Aura Bora Before Shark Tank
Aura Bora is a brand that makes healthy, plant-based sparkling water. Many other popular seltzer drinks are unhealthy, or they contain too much sugar, but Aura Bora is different. This sparkling water contains all-natural ingredients such as natural herbs, pure fruits, and floral extracts. It does not contain any artificial sweeteners or preservatives, and it has zero sugar and zero calories. Although this drink is made from fruit and herbs, it still has a mouthwatering flavor profile. Additionally, Aura Bora sparkling water is available in five delicious flavors such as Lemongrass Coconut, Lavender Cucumber, Cactus Rose, Basil Berry, and Peppermint Watermelon. The drinks can be purchased in singles or in a 12-pack on the Aura Bora website, where a single can cost $1.99 up to $2.29 and a 12-pack costs from $30 to $33.
Aura Bora sparkling water was founded by Paul Voge and his wife, Madeleine Voge, and launched in January of 2020. While Paul is the main founder of the brand, Madeleine is the mastermind working behind the flawless packaging. Leading up to the launch of Aura Bora, Paul had always had a goal set on becoming an entrepreneur. Ever since he was a young child. Before starting this brand, he studied at the University of California, where he graduated with his bachelor’s degree in Political Science. His first job was at Saturn Five, which is a holding company that helps other companies. Aura Bora was his first company he opened following his graduation, although he opened a second business as well. Madeleine, on the other hand, studied at the University of Colorado, where she graduated with her bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. After her graduation, she went on to work as a copywriter for a few companies before moving on to Aura Bora. 
The idea for creating Aura Bora sparkling water came to Paul while he was working at Saturn Five. During his time at that position, he found himself drinking between 8 to 10 cans of sparkling water every day. More specifically, he was drinking the kind of sparkling water that is full of sugar and is highly carbonated. Close to soda. Not only was this a problem for him, but for his family as well, because they weren’t in favor of soda drinking. This led Paul to start searching for a healthier alternative that would still quench his thirst. At first, the founders purchased a SodaStream and messed around with different mixtures that way. By using this method of experimenting, they discovered that they could make sparkling water from all-natural fruit, herbs, and extracts. Thus, creating the Aura Bora sparkling water.
Before officially launching the Aura Bora brand in 2020, Paul and Madeleine showcased their sparkling water drinks at a trade show in October of 2019. This was after a few months of them consistently working to perfect their recipe and create a brand that would pull customers in. The couple personally fulfilled 1,000 cans of Aura Bora to take with them to the trade show. With Madeleine overseeing the packaging, she decided to incorporate a nature-like feeling to the boxes. Animals like sloths, owls, and chameleons became their final design. When they arrived at the show, many people quickly became impressed by the drink and the couple began receiving praise. This eventually led the founders to market their drink in the form of a commercial. Then, in January of 2020, the couple officially launched their brand right as the pandemic was beginning. 
Fortunately, the pandemic couldn’t have affected the business since it was just starting. But it’s not likely that it would have anyway. Following their launch, Aura Bora has expanded quicker than the couple anticipated it would. The drinks were already being distributed in Northern California and Colorado, as well as by brands like KeHe and United Natural Foods, Inc. Additionally, the company hasn’t struggled much as they almost instantly received a branding partnership with an agency known as Moxie Sozo. While the Voges have already created a success of Aura Bora, they’re interested in getting a shark to help them break their products into chain stores, as well as bettering their production rates.
Aura Bora on Shark Tank
Paul and Madeleine Voge entered Shark Tank on season 12 episode 11 with their Aura Bora sparkling water drinks. They are hoping to get a shark’s investment of $150,000 in return for a 5% equity in their brand. The couple begins by telling the sharks about their story and how they came up with the idea for Aura Bora. Paul shares that he was consuming many cans of sparkling water each day, but that they weren’t healthy, which led him to seek a better alternative. After they pitched their drinks to investors, they gave the sharks a sample to try. Based on their facial expressions, it appears that the sharks loved the taste. When asked why they need the help of a shark, Paul reveals that they are struggling to expand into physical retail locations. This was solely because the pandemic was preventing them from being able to go into stores. Nonetheless, Aura Bora was already seen in about 400 stores at the time of filming, but they would like to see the drinks in more. 
When it comes time to speak about their sales data, the Voges share that they have been selling both online and in stores. They also mention that they only own about 74% of the Aura Bora company. With that in mind, the founders did $200,000 in sales up to the point of appearing on the show, and they are expecting that they will reach and exceed $2 million in sales by the end of 2021. Following this discussion, Mark Cuban, Daniel Lubetzky, and Lori Greiner dropped out of the deal almost immediately. They all agreed that the beverage industry is too competitive and that is why they aren’t interested in investing in the brand.
Nonetheless, Aura Bora did still receive two deals to choose from. The first offer was from Robert Herjavec, who offered the couple $200,000 with a 15% equity in return. Though this didn’t seem like a bad deal, the Voges weren’t willing to do a 15% equity. Kevin O’Leary then offers them a $150,000 deal, along with a $0.05 royalty until he’s paid back $500,000 and a 5% equity in Aura Bora. Robert then decreases his asking equity to 12%, which starts a bit of a negotiation between he and the founders. But ultimately, Paul and Madeleine decided to accept Robert’s offer for $200,000 and a 12% equity stake.
Aura Bora Now in 2024 – The After Shark Tank Update
As of 2024, it seems as though the deal with Robert Herjavec has yet to be closed, and, after appearing on Shark Tank, Aura Bora appears to be doing great. The next day after the show aired, the brand received a huge increase in sales, as expected. In addition to that, the company has gained more than 10,000 new followers on their social media, and they’ve earned a verified checkmark. From the looks of it, teaming up with Robert was the best choice they made. Robert isn’t the only investor that is interested in the company. Aura Bora has received an estimated $2 million in additional investment from a wide variety of new investors. Just some of these investors include Marley Williams, Scott Eastwood, and Balanced Breakfast. The Voges have shared that this new investment will go straight towards expanding the Aura Bora brand further. And, already, it seems as though the founders have kept their word on that. 
As of December 2024, Aura Bora has expanded into more than 1,000 retail locations in all 50 states across the globe. Some of the new locations to find this drink are 7-11, Fresh Thyme, Sprouts Farmers Market, and more. Nonetheless, the drinks are no longer being sold in Whole Foods locations as of November. Aura Bora can still, of course, be found on their website and on Amazon as well. Fortunately, the drink has been getting lots of praise on Amazon. In fact, it has even received comments about it being the perfect drink. Considering Aura Bora is in competition with brands like Coca Cola, Nestle, Anheuser Bush, and PepsiCo Inc., that’s quite the achievement. To conclude this update, Aura Bora has certainly turned into a success in such a short matter of time, and they’ve now reached a valuation of $20 million.
