Celsius Holdings, Inc.

Is Celsius Holdings owned by another company?
No, Celsius Holdings is an independent, publicly traded company listed on NASDAQ under the ticker CELH. PepsiCo holds approximately 11% of the company through convertible preferred stock investments totaling $1.135 billion ($550 million in 2022 and $585 million in 2025), and has the right to nominate one director to the board. However, Celsius Holdings maintains operational independence with its own management team and strategic direction. The company is a component of the S&P 400 index.

Is Celsius Holdings publicly traded?
Yes, Celsius Holdings is publicly traded on the NASDAQ stock exchange under the ticker symbol CELH. The company uplisted to NASDAQ from the OTCQX Best Market on May 24, 2017, at a share price of $4.04 and a market capitalisation of approximately $170 million. As of February 23, 2026, there were 256,975,993 shares outstanding. The aggregate market value of common stock held by non affiliates was approximately $9.7 billion as of June 30, 2025.

When was Celsius Holdings founded?
Celsius Holdings was founded in 2004 in Delray Beach, Florida, as Elite FX. The Celsius beverage concept was created by nutrition industry entrepreneur Greg Horn in 2003 and licensed to Elite FX. The company was co founded by Steve Haley, a retired software company CEO, along with Irina Lorenzi and others. The first Celsius energy drink was launched in Sweden in 2009.

Who created Celsius Holdings?
The Celsius beverage concept was created by Greg Horn, a nutrition industry entrepreneur, in 2003. Horn formulated the first CELSIUS fitness drink and co founded the company that would become Celsius Holdings in 2004 with Steve Haley, who came out of retirement to lead the venture, and Irina Lorenzi. The company was originally named Elite FX and was based in Delray Beach, Florida.

What is Celsius Holdings' revenue and profit?
For full year 2025, Celsius Holdings reported record revenue of $2.52 billion, up 86% from $1.36 billion in 2024. Net income was $108.0 million, down 26% from $145.1 million, primarily due to $327 million in distributor termination costs and $60 million in acquisition related expenses. Adjusted EBITDA was $619.6 million, up 142%, and adjusted diluted EPS was $1.34, up 91%. Gross margin was 50.4%.

What brands does Celsius Holdings own?
Celsius Holdings owns three energy drink brands: CELSIUS, its flagship fitness energy brand with FY2025 revenue of $1,457.7 million; Alani Nu, a female focused better for you energy brand acquired in April 2025 for $1.8 billion, with FY2025 revenue of $1,001.9 million; and Rockstar Energy, a classic energy brand acquired from PepsiCo in August 2025 for the U.S. and Canada market, with FY2025 revenue of $55.6 million.

What is the PepsiCo relationship with Celsius Holdings?
PepsiCo is both a major shareholder and the primary distributor of Celsius Holdings. PepsiCo invested $550 million in August 2022 for approximately 8.5% ownership, and an additional $585 million in August 2025, increasing its stake to approximately 11%. PepsiCo serves as the primary U.S. distributor for all three Celsius Holdings brands through its direct store delivery network. Celsius Holdings is designated as PepsiCo's energy category captain in the U.S., managing strategic direction for CELSIUS, Alani Nu, and Rockstar Energy. Sales to PepsiCo constituted 43.2% of total revenue in 2025.

What is Celsius Holdings' market position?
Celsius Holdings reached approximately 20% dollar share of the U.S. energy drink category in Q4 2025, making it one of the top three energy drink companies in the United States by market share. The company competes directly with Red Bull and Monster Beverage. The CELSIUS brand was ranked as the third largest energy drink brand in the U.S. by sales, while the acquisition of Alani Nu and Rockstar Energy expanded the company's total energy portfolio to cover fitness, lifestyle, and classic energy segments.

The Celsius beverage concept was created by Greg Horn, a nutrition industry entrepreneur, in 2003. Horn licensed the concept to Elite FX, a company founded in 2004 in Delray Beach, Florida, by Steve Haley, a retired software company CEO, along with co founders including Irina Lorenzi. The original idea was a thermogenic beverage that would not only taste good but also burn calories, supported by human clinical trials validating its functional benefits. Greg Horn formulated the first CELSIUS fitness drink, which was free of preservatives, aspartame, high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, and colors, and certified non GMO.

The first Celsius energy drink was launched in Sweden in 2009, entering the European market before expanding to the United States. By 2012, the company had a market capitalisation of approximately $5 million. The company grew slowly through the early 2010s, building distribution in the U.S. fitness channel and establishing Celsius as a better for you alternative in the energy drink category.

In June 2017, Celsius Holdings uplisted to the NASDAQ Capital Market from the OTCQX Best Market, keeping its ticker symbol CELH. At the time of listing, the share price was $4.04, with a market capitalisation of approximately $170 million and Q1 2017 revenue of $6 million. The uplisting provided increased visibility, institutional investor access, and trading liquidity. By May 2022, the share price had increased over 1,400% to $62.44, with a market capitalisation of $4.7 billion and 275 institutional holders representing 52% of shares outstanding.

A transformative moment came on August 1, 2022, when PepsiCo and Celsius announced a long term strategic distribution agreement and investment. PepsiCo made a net cash investment of $550 million in Celsius convertible preferred stock, representing approximately 8.5% ownership on an as converted basis, with a 5% annual dividend. PepsiCo became Celsius's primary U.S. distributor through its direct store delivery network and the preferred distribution partner internationally. The partnership provided Celsius with immediate scale, adding 1,600 colleges and universities as distribution points by March 2023. By April 2023, Celsius had doubled its U.S. market share to 7.5% from 3.7%, and by May 2023 it was reported as the second largest energy drink brand with a 19.1% share of the energy category for the four week period ending April 22, 2023, according to Stackline data.

