Hardware Podcasts

Founder + Funder: Fundraising, Retail Growth, and Building a Modern Hydration Brand with Alex Michaelsen of Leisure Hydration and Ryan Springer of Midnight

The Startup CPG Podcast · 27 Jun 2026 · 51m · Episode 330

What this episode covers

Alex Michaelsen, Co-Founder and CEO of Leisure Hydration, and Ryan Springer, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Midnight, discuss the journey of building a modern hydration brand and the nuances of founder-investor relationships. They detail Leisure's unconventional fundraising path, which included NFT sales and early traction in tech offices, leading to a Series A round led by Midnight and placement in Whole Foods and Target. The conversation highlights the importance of building trust over years, maintaining high margins, and avoiding the trap of copying outdated industry playbooks.

Most relevant to

companies scaling up

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Midnight, Whole Foods, Target, H-E-B
Products
Leisure Hydration, Gatorade, Olipop, Celsius, Vitamin Water, High Desert Vodka, Magic Mind, Recess
Also
AI

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