Hiyo Raises New Funding Round to Expand Non-Alcoholic Social Tonic Distribution

Hiyo, the non-alcoholic social tonic brand co-founded by Evan Quinn, George Youmans, and Cygne Cooper, has raised a new round of funding as it looks to deepen retail distribution and build its presence across social venues.

The brand traces its origins to April 2019, when Quinn and Youmans responded to family members being hospitalized with alcohol-related issues by stepping back from drinking, according to the company's account of its own history. Seeing a gap in the market for a non-alcoholic beverage that could hold its own at social occasions, the two developed the concept alongside Cooper, a college friend. Hiyo launched its first three flavors in May 2021, per the company, and has since expanded to a wider lineup of canned beverages. The company describes itself as one of the fastest-growing beverage brands in the United States and says its products are available in thousands of stores and social spaces across the country. Variety packs are sold direct-to-consumer at $44.99 each, per the company's website.

The brand positions its canned social tonics as a purpose-built alternative for drinking occasions, aimed at consumers who want to participate in social rituals without consuming alcohol. That occasion-based framing, rather than a strict health positioning, has become one of the more distinctive angles in a non-alc category crowded with wellness-led messaging.

Why it matters

The non-alcoholic and low-alcohol beverage category has drawn sustained investor attention as mainstream retailers continue to expand shelf space for functional alternatives. Hiyo's capital raise for distribution reflects a pattern now well-established across the segment: brands that built direct-to-consumer credibility early are pushing into traditional retail and on-premise channels, where volume and repeat exposure accelerate brand recognition. What makes Hiyo's story somewhat distinct is its founding narrative, rooted in personal experience with alcohol-related harm rather than generic ingredient marketing. That kind of consumer story can travel beyond shelf talkers, potentially reducing the cost of trial in new markets. For larger beverage companies evaluating the non-alc landscape, continued investment activity in this cohort signals that the structural shift in drinking habits is durable, not a pandemic-era blip.

What to watch

The open question is where Hiyo concentrates the new capital. Grocery and convenience retail offer scale but also intensifying competition from established non-alc brands with deep distributor relationships. Social venues and hospitality formats, where Hiyo's occasion-based positioning arguably commands more natural relevance, represent a different kind of buildout. How the company allocates between those two routes will shape both its unit economics and its long-term competitive footing in the category.

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Sources

• hiyo social tonics: non-alcoholic functional seltzers
• hiyo | our story