The big business of wetting your whistle

Every CEO dreams of waking up one day and realizing that their company makes a product everyone on the planet needs.

That’s apparently what happened to Liquid I.V. boss Mike Keech, who told CNN that “a majority of consumers” are “chronically dehydrated” — and that’s really lucky for him, since he makes just the thing to help.

Drink up

Liquid I.V. sells hydration-boosting powder packs as an alternative to drinks like Gatorade or Pedialyte.

• Originally marketed to athletes, Liquid I.V. has expanded its push to everyone who drinks water (or those who don’t but should) with new flavors and sugar-free powders.
• Owner Unilever says it’s “on track” to be worth $1B.

The whole hydration industry is booming now, which is why a century-old company is making hundreds of millions with its big viral cups, and other companies are looking to cut in:

• Podcaster Alex Cooper recently launched Unwell Hydration after realizing that women should drink water.
• Wet Hydration just raised $4.5m from private investors who were presumably dazzled by its clever name.
• Liquid Death, the tongue-in-cheek canned water aimed at sober customers, is valued at $1B+.

Do you need this much water?

A sports nutritionist told CNN that the idea that everyone is dehydrated is “probably an overstatement.”

• It’s a little like a potato chip company announcing that everyone is severely lacking in potato chips.

Still, drinking water is good, and if putting stuff in your water or buying it from a famous podcaster makes you drink more, then go for it.