Celsius Holdings Inc
For the period ended Dec 31, 2024. Filed Mar 3, 2025.
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FY2024 · Filed Mar 3, 2025
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Item 1. Business
When used in this Report, unless otherwise indicated, the terms the "Company,” “Celsius,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Celsius Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiaries.
Overview
Celsius is a functional energy drink company operating in the United States (U.S.) and internationally. We engage in the development, processing, marketing, sale, manufacturing and distribution of functional energy drinks and other products, to a broad range of consumers including fitness enthusiasts. We provide differentiated products with innovative formulas, many of which are clinically proven and are meant to positively impact the lives of our consumers. Our brand has proven to be attractive to a broad range of customers.
Our flagship asset, CELSIUS®, is marketed as a premium lifestyle and energy drink formulated to power active lifestyles. This product line comes in two versions, a 12-ounce ready-to-drink form and an on-the-go powder form. We also offer the CELSIUS® Essentials line, available in 16-ounce cans and a Hydration line of zero-sugar powders that are infused with electrolytes and are available in a variety of fruit-forward flavors.
A key aspect of our value proposition is our emphasis on the functional energy drink category, ensuring that our products deliver clear and proven benefits. To this end, we have invested in research and development from the start, to utilize our proprietary MetaPlus® formulation in our portfolio. Our proprietary blend contains ginger (extract from the root), guarana seed, green tea extract (EGCG), chromium and vitamins.
During 2024, we established an international hub in Dublin, Ireland, through which we manage our global supply chain, marketing operations and our intellectual property. This international hub also oversees co-packing, raw material sourcing and distribution across global markets.
During 2024, we also continued to develop our U.S. Pepsi relationship and expanded our international presence through, among others, the following arrangements:
We announced Pepsi as a distributor in Canada;
We entered into an incentive program with Pepsi which is intended to better align our businesses as we look to grow and expand our product portfolio across the U.S.; and
We entered into several strategic agreements with entities within the Suntory Group, including: an agreement with Lucozade Ribena Suntory Limited, which serves as our exclusive sales and distribution partner in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland; a definitive manufacturing, sales, and distribution agreement with Frucor Suntory to enter into the Australia and New Zealand markets; and definitive sales and distribution agreements with Orangina Schweppes France to expand into France and Schweppes Suntory Benelux SA to expand into Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg.
On November 1, 2024, we acquired Big Beverages for $75.3 million, using cash on hand. Big Beverages has been a longtime Celsius co-packer, and this strategic transaction provides Celsius with a 168,480 square-foot manufacturing facility and a 123,830 square-foot warehouse facility.
On February 20, 2025, we announced that we had entered into a membership interest purchase agreement to acquire Alani Nu for a total consideration comprising (i) $1,275.0 million in cash, subject to adjustment as set forth in the purchase agreement, (ii) an aggregate of 22,451,224 shares of our common stock and (iii) up to $25.0 million in additional cash consideration, payable only if net sales of Alani Nu’s products meet or exceed an agreed target for 2025. The closing of our pending acquisition of Alani Nu is currently expected to occur in the second quarter of 2025, subject to the satisfaction of certain customary closing conditions, including the expiration of the waiting period applicable to the transaction under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended.
We were incorporated in the State of Nevada on April 26, 2005. Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol "CELH".
Our Products
We seek to combine nutritional science with mainstream beverages. Our innovative approach involves the use of our proprietary MetaPlus®formulation. This aligns with our aim to offer everyday refreshments by minimizing artificial additives. Unlike many traditional energy drinks or sodas, CELSIUS®products are free from aspartame and high fructose corn syrup and are very low in sodium.
Our product formulations include beneficial ingredients such as green tea extract (EGCG), ginger (extract from the root), calcium, chromium, B vitamins and vitamin C. We use sucralose, a sugar-derived sweetener, found in Splenda®, to sweeten our products, making them low-calorie and an option suitable for consumers monitoring their sugar consumption.
We introduced our first CELSIUS®functional energy drinks to the marketplace in 2005.
We currently offer four product lines:
CELSIUS®Originals and Vibe: Our initial 12-fluid ounce product line, offered in various flavors and carbonated and non-carbonated forms. We tailor these beverages to meet a variety of consumer tastes and preferences.
