Suja Life, the Oceanside maker of cold-pressed juices, wellness shots and Slice sodas, went public today, as its shares began trading on the Nasdaq. The offering was priced at $21 a share, but the stock slid once trading opened.
The company sold 8,888,889 Class A shares at $21 each, raising about $186.7 million in gross proceeds and roughly $173.6 million in net proceeds after underwriting discounts and commissions, according to coverage by Investing.com. Suja Life said it plans to use the proceeds to acquire LP units in its holdings vehicle and to pay down a large portion of its outstanding debt.
Heavy leverage and a production scale that matters
Regulatory filings show Suja Life carried substantial leverage into the market: its S-1 reported about $267.5 million in term loan debt and roughly $40 million in outstanding revolving credit facility debt as of Dec. 29, 2025. The company also told investors it operates a vertically integrated, high-pressure processing facility that handles roughly 1 million pounds of organic produce each week. Those figures underpinned management’s pitch that public capital could accelerate brand investment while helping stabilize the balance sheet, according to GlobeNewswire.
Market reaction: a soft welcome
The stock opened below the IPO price and traded down roughly 14% on its first day, trimming the company’s initial market valuation. Market watchers noted that Suja priced the deal at the low end of its marketed $21–$24 range, a sign the bookrunners were pricing to demand instead of chasing a big first-day pop, as reported by The San Diego Union-Tribune.
What it means for Oceanside
For North County, the listing marks a milestone. Suja was founded in 2012 and has been rebuilt under private-equity owner Paine Schwartz since 2021. CEO Maria Stipp told The San Diego Union-Tribune she was "super thrilled to get to this moment," and company leaders say the offering will help pay down debt and fuel brand investment after the Paine Schwartz turnaround. Background on the 2021 deal is available from Paine Schwartz.
Suja Life trades under the ticker SUJA on Nasdaq, and the company and its underwriters expect to close the offering on May 8, subject to customary conditions. The full prospectus and related filings are available through the SEC, and Nasdaq's MarketSite hosted the company’s opening-bell celebration, highlighted by Nasdaq.
