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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