Coconut Water Event Partnership

Jesse Itzler discovered a business opportunity through his involvement in 100-mile endurance races, where he noticed athletes were heavily consuming coconut water. He leveraged this niche market observation into a successful partnership with Zico, which later sold to Coca-Cola.

Key Points:

• Market Discovery:

  • Found coconut water was popular among ultra-endurance athletes
  • Identified through personal experience in 100-mile races
  • Spotted trend before mainstream adoption

• Business Development:

  • Hunted down what he believed was the best coconut water company
  • Partnered with Zico brand
  • Helped grow it into a major coconut water brand

• Exit:

  • Company sold to Coca-Cola
  • Now distributed in Whole Foods
  • Became one of the leading coconut water brands

• Success Principle:

  • Followed personal curiosity into niche market
  • Found opportunity in uncharted territory
  • Scaled niche product to mainstream market