proves how having a great product and a strong brand identity can create a really engaged community that wants to give back.
The company’s biggest market is Germany, but it’s also present in France, the UK and Poland. While HOLY is primarily D2C, it’s now focusing on ramping up partnerships with major retailers to spread the word and get more customers on board.
The biggest ambassadors for the HOLY brand remain its customers - the HOLY Squad.
“What HOLY’s done really well is to stay close to its brand DNA. Everybody in the company really lives and breathes the brand."
Jannis Fett
Principal, HV Capital
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Soft drinks from traditional brands like Coca Cola or Sprite come in plastic bottles containing an average of 35-45 grams of sugar. HOLY turned the category on its head with powdered drinks that eliminate plastic waste and contain zero sugar or artificial additives. Founded in 2020 by three business students, HOLY has sold over 10m drinks across four European markets and has built a loyal community of 2.5m customers.