A Spout That Changed Everything: The Origin of Owala
In 2019, inside a garage in Lehi, Utah, Steve Sorensen, CEO of Trove Brands, spotted a gym-goer juggling a BlenderBottle® shaker and a basic water bottle. That frustrating moment sparked a question: “Why can’t hydration be simple?” The answer became Owala FreeSip Water Bottle, a water bottle designed to solve a problem many didn’t realize they had.
Key Milestones:
- Founder: Steve Sorensen (CEO, Trove Brands — parent company of BlenderBottle®)
- Problem Identified: Users had to choose between straws or wide-mouth bottles, disrupting flow during active routines
- Solution: 18-month development led to the patented FreeSip® spout — combining a hidden straw and wide-mouth opening
- Funding Path:
- Bootstrapped →
- $7.2M Series A (2022, Gobi Partners) →
- NBA backing (e.g., Damian Lillard, 2023)
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