CELSIUS ESSENTIALS™: Introduced in 2023, this 16-fluid ounce line is formulated with aminos.
CELSIUS®On-the-Go Powder: This line features the same ingredients contained in our functional energy drinks in a convenient powder form.
CELSIUS® Hydration: Introduced in 2025, this is a line of zero-sugar hydration powders infused electrolytes in a variety of fruit-forward flavors.
Celsius ready-to-drink products are packaged in a distinctive can that uses vivid colors and abstract patterns to create a strong on-shelf impact. The cans are sold in various packaging units and are designed to provide a clean, crisp and more modern look than our competitors' products. In addition to being sugar free, our ready-to-drink product line and powders are non-GMO, kosher, vegan, and soy and gluten free.
Manufacture and Supply of Our Products
Our functional energy drinks and on-the-go powders are primarily produced by well-established beverage co-packers. Additionally, we leverage our in-house manufacturing facility. Utilizing these strategically located resources enables us to efficiently produce and distribute our products. We procure most ingredients and all packaging materials, while both our co-packers and internal operations handle assembly. Our co-packers charge us a fee on a per-case basis. The shelf life of CELSIUS® products ranges from 15 to 24 months.
We, or our co-packers, purchase the raw materials used in our products in accordance with our specifications. Our ingredients are sourced from either domestic or international suppliers, with several reliable options available to us for key components. The ingredients in CELSIUS® products include green tea extract (EGCG), ginger (extract from the root), caffeine, B vitamins, vitamin C, taurine, guarana, chromium, calcium, glucuronolactone, sucralose, natural flavors and natural coloring.
Packaging materials are sourced from multiple suppliers in the U.S. We believe that our co-packing arrangements and supply sources sufficiently meet our present requirements. Currently, we are not dependent upon any one supplier.
Distribution
Pepsi Distribution Agreement
On August 1, 2022, we entered into a distribution agreement with Pepsi (the "Distribution Agreement") relating to the sale and distribution of certain of the Company’s beverage products in existing channels and distribution methods in the U.S., excluding certain existing customer accounts, sales channels, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Under the Distribution Agreement, the Company granted Pepsi the right to sell and distribute its existing beverage products in existing channels and distribution methods, as well as the right to sell and distribute future beverage products that are added from time to time as licensed products under the Distribution Agreement in defined territories. The Distribution Agreement is a master service agreement and can be cancelled without cause by either party in the 19 th year of the term (i.e., 2041), the 29 th year of the term (i.e., 2051) and in each 10 th year thereafter (i.e., 2061, 2071, etc.) by providing twelve months’ written notice on August 1st of the year preceding the year of termination. Except for a termination by the Company “with cause” or a termination by Pepsi “without cause” (each as defined in the Distribution Agreement), the Company is required to pay Pepsi certain compensation upon a termination as specified in the Distribution Agreement.
We agreed to provide Pepsi a right of first offer in the event we intend to (i) manufacture, distribute or sell products in certain additional countries as specified in the Distribution Agreement, or (ii) distribute or sell products in any future channels and distribution methods during the term of the Distribution Agreement. Furthermore, Pepsi agreed to meet and confer in good faith with us regarding the terms and conditions upon which Pepsi might be willing to sell or distribute products, either directly or through local sub-distributors, in certain other additional countries. The Distribution Agreement includes other customary provisions, including non-competition covenants in favor of the Company, representations and warranties, indemnification provisions, insurance provisions and confidentiality provisions. As agreed to with Pepsi, we began shipments to The Pepsi Bottling Group (Canada), ULC ("Pepsi Canada") in the fourth quarter of 2023 and distribution to the Canada market in January 2024. Additionally, under the terms of a channel transition agreement entered into with Pepsi (the "Transition Agreement"), we received payments from Pepsi in exchange for the transition of certain existing distribution rights to Pepsi. In connection with the Distribution Agreement and Transition Agreement, we terminated certain distribution agreements to transition certain territory rights to Pepsi. In connection with entering into the foregoing agreements with Pepsi, we issued and sold to Pepsi approximately 1.5 million shares of our Series A Preferred Stock (“Series A” or “Series A Preferred Stock”) in exchange for cash proceeds of $550 million, excluding transaction costs. For additional information about our agreements with Pepsi, see Note 4. Revenue, Note 11. Related Party Transactionsand Note 12. Mezzanine Equityto our consolidated financial statements contained elsewhere in this Report and the Customers section below.
