What air up does

air up is a Munich-headquartered consumer products company founded in 2018/2019 by five co-founders (Lena Jüngst, Tim Jäger, Fabian Schlang, Simon Nüesch, Christian Hauth, and Jannis Koppitz) that has built a proprietary hydration system around scent-based flavor delivery. The core technology, branded Scentaste, exploits retronasal olfaction — the principle that roughly 80% of taste perception derives from smell rather than taste buds — by channeling aroma-laden air from replaceable Scent Pods through a straw during drinking, so the brain registers flavor while the user consumes plain water. The product portfolio centers on a family of reusable bottles (Click, Twist, Twist Pro, Twist Pro Steel) and 25+ replaceable Scent Pod flavors (e.g., Wild Berry, Watermelon, Cherry Cola, Peach) produced in Austria (bottles) and the Netherlands (flavors), with bottles retailing from $34.99 and pod 3-packs starting at $8.99.

The business model combines one-time hardware sales with recurring consumable revenue from Scent Pods, creating a razor/blade dynamic with reported clinical outcomes including doubled daily water intake over four weeks. The go-to-market evolved from a pure direct-to-consumer webshop model (shop.air-up.com) launched in Germany with an 80,000-bottle sellout in under six weeks, through Amazon storefronts in five countries, to a hybrid D2C-plus-physical-retail model anchored by UK listings in Boots (610 stores) and Sainsbury's (~400 stores) added in March 2026. The company serves health-conscious consumers, athletes (endorsed by Toni Kroos), and broader UK retail shoppers across 14 markets, operating with approximately 200 employees, a 15-million-member community, and cumulative disclosed funding of approximately $67.9 million including strategic backing from PepsiCo.

Name

air up

Legal name

air up inc.

Website

https://shop.air-up.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

air up is a Munich-based consumer products company that sells reusable drinking bottles paired with proprietary Scent Pods using scent-based flavor technology (Scentaste) to deliver flavored water without additives, serving health-conscious consumers across 14 markets via D2C, Amazon, and retail.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Consumer Hydration Drinkware

NAICS

Bottled Water Manufacturing (312112), Beverage Manufacturing (3121), Soft Drink Manufacturing (312111)

SIC

Bottled & Canned Soft Drinks & Carbonated Waters (2086), Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Bottled Water (Still, Sparkling, Enhanced) (CRADAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sports Drinks & Hydration Beverages (CRADAHAK), Flavored/Enhanced Bottled Water Production (Essenced, Vitamin, Electrolyte) (AFAFACAF)

Keywords

• Scent-flavored water
• Reusable water bottles
• Scent pod consumables
• Hydration drinkware
• Retronasal olfaction technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Munich

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Bottle Hardware Sales: One-time purchase of reusable bottles (Click, Twist, Twist Pro, Twist Pro Steel models) made from Tritan Renew or stainless steel. Bottles range from $34.99 to higher tiers for premium models.
2. Scent Pod Consumables: Recurring consumable revenue from replaceable flavor pods. Each pod flavors 5+ liters of water and must be replaced when depleted. Available in 3-packs ($8.99) and variety packs ($9.99-$12.99). Pod variety includes Wild Berry, Watermelon, Cherry Cola, Peach, and more.
3. Amazon Sales: Sales through Amazon marketplace in US, UK, Germany, Italy, and Australia - additional distribution channel alongside official webshop.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

air up manufactures and sells reusable drinking bottles (Click, Twist, Twist Pro, Twist Pro Steel) paired with replaceable Scent Pods that flavor plain water through scent rather than additives. Bottles are sold as one-time hardware purchases while Scent Pods generate recurring consumable revenue, with distribution through the company's own webshop, Amazon, and physical retail partners Boots and Sainsbury's in the UK.

