Your name: Carly Demco & Amrita Dhillon

Year the company was started:  2024

Where are the products made?

ProPOP is a Canadian-made brand based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Our products are manufactured in Airdrie, Alberta.

What is the ‘key ingredient’ that makes your product line special? 

Protein is the key ingredient that makes ProPOP unique. Each can delivers 20g of protein from whey protein isolate and collagen peptides in a light, refreshing sparkling water format. By pairing high quality protein with carbonation and clean ingredients, ProPOP offers a new way to consume protein without the heaviness of traditional shakes, making it easy to enjoy anytime, anywhere.

What motivated you to start your company and create the products that we see today? 

As co-founders and best friends since sixth grade, we’ve grown up sharing the same values around health, balance, and showing up for ourselves. We are both active and have always prioritized protein as part of our daily routines, aiming for roughly 0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight.

Yet despite knowing how important protein is, we constantly struggle with the options available. Everything felt like a thick, chalky, milky shake that was hard to get down. Choking back protein drinks became a chore, especially when we were busy, on the go, or simply didn’t want something heavy.

We wanted to create something that made getting protein easy, convenient, and enjoyable. A product that felt light, refreshing, and fit seamlessly into real life without compromising on nutrition. That shared frustration, combined with a lifelong friendship and complementary strengths, is what led us to build ProPOP, a sparkling protein water designed for the way people actually live.

What are your company’s core values?

At ProPOP, our core values are rooted in simplicity, balance, and accessibility. We believe taking care of your body should fit seamlessly into everyday life, not feel complicated or restrictive.

We value creating products that are clean, functional, and enjoyable, using simple ingredients and delivering real nutritional benefits without unnecessary additives. Convenience matters to us, which is why we focus on making protein easy to consume on the go, without the heaviness or compromise of traditional options.

As a Canadian-made, female-founded brand, we are committed to building something with integrity, transparency, and long-term impact. Above all, we aim to empower people to fuel themselves in a way that feels good, sustainable, and realistic for busy, active lifestyles.

If you could tell a retailer three things about what makes your brand different, what would they be? 

• Our packaging has strong shelf appeal and is designed to stand out in a retail setting.

• We offer clean, functional blends that are organic, kosher, and free from anything artificial.

• Our tea bags are plastic-free, made from non-GMO sugarcane fiber, and sealed without glue or staples.

What are some challenges you’ve had to overcome to bring your business to its current state?

One of the biggest challenges we’ve faced has been formulating a clean product that delivers meaningful protein while still tasting great and remaining competitively priced in the beverage space. Balancing clean ingredients, functionality, and affordability has required extensive testing and thoughtful decision-making.

Neither of us came from a traditional retail background, so navigating the retail landscape has been a significant learning curve. From understanding buyer expectations to managing distribution and operations, we’ve learned quickly by being hands-on, adaptable, and open to guidance.

Shipping has also presented its own challenges. Beverages are heavy, logistics costs add up quickly, and ensuring product arrives efficiently and in great condition has required careful planning as we scale.

Each of these challenges has helped shape ProPOP into a stronger, more resilient business, and has reinforced our commitment to building a brand thoughtfully and sustainably for the long term.

If you could tell a retailer three things about what makes your brand different, what would they be?

1. ProPOP is Canada’s first sparkling protein water, offering a truly differentiated format in a crowded beverage and protein category. It delivers 20g of protein in a light, refreshing, non-milky sparkling water that consumers actually enjoy drinking.

2. ProPOP is made with clean, simple ingredients. Each can contains only five real ingredients, just 4g of sugar, and 100 calories, with no artificial sweeteners or colours, aligning with growing demand for better-for-you beverages.

3. ProPOP is a Canadian-made, female-founded brand designed for everyday convenience. It fits seamlessly into busy lifestyles and multiple consumption occasions, helping drive repeat purchase and strong retail performance.