Meet Dan: the founder turning hydration science into a fast-growing wellness brand

• Business name: Phizz

• Industry: Health and wellness

• Founded in: 2015

• Top business products: Business bank account, business credit card and accounting software

• Key learning: “Giving up equity is never easy for founders, but raising capital ultimately allowed us to realise the brand’s potential and scale much faster.”

Phizz began with a simple observation: dehydration quietly undermines how people feel and perform, whether travelling, exercising or simply getting through a busy day.

Drawing on insights from professional sport and medical hydration science, co-founder Dan Cray and his team have developed an effervescent tablet designed to improve how the body absorbs water while delivering a full multivitamin boost.

Since launching in 2015, the London-based company has grown from a kitchen-table startup into the UK’s leading hydration enhancer brand, selling tens of millions of drinks and securing listings with major retailers including Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Boots.

Here, Dan shares how Phizz turned an overlooked health problem into a fast-growing wellness business, the challenges of scaling a startup, and the financial tools that helped support its growth.

Phizz started after you realised how dehydrated people can get on long flights. How did that insight turn into a business idea?

It started when we noticed something surprising while working with professional athletes. Peak performance and recovery weren’t about sugary sports drinks, they were about medical-style rehydration formulas, the same ones used in hospitals. It got us thinking: if this is how athletes and patients hydrate, why couldn’t everyday life benefit too?

Around the same time, we began taking electrolyte hydration on long-haul flights and realised dehydration was a huge part of travel fatigue and jet lag, and one you could actually prevent.

With a neuroscientist on the team and experience in brand and business, we saw a real opportunity. Multivitamins were already part of people’s routines, but no one was tackling hydration properly. That’s where Phizz comes in.

What was the hardest part of convincing customers and retailers to take the product seriously?

The biggest early challenge was education and credibility, which is hard to build when you’re a self-funded startup working from a kitchen table. 

Our retail journey didn’t start until 2021. Before that, we spent years proving the benefits of electrolyte hydration, supplying airlines like Emirates and American Airlines, hotels such as W Hotels, and various Premier League football clubs. These partnerships helped build credibility while generating early revenue.

Sainsbury’s then took a chance on us through its Future Brands incubator programme. After twelve months, we exited the exclusivity programme and launched in Tesco. From there, growth accelerated, and today Phizz leads the fastest-growing wellness category in UK retail.

What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve faced while scaling Phizz?

Two challenges stand out. The first was deeply personal. One of our co-founders and close friends was diagnosed with cancer during the early years of building the business. It was an incredibly difficult time for the team and a reminder that the people behind a company matter more than the company itself.

The second challenge was strategic focus. After raising capital we expanded our offering and launched a gut health capsule. It performed well and reached national distribution, but we realised it was pulling the brand away from its core mission around hydration. Refocusing the business meant making the difficult decision to discontinue a product that was generating hundreds of thousands in revenue. 

It wasn’t easy, but getting back to our core purpose has helped unlock the next phase of growth for Phizz.

Was there a particular milestone that made you realise the business had real momentum?

Phizz sold 65 million drinks last year [2025], which is quite surreal to think about given where the business began. 

The real momentum began in 2021 when we entered UK retail. Sainsbury’s launched Phizz, followed by nationwide listings in Tesco and Boots over the next few years. Each step expanded awareness and brought the product into more daily routines.

Another signal was the calibre of people who wanted to join the team. As the brand grew we began attracting experienced talent from blue-chip FMCG companies who believed in the category and what we were building.

Looking back, what’s one decision you’d change if you were starting Phizz again? 

If we were starting again, we’d probably push into retail earlier. In the early days we had little experience in UK FMCG. While we built a strong product, brand and early partnerships, we were cautious about raising capital and expanding into retail too quickly. In hindsight, we could have been more ambitious with our capital raise and retail rollout. 

Giving up equity is never easy for founders, but raising capital ultimately allowed us to realise the brand’s potential and scale much faster.

For anyone launching a business today, the biggest advice is simply to create something and get it into the world. Have a plan, but don’t become obsessed with perfection. The product, brand and strategy all evolve over time. What matters is bringing the idea to life, learning from real customers and improving through iteration, rather than spending years trying to make everything perfect and never launching.

Phizz isn’t the same product, brand or team we started with. It’s evolved and improved significantly over time. You don’t start as number one, you grow into it. And we’re still not finished.

What financial products or services have supported Phizz’s growth?

In the early days, simply getting a bank account was a challenge. Our first bank unexpectedly closed our account about two years into the business while we had roughly £100,000 in the bank. 

Despite having trading history and funds ready to transfer, it was surprisingly difficult to find another bank willing to take us on. Santander eventually stepped in and gave us a business account, which allowed us to keep operating and growing.

As the business matured, having the right financial expertise became just as important. Our Finance Director, Rich, who trained as an auditor at Deloitte, has been instrumental in building strong financial discipline within the company.

We use tools like Xero to manage the business day-to-day and focus heavily on cash flow management. We’ve also accelerated our statutory accounts filings to improve credit terms with manufacturing partners. In addition, we also use business credit cards through Barclays and American Express to manage working capital and operational spending.

The hydration and electrolyte space is now pretty crowded. What do you think still sets Phizz apart from your competitors?

Three things really set Phizz apart. 

The first is science. Many electrolyte products add minerals to water, but they don’t necessarily improve the hydration value of water itself. Phizz is designed to increase water absorption using electrolytes and a small amount of glucose, based on the same principles used in medical rehydration systems. Sugar often gets demonised, but in the right scientific amount it plays an important role in delivering a noticeable hydration benefit. For the sake of roughly 10 calories, unlocking better hydration from your water is a worthwhile upgrade.

Second is taste. Many electrolyte products are popularised in powder format. These hit the water quickly and then immediately go flat, much like a fizzy drink left sitting for an hour. Phizz dissolves as an effervescent tablet, which keeps the drink lively and enjoyable to finish. If hydration is going to become part of a daily routine, flavour really matters.

Third is the nutritional profile. Phizz combines enhanced hydration with a comprehensive daily multivitamin. Our formula contains 18 ingredients compared with around 11 in other leading multivitamin products, making it an easy way to support energy, hydration and wellbeing in one drink.

What’s next for Phizz? And what excites you most about the future of the business?

One area we’ve recently focused on is how hydration supports immunity. When you’re properly hydrated, the body’s natural defences in areas like the nose and throat work more effectively. When people are dehydrated those defences weaken, which can make it easier to pick up illnesses. It’s a reminder that hydration plays a foundational role in wellbeing.

Our primary focus remains the UK, but we’re also preparing for several international launches later this year. It’s incredibly exciting to see the brand begin appearing in new markets, time zones and languages.

Phizz has evolved significantly since we started, and the opportunity to bring better hydration into everyday routines still feels very early.

This case study is for informational purposes only and is not intended as financial or professional advice. The results described are specific to the individual’s personal experience, so please consult with a qualified professional if you need financial advice.