Product overview

air up® is a hydration company that makes flavored water through a proprietary scent-based technology called Scentaste™. The product portfolio centers on reusable bottles (Click, Twist, Twist Pro, Twist Pro Steel) that work with replaceable Scent Pods containing natural aromas. The core innovation is retronasal olfaction—pods release scent compounds that the brain perceives as flavor while users drink plain water. The company produces over 20 bottle types in Austria and 25+ flavor pods in the Netherlands, active across 14 markets. Business model combines direct-to-consumer online sales with retail distribution (Boots, Sainsbury's, Amazon stores).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• air up® Click Bottle Lightweight reusable bottle with a one-click lid mechanism and integrated ActiveOn mouthpiece that auto-activates the Scent Pod. Made from Tritan Renew (BPA-, BPS-, phthalate-free), 600ml capacity, 170g weight, intended for everyday scented hydration.
• air up® Twist Bottle Entry-level reusable bottle with manual pod activation, designed for still water only. Made from lightweight BPA-free Tritan plastic (50% recycled content), 650ml capacity.
• air up® Twist Pro Bottle Next-generation reusable bottle with a removable adapter and wider opening for easy filling. Compatible with both still and sparkling water, available in 600ml and 1000ml sizes.
• air up® Twist Pro Steel Bottle Premium insulated reusable bottle with double-wall stainless steel construction that keeps water cold for up to 24 hours. Compatible with still and sparkling water, available in 480ml and 850ml sizes with a refined matte finish.
• air up® Straw Reusable straw that delivers scent-based flavor from any glass, mug, or bottle without requiring an air up bottle. Pod sits directly on the mouthpiece with always-active flavor. Made from food-grade silicone mouthpiece and polypropylene straw.
• air up® Scent Pods Replaceable flavor pods containing natural aromas from fruits, herbs, and spices blended into an air-permeable fleece. Each pod flavors at least 1.3 gallons (~5 liters) of water. Available in 25+ flavors including Wild Berry, Watermelon, Cherry Cola, Peach, Lemon, and Mango Passion Fruit.
• Fun Faves Variety Pack (3 Pods) 3-pod variety pack priced at $9.99 ($0.67 per liter), containing Kola (intensity 4/5), Watermelon (intensity 4/5), and Wild Berry (intensity 3/5).
• Flavor Fiesta Variety Pack (5 Pods) 5-pod variety pack priced at $12.99 ($0.52 per liter), containing Cherry Kola, Peach, Wild Berry, Lemon, and Mango Passion Fruit. Marketed as the best-value pack per liter.
• Starter Sets Bundled starter set combining a Click bottle (in Rose Cobalt, Glacier Blue, or Midnight Black) with a Fun Faves 3-pod variety pack. Priced at $39.99 with 11% savings versus separate purchase.

Quantifiable outcome

• Clinically proven to double daily water intake in just 4 weeks
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• BootscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 26 March 2026UK health and beauty retailer with 610 store locations now stocking air up products. This partnership represents air up's deepening UK retail expansion, bringing challenger hydration brand into physical retail beyond D2C model.
• Sainsbury'scoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 26 March 2026UK supermarket chain with approximately 400 stores now carrying air up products including new Tumbler and Big Click bottle launches. Sainsbury's is the first major grocery retail partnership for air up, expanding beyond D2C into grocery channel.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cirkul: Cirkul sells reusable water bottles with replaceable flavor cartridges that customize taste intensity — a near-exact business model analog to air up's bottle + pod system, with comparable razor/blade economics.
• Flavor Beast: Flavor Beast offers enhanced hydration systems and flavor pods for water bottles, targeting the same consumer segment of health-conscious drinkers seeking flavored water without sugar.

Broad incumbents

• SodaStream: SodaStream is the dominant at-home carbonation and flavoring system globally; it competes for the same use case (making plain water more interesting) and benefits from PepsiCo ownership, the same strategic investor backing air up.
• Brita: Brita dominates the household water-filtration category; both brands sell reusable hydration hardware positioned around better-tasting water, though Brita focuses on filtration rather than flavor.
• Thermos Brand: Thermos is a leading reusable bottle and hydration hardware brand sold across mass retail; comparable to air up's premium reusable bottle portfolio (Twist Pro Steel, Click) at the product/hardware level.
• Spindrift: Spindrift is a fast-growing enhanced/sparkling water brand in the same zero-additive, better-flavor hydration positioning; competes for the same health-conscious consumer and shelf space at retailers like Sainsbury's.
• LaCroix: LaCroix is the US market leader in flavored sparkling water, taking direct share from sweetened soft drinks; competes for the same use case (flavor without sugar/calories) via a different delivery model.

Emerging players

• ICEA: ICEA is a UK-based flavored water brand selling through similar UK retail channels (including Sainsbury's); overlaps with air up in targeting UK consumers seeking flavored water without sugar.
• HidrateSpark: HidrateSpark makes smart reusable water bottles with hydration tracking; adjacent to air up in the premium smart-hydration category, targeting similar fitness/health-conscious consumers.
• MyFlipBottle: MyFlipBottle sells reusable water bottles with replaceable flavor pods/caps; the closest direct model competitor to air up's scent-pod system, operating at a smaller scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@airup/shorts
• Xx.com/airup_official
• Facebookfacebook.com/airup.official
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/air-up

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors5 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about air up