Domestic
In the U.S. and Canada, we market and sell CELSIUS® products across a diverse range of retail channels, including supermarkets, convenience stores, drugstores, nutritional stores, food service providers, and mass merchants. Our products are widely available in major retail segments, including conventional grocery, natural food stores, convenience stores, fitness centers, mass market retailers, vitamin specialty stores, and e-commerce platforms.
Domestically, we distribute our products through a combination of direct-store delivery ("DSD") networks, independent distributors, and direct sales to retailers. Additionally, our products are available online through leading e-commerce platforms, including Amazon, Instacart, and Walmart.com, ensuring broad accessibility for consumers.
International
Our 2024 international growth initiatives made significant strides in expanding CELSIUS® energy drinks' presence in key global markets. We distribute our products in various foreign regions through regional and country-specific distribution partners, leveraging local market expertise to optimize distribution and brand visibility. With partnerships spanning Canada, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region, we have strategically positioned the brand to meet growing global demand. Notably, sales commenced in France, New Zealand, and Australia in the fourth quarter of 2024, complementing our earlier launches in the United Kingdom and Ireland during the second half of 2024. These efforts demonstrate our commitment to leveraging partnerships, such as those within the Suntory Group, to drive product availability and brand visibility in both established and emerging markets, while utilizing local market expertise to optimize our global expansion strategies.
Customers
Our customer base primarily consists of distributors, e-commerce retailers, and various brick-and-mortar outlets such as grocery and convenience stores, club stores, and health-focused locations such as gyms and nutrition stores. To support and incentivize the distribution, sales and marketing of our products, we rely on and provide various financial incentives. These incentives include but are not limited to volume-based rebates and promotions, placement fees, listing fees, and other discounts.
In 2024, sales to Pepsi constituted 54.7% of our total net revenue, and receivables from Pepsi represented 62.2% of our total receivables as of December 31, 2024. The loss of Pepsi as a customer could significantly impact our operations, potentially resulting in a material adverse effect on our financial results.
Sales and Marketing
In our sales and marketing approach, we prioritize differentiation, ensuring our brands and products stand out visually and distinctively from other beverages on the shelves of retailers. We continuously review and refresh our products and packaging to maintain uniqueness and appeal. In addition to maximizing product visibility in stores, we focus on developing brand awareness through targeted marketing initiatives, such as sporting events, print, radio, and television advertising, alongside direct sponsorships and endorsements to promote our brands. Additionally, our branded vehicles are deployed at events for product sampling and enhancing consumer engagement.
Seasonality
As is common in the functional energy drink industry, product sales tend to be seasonal, with the highest volumes typically occurring during the second and third calendar quarters, aligning with the warmer months in our key markets. However, over the course of a full year, these seasonal fluctuations have not had a material impact on our financial results.
Competition
Our products compete broadly with not only functional energy drinks, but all categories of non-alcoholic liquid refreshments. The functional energy drink and liquid refreshment sectors are highly competitive, and include international, national, regional and local producers and distributors. Our direct competitors in the functional energy drink sector include but are not limited to Monster Beverage Corporation, Red Bull GmbH, The Coca-Cola Company, Pepsi, Keurig Dr Pepper Inc., Nestlé S.A., BlueTriton Brands, Starbucks Corporation, Congo Brands, and Molson Coors.
Intellectual Property Rights
We have registered the CELSIUS® and MetaPlus® trademarks, among others, with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, as well as a number of trademarks in other countries where our products are distributed and sold. Our trademarks are of considerable value and importance to our business, and we actively maintain and renew these registrations to ensure their continued validity.
To protect the proprietary nature of our MetaPlus® formulation and product formulas, we employ measures such as confidentiality agreements with our contract packers and ingredient suppliers. We maintain these formulas as trade secrets, which we believe is the preferable method of protection, as patenting would require disclosure.
