Over 10% of the US population unknowingly sips sugar from their beverages. Splash Beverage does things differently!

Thousands of sugar-free versions contain sweeteners that do not align with a healthier option. Mountain Dew and Coca-cola are still the number one sugary drinks, and it seems that fewer soft-drinkers want an alternative. There came a need for a company that will not seek to overwhelm their customers with their drinks, but make them healthier with every gulp.

Robert Nistico, a major RedBull fan, dedicated his life to creating beverages that will not only thrill the body but awaken the mind, as well. With his Splash Beverage Group, Robert re-invented the beverage industry into one healthier version of its past self. Made from no added colors or preservatives, Splash Beverage boosts endurance, while hydrating the body.

Want to know how Robert experienced RedBull’s first billion and was inspired to make his beverage powerhouse? Continue below.

Early Start

Robert Nistico was born in Denver, Colorado in the late 1980s. Growing up, Robert showed true signs of intelligence as well as creativity. He learned how to talk quite early, and his ideas haven’t stopped pouring out since then. His parents regarded him as being born under a lucky star, and his smooth-talking skills could get him out of any trouble. Robert excelled at school, being specifically gifted with physics and mathematics, even though those areas did not spark up that much attention.

However, Robert’s head was always in the clouds and he adored astronomy. He could name all planets before elementary, and this was what he considered his calling.

Robert had dreams of making it big in the land of dreams, and a college degree was one of his ways of getting closer to it. His keen interests included astronomy and mathematics, which lead him to study astrophysics in later years.

If one thing could make Robert eternally happy, it was soft drinks. He would love to taste different wines, beers, and energy drinks to one day wish to have a beverage that he could call his own. This is what got him into studying finances right after college, so he can one day start his own start-up journey.

In the meantime, Robert had met the woman of his dreams and married off to another state. His journey would continue once he moved to Key West, Florida, and got a job at a local Eckerd drugstore.

While Robert was trying to make ends meet, his wife worked beside him as a bar manager.

Crossing Paths

Robert’s entrepreneurship started completely by accident. He had the wish, but not the tools to begin with it. One lucky day, Robert and his wife were conversing at work when two distributors from Gallo Winery walked in. Even though the two distributors came to sell Bartles and Jaymes, they ended up having such a lovely discussion with Robert and his better half that they were invited out to dinner.

After some wining and dining, Robert and his wife were invited to a fishing trip which lastly ended with Robert getting an interview for a job position.

Robert aced the interview and got a job at Gallo Winery, just to get a sip of what the beverage industry tastes like. Once he was in it, he was hooked. However, Robert looked for more fitness-aimed beverages which will reignite the energy and hydrate the body, without drowning it in sugar.

This is what led him to leave Diageo because he wanted to explore the whole gist of the entire beverage industry and not just wineries. He spent a lot of hours and many days of the week trying to understand the intricacies of the beverage industry in the US.

A Splash of Good Luck

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Robert had the pleasing opportunity to work with RedBull, as the fifth employee of the company in North America. He experienced RedBull's rise from zero sales to $1.4 billion in a few short years. This is where Robert would acquire business skills that will drive his future start-up into stardom. Robert now knew strategic brand marketing, management, and production. After many blissful, and energetic memories in RedBull, Robert finally felt secure enough to venture into his own business journey, which he did by launching the Marle Beverage Company. This was a groundbreaking milestone for Robert, as he got to work with Bob Marley’s actual family to get a licensing deal to sell teas and sodas under the popular name.

This first business encouraged Robert to dig even deeper, and what he was doing seemed to work as Marley Beverages had made over $55M in under three years.

Despite already accomplished success in the beverage industry, Robert launched another startup that will focus on keeping the ingredient list all-natural and the health benefits overflowing. His new Splash Beverage Group Inc. will produce soft beverages that will contain no artificial sweeteners, no preservatives, and of course, no alcohol.

Splash Beverages Group was founded in late 2011, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida where Robert and his wife came to make their dreams come true.

Pilling Up Milestones

Splash Group Beverages prides itself on making healthy soft drinks that will increase customers’ physical endurance, like an energy drink, as well as hydrate and refresh the body. The platform supports many beverage brands and connects them to loyal drinkers who enjoy their products.

On November 17, 2017, Splash Beverages raised $196.5K in a seed round. This meant that the company had garnered some recognition, and that’s thanks to partnering up with huge beverage brands like Bacardi and Red Bull.

Over the years, Robert learned that Splash Beverages excels at distribution, which gave them a step further from other companies in the beverage industry. He and his expert teammates made sure that their products were promptly delivered on shelves. On July 8, 2019, Splash Beverages Group raised another $100K in a seed round.

Splash Beverage Group, like many long-lasting companies, experienced some downsides to its longevity, and it planned an Initial Public Offering in May 2021. There, Robert and his Splash aimed at raising over $15M by offering $2.5M of its shares.

Splash Beverage’s lifetime sadly ended on March 31, 2021, however, Robert plans to come back as a listing on the NYSE American uplisting.

Splash Beverages, Today

Splash Beverages Group’s headquarters are still in Fort Lauderdale, Florida but plans on expanding globally. The company has up to 10 employees who work on new flavored, healthy drinks that will refresh the body, mind, and soul.

The company produces popular brand drinks from TapouT Performance, an isotonic energy drink, and SALT Naturally Flavored Tequila. Over the years, Splash also acquired seven varieties of wine through the powerhouse Copa di Vino.

The total estimated amount that Splash has raised in funding equals over $296.5K. Robert experienced further success as a servant of the Board of Apollo Brands in Texas.

Robert and his Splash Beverages are proof that sometimes destiny is inevitable, and that the true calling is often discovered during childhood. From a fan of soft drinks to a man helping Red Bull gross billions, to a distributor of some of the best natural-based, energizing beverages with Splash, Robert had quite the journey.

However, before securing Splash’s place under the sun, Robert and his company had to shake off the competition coming from brands like BevMo!, Binny’s, and Total Wine, among others.

Robert’s business model included a healthy benefit, unlike most of the competition. His company offered less-sugary, yet refreshingly sweet options for fitness enthusiasts. The fantastic taste, and energized feels are just bonuses, as Splash Beverages Group provides health sippable from a cup!