On February 20, 2025, Celsius Holdings announced the acquisition of Alani Nutrition LLC (Alani Nu) from co founders Katy and Haydn Schneider and Congo Brands co founders Max Clemons and Trey Steiger for $1.8 billion, including $150 million in tax assets, for a net purchase price of $1.65 billion comprising cash and stock. The acquisition closed on April 1, 2025. Alani Nu, a female focused better for you energy brand with $595 million in 2024 revenue, complemented Celsius's fitness positioning and expanded the company's consumer base.

On August 29, 2025, Celsius Holdings and PepsiCo announced a deepened strategic partnership. Under the agreement: (1) the Alani Nu brand moved into the PepsiCo distribution system in the U.S. and Canada, (2) PepsiCo acquired $585 million in newly issued convertible 5% preferred stock, increasing its ownership stake to approximately 11%, and (3) Celsius Holdings acquired the Rockstar Energy brand in the U.S. and Canada from PepsiCo, while PepsiCo retained international Rockstar rights. Celsius Holdings became PepsiCo's strategic energy category captain in the U.S., managing the CELSIUS, Alani Nu, and Rockstar Energy brands. PepsiCo had originally acquired Rockstar in 2020 for $3.85 billion.

For full year 2025, Celsius Holdings reported record revenue of $2.52 billion, with the CELSIUS brand contributing $1,457.7 million (up 7.5%), Alani Nu contributing $1,001.9 million, and Rockstar Energy contributing $55.6 million. The company reached approximately 20% dollar share of the U.S. energy drink category in Q4 2025, positioning it as a significant competitor to category leaders Red Bull and Monster Beverage.

Celsius Holdings has established environmental, social, and governance (ESG) frameworks centered on sustainable product development, responsible sourcing, and ethical business practices. The company released its inaugural ESG Report in August 2021, benchmarking its disclosures against MSCI ESG Rating criteria derived from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The company's product formulations emphasise clean ingredients: zero sugar, no preservatives, no aspartame, no high fructose corn syrup, non GMO ingredients, and no artificial flavors or colors. The CELSIUS product portfolio is Certified Kosher and Vegan, with all products being soy and gluten free and containing very little sodium. These certifications reflect the company's commitment to inclusive product development that accommodates diverse dietary preferences.

CELSIUS formulations are backed by six university studies published in peer reviewed journals validating the unique health benefits of the product. This clinical validation distinguishes Celsius Holdings from many competitors in the energy drink category and supports evidence based marketing claims.

Corporate governance includes ESG oversight through the Board of Directors, with Ernst & Young serving as corporate auditor. The company has established executive leadership accountability for ESG performance, integrating sustainability investments with business model innovation. PepsiCo's representation on the board through a nominated director provides additional governance oversight.

The company's reliance on third party co packers for manufacturing and PepsiCo for distribution creates supply chain dependencies that require ongoing supplier relationship management. Celsius Holdings maintains standards for ingredient quality, supplier relationships, and manufacturing processes across its co packing network.

Note: Celsius Holdings does not hold independently verifiable sustainability certifications such as B Corp, CDP disclosure, or SBTi targets as of the date of this article. The company's sustainability claims are based on its own ESG reporting and product formulations.

Celsius Holdings has received recognition for product innovation and market performance from independent awarding bodies.

• Best Beverage NPD of the Year (2025): CELSIUS received this award at The Distributor Group Awards in Australia, recognising the brand's impact on the beverage category through speed to market execution and commercial performance
• Best New Product Launch 2025: CELSIUS won this award at The BP Awards in New Zealand, acknowledging outstanding launch activation, effective channel disruption, and product innovation in the energy drink category
• Just Drinks Excellence Awards (2025): CELSIUS HYDRATION powder sticks won the Product Launches award, demonstrating the company's commitment to functional beverage innovation
• InnoBev Best Functional Drink (2017): CELSIUS received this international award, recognising the brand's pioneering position in the functional beverage category
• U.S. Market Position: Celsius Holdings reached approximately 20% dollar share of the U.S. energy drink category in Q4 2025, making it one of the top three energy drink companies by market share in the United States

Celsius Holdings faces several areas of regulatory and public scrutiny typical of the functional beverage industry.

Customer concentration risk: Sales to PepsiCo constituted 43.2% of total revenue in 2025, and receivables from PepsiCo represented 46.2% of total receivables as of December 31, 2025. The company's 10-K filing explicitly warns that the loss of PepsiCo as a customer or distributor could have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition, and results of operations. This concentration gives PepsiCo significant influence over Celsius Holdings' strategic decision making.

Health claims scrutiny: As a functional beverage company that markets clinically proven health benefits, Celsius Holdings faces regulatory oversight regarding its marketing claims. The company's thermogenic and metabolism boosting claims, while supported by six university studies, are subject to scrutiny by food and drug regulators. The functional beverage category has historically attracted regulatory attention regarding ingredient safety, labeling accuracy, and health claim substantiation.

Distributor termination costs: The transition of Alani Nu from its prior independent distribution system to the PepsiCo distribution network in 2025 resulted in $327 million in distributor termination costs. These costs, along with $60 million in acquisition related expenses, contributed to a 26% decline in net income despite 86% revenue growth, highlighting the financial impact of distribution restructuring.

Competitive pressure: The U.S. energy drink market is intensely competitive, with Celsius Holdings competing against Red Bull, Monster Beverage, and other established players. The company's CELSIUS brand revenue declined approximately 8% in Q4 2025 year over year, partly due to timing dynamics and the disruption caused by the Alani Nu distribution transition. Maintaining brand momentum while integrating acquired brands presents ongoing challenges.