In addition, we assert copyright ownership of the statements, graphics, and content on our product packaging and marketing materials. We actively pursue legal action against unauthorized use of our trademarks and copyrights. For simplicity, trademarks, service marks, logos, and trade names in this Report may appear without the® and ™ symbols, but this does not imply a waiver of our rights or those of applicable licensors under the law.
Government Regulation
The production, distribution and sale of our products in the U.S. are subject to numerous federal, state, and local statutes and regulations, including, without limitation the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, the Federal Trade Commission Act, and the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Additionally, various environmental statutes and regulations apply to the production, transportation, sale, safety, advertising, labeling, packaging, and ingredients of our products. This includes adhering to data privacy and personal data protection laws and regulations, such as the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018, in applicable jurisdictions.
We are also subject to various state laws, including California's Proposition 65, which requires that a specific warning appears on any product that contains a component listed by California as having been found to cause cancer or birth defects. While none of our products are required to display warnings under this law, we cannot predict whether an important component of any of our products might be added to the California list in the future. We also are unable to predict whether or to what extent, a warning under this law would have an impact on costs or sales of our products.
Internationally, we rely on outsourced manufacturing and distribution channels, which are subject to compliance with the laws and regulations in the foreign countries where our products are sold. Certain international markets, including countries in the European Union, have specific energy drink standards and ingredient restrictions that we closely monitor and with which we must comply.
Compliance with Environmental Laws
Our co-packers and internal manufacturing facilities in the U.S. are subject to federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations, including those relating to air emissions, the use of water resources and recycling. Similarly, our operations in other countries are governed by respective environmental laws. Changes in environmental compliance mandates, and any expenditures necessary to comply with such requirements, have not to date had a material adverse effect on our capital expenditures, financial results, competitive position or future growth.
Container Deposits
Measures have been enacted in various localities and states that require that a deposit be charged for certain non-refillable beverage containers. The precise requirements imposed by these measures vary by jurisdiction. For certain localities and states, we are required to collect deposits from our customers and to remit such deposits to the respective jurisdictions based upon the number of cans and bottles of certain carbonated and non-carbonated products sold in such states. In many instances, we rely on third party providers and distribution partners to assist with our compliance with the requirements of these regulations.
Other deposit, recycling or product stewardship proposals have been introduced in certain states and localities and in Congress, and we anticipate that similar legislation or regulations may be proposed in the future at the local, state and federal levels, both in the U.S. and elsewhere.
Human Capital Resources
As of December 31, 2024, the Company employed 1,073 people globally, including both direct employees and those engaged through professional employer organizations. This total includes 965 in the Americas (comprising 959 in the U.S. and 6 in Canada), 101 in the EMEA region, and 7 in the APAC region.
Employees
We believe people are our most important assets, and we strive to attract and retain high-performing talent. Through comprehensive and competitive compensation and benefits, ongoing employee education and development, and a focus on health and well-being, we strive to support our employees in all aspects of their lives.
We believe we have a talented, motivated and dedicated team, and work to create an inclusive, safe and supportive environment for all team members.
As a global organization, we recognize and respect the diverse cultural, economic, and regulatory landscapes in which we operate. We aim to adapt our talent management strategies to ensure that we equitably support the members of our global workforce, including tailoring our strategies on a regional basis, whether through localized compensation packages, regional professional development opportunities, or culturally inclusive benefits.
As of December 31, 2024, none of our domestic employees, and only a limited number of our employees located in Europe, were represented by a labor union or have terms of employment that are subject to a collective bargaining agreement. We consider our relationships with our employees to be good and have not experienced any work stoppages.
Diversity
We believe that our culture celebrates diverse talent, individual identity, and different points of view, which includes empowering our employees to contribute new ideas that may contribute to our success. Additionally, women and racial and ethnic minorities collectively constitute a meaningful part of our overall workforce across all levels of our global organization.
Culture and Engagement
We believe empowering employees at all levels is essential to the ongoing improvement of our organization. Open and honest communication among team members, managers and leaders helps create an open, collaborative work environment in which everyone can contribute, grow and succeed. Team members are encouraged to approach their managers with questions, feedback or concerns. We also encourage regular, live communication across the organization and host quarterly global town halls with our senior leadership.
