Sanzo

Sanzo was founded in 2019 by Sandro Roco, a Filipino American who grew up in the New York City metro area.^[1][2] Roco had the idea to start the company in mid-2018, citing a lack of Asian-inspired beverages in American grocery markets. Roco stated, "Crazy Rich Asians was the number one film at the box office, Korean pop was hitting a fever pitch, and the influence of Asian food and culture was really starting to make its mark on American culture. But when I walked the beverage aisles at both markets like Whole Foods and H-Mart, I didn’t feel there was anything properly capturing this shift in culture."^[3] Sanzo's initial flavors were calamansi, lychee, and mango.^[3]

In August 2020, Sanzo raised US$1.3 million in seed funding.^[4]

In February 2022, Sanzo announced a new yuzu flavor^[5] and shared that they had raised $10 million in Series A funding led by CircleUp Growth Partners.^[6] In March 2022, they became available in Whole Foods nationwide,^[7] which Roco cited as when "things started getting pretty interesting for us.^[8]" Later that year, Sanzo partnered with professional basketball player Jeremy Lin to release a limited Asian pear flavor for the 10th anniversary of "Linsanity", a cultural phenomenon in response to Lin's performance during the 2011–12 NBA season.^[9][10]

In February 2023, Sanzo announced a new pomelo flavor.^[11] As of March 2023, the company had 18 employees and their drinks were available at Whole Foods Market, Target, and Panda Express, among other retailers.^[1]

In 2025, Sanzo discontinued their sugar free drinks and began adding sugar to their beverages.

• Official website