We strive to improve our culture by soliciting employee feedback through surveys, focus groups, and one-on-one meetings. We highly value this feedback, which plays an important role in driving positive change within our policies, culture, and engagement strategies.
Leadership, Training and Development
We focus on investing in our global workforce through learning opportunities designed to enhance our employees' leadership skills and capabilities and to otherwise equip our global workforce with the skills they need to perform effectively while simultaneously improving engagement and retention. We provide formal and informal learning programs, which are designed to help our employees grow and strengthen their skills throughout their careers. We offer a variety of programs that contribute to our leadership, training and development goals, and comprehensive coaching and mentoring programs that support leadership and employee development.
We have designed our leadership development programs to identify and nurture future leaders at every level. We prioritize succession planning, ensuring a pipeline of talent ready to take on leadership roles. Our leadership programs emphasize emotional intelligence, strategic thinking, and decision-making skills, which empower employees to step into leadership positions with confidence and the skills they need to succeed.
Compensation and Benefits
We believe in competitive and equitable compensation that enables our employees to share in our success. We recognize that our people are most likely to thrive when they have the resources necessary to meet their needs and the time and support to succeed in their professional and personal lives. To support this, we offer a wide variety of benefits for our employees around the world and invest in tools and resources designed to support our employees’ individual growth and development.
Our compensation programs are designed to reinforce our growth agenda and talent strategy, as well as to drive a strong connection between the contributions of our employees and their pay. We conduct annual pay equity analyses to help ensure that our base pay structures are fair and to identify and address potential issues or disparities by appropriately adjusting base pay. Also, as permitted by local law, we perform an annual adverse impact analysis on base pay, annual incentives, and long-term incentives to help ensure fairness.
We provide compensation packages designed to attract and retain talent while maintaining alignment with the market. We believe the structure of our compensation packages provides the appropriate incentives to attract, retain and motivate our employees.
Our base pay aligns with employee positions, skill levels, experience, and geographic location. Additionally, we provide competitive employee benefits packages, which vary by country and region. These employee benefits packages may include: employee assistance programs, medical and dental insurance, vision insurance, well-being rewards programs, core and supplemental life insurance, long and short-term disability, accident and critical illness insurance, retirement savings plans, prepaid legal services, healthy rewards programs, identity theft assistance, financial courses and advisors, vacation and holiday pay, annual incentive awards, recognition programs, and equity awards for eligible employees.
The Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors (the "Board") provides oversight of our policies and strategies relating to talent, leadership and culture, including diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as the Company’s compensation philosophies and programs. The Compensation Committee also evaluates and approves our compensation plans, policies and programs applicable to our senior executives. In addition, the Compensation Committee oversees succession planning and talent development for our senior executives.
We believe our approach to human capital resources has been instrumental in our growth and has made us a desirable destination for employees.
Available Information and Use of Our Company Website to Disseminate Information
This Report, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, Proxy Statements on schedule 14A and all amendments to those reports are made available free of charge through the Company’s website, at www.celsiusholdingsinc.com, as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. Additionally, the foregoing reports and amendments thereto are available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.
We inform our investors and the public of material corporate information through various channels, including SEC filings, press releases, public conference calls, webcasts, and our official corporate website at www.celsiusholdingsinc.com. We have used, and expect to continue to use, our website as a means of disclosing material information to the public in a broad, non-exclusionary manner, including for purposes of the SEC's Regulation Fair Disclosure (Reg FD). This information may include, without limitation, updates on our financial performance, significant personnel changes, brand developments, and other pertinent matters. We regard the content posted on our corporate website as potentially material to our investors. Therefore, we encourage our investors, the media, customers, consumers, business partners, and other stakeholders to regularly review the materials we disseminate through these platforms. Periodically, we may modify the list of communication channels for disseminating material information. Any such changes will be communicated and updated on our website. Information contained on, or accessible through, our website is not a part of, and is not incorporated by reference into, this Report or any other filings we make with the SEC.
The text of this filing, as the company filed it with the SEC, without its images or exhibits. This is not investment advice.