r.World
r.World is a Minneapolis-based Public Benefit Corporation, founded in 2017, that operates a reusable serveware system—r.Cup products backed by r.Turn reverse-logistics technology—for sports venues, music venues, entertainment operators, conventions, and corporate clients across 35 US states and 150+ cities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersMinneapolis, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What r.World does
r.World is a Minneapolis-based Public Benefit Corporation founded in 2017 that provides reusable cups and foodware to sports venues, music venues, entertainment operators, conventions, and corporate clients as a replacement for single-use disposable serveware. The company operates an end-to-end reuse infrastructure that delivers clean serveware to clients, collects it after use, and returns it to its sanitization facilities for redeployment, with the company reporting operations across 35 states, 150+ cities, and 10,000+ events.
The product portfolio consists of two named components: r.Cup, the physical reusable cup and foodware line, and r.Turn, the underlying proprietary platform that powers reverse logistics, tracking, and sanitization operations. Revenue is generated through a service-based model in which the company supplies reusable serveware on a recurring basis—pricing is quote-based, not publicly disclosed, and contracts are typically multi-year enterprise agreements with venues and concessionaires. Distribution runs through direct enterprise field sales supplemented by a channel layer of major US concessionaires and venue operators, including Legends, Levy, Sodexo, Aramark, and Centerplate, plus venue-management relationships with ASM Global and AEG. Strategic partners include Coca-Cola on the corporate side and Closed Loop Partners, Green Sports Alliance, WWF, and Upstream on the sustainability side.
The company's traction is anchored by named flagship accounts such as Colorado Rockies (Coors Field), Crypto.com Arena, Peacock Theater, Madison Square Garden, and LA Coliseum, with reported cumulative impact of 20–25 million single-use items diverted from landfills since inception. Leadership consists of founder/CEO Michael Martin and VP of Product Kevin Soran; the company is privately held, employs 11–50 people, and has raised approximately $4.1 million to date via a Regulation D insider offering in 2023.
r.World firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- r.World
- Legal name
- r.World, PBC
- Website
- https://rcup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- r.World is a Minneapolis-based Public Benefit Corporation, founded in 2017, that operates a reusable serveware system—r.Cup products backed by r.Turn reverse-logistics technology—for sports venues, music venues, entertainment operators, conventions, and corporate clients across 35 US states and 150+ cities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
r.World industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Reusable Serveware Services
- NAICS
- Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing (333310)
- SIC
- Misc Industrial & Commercial Machinery & Equipment (3590)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Reusable Packaging & Refill Systems (Returnable Transport Items, Deposit/DRS Ops) (EUAIANAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Reusable & Refill Packaging Systems (Returnable Packaging, Refill-at-Home/In-Store) (IMALAMAE), Hygiene Packaging & Dispensing Systems (Dispenser Systems, Packs) (IMAMAGAJ)
Keywords
Where r.World is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Minneapolis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
r.World business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Reusable serveware rental and service: r.World provides reusable cups and foodware to venues and events with delivery, collection, and sanitization services. The company operates a service-based model where they supply reusable serveware as an alternative to single-use items, likely charging per-event or on a subscription/service basis.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Custom enterprise pricing for venues and events |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
r.World product offering
Product offeringCore offering
r.World provides reusable cups and foodware to sports venues, music venues, convention centers, and corporate clients as a service-based alternative to single-use disposables. The company operates an end-to-end reuse system that includes delivery of serveware, on-site collection, reverse logistics, and industrial sanitization, powered by its proprietary r.Turn technology platform. Customers contract for the service on a per-event or recurring basis, eliminating the need for venues to manage reusable serveware infrastructure themselves.
Product overview
r.World offers a reusable serveware system as a single unified product. The core offering consists of r.Cup reusable cups and foodware, powered by r.Turn technology. The system provides end-to-end service including delivery of reusable serveware, reverse logistics for collection, and sanitization. The company serves sports venues, music venues, convention centers, corporate campuses, and entertainment events across 35 states and 150+ cities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- r.Cup: The company's signature reusable cup product offered at venues and events.
- r.Turn
Products and services
- r.Cup Reusable Serveware Program End-to-end reusable cup and foodware service for sports venues, music venues, convention centers, cinemas, and corporate clients. Includes delivery of reusable serveware, on-site collection, reverse logistics, and industrial sanitization, providing a turnkey alternative to single-use disposables.
Quantifiable outcome
- 20 million single-use cups and foodware items kept out of landfills globally since 2017
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use r.World
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
r.World technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
r.World partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and strategic.
- Colorado Rockies (Coors Field)coreColorado Rockies announced partnership with r.World to provide reusable r.Cups at Coors Field baseball stadium, marking a significant sports venue partnership.
- ASM GlobalcoreASM Global is a leading venue management company. Shaun Beard from ASM Global stated 'r.World is clearly the top company in its field,' indicating a strong endorsement and partnership relationship.
- Crypto.com ArenacoreCrypto.com Arena expanded sustainability commitment through a full-time reusable cup program in collaboration with r.World for sporting events and concerts.
- Peacock TheatercorePeacock Theater expanded sustainability commitment through a full-time reusable program in collaboration with r.World.
- AEGmajorAEG is a global sports and entertainment company listed as a partner on r.World's website.
- LevymajorLevy is a hospitality and food service company that serves as a concessionaire partner for r.World reuse solutions.
- LegendsmajorLegends is a hospitality management company listed as a venue partner.
- SodexomajorSodexo is a food services and facilities management company listed as a partner.
- AramarkmajorAramark is a food service, facilities, and uniform services provider listed as a partner.
- CenterplatemajorCenterplate is an event hospitality company listed as a partner.
- Closed Loop PartnersstrategicClosed Loop Partners is a sustainability-focused investment firm listed as a partner, indicating strategic alignment in circular economy initiatives.
- Coca-Cola CompanymajorCoca-Cola Company is listed as a venue/corporate partner.
- Green Sports AlliancestrategicGreen Sports Alliance is a nonprofit organization that helps sports organizations enhance environmental performance, listed as a partner.
- UpstreamstrategicUpstream is a clean water organization listed as a partner, indicating alignment on environmental initiatives.
- World Wildlife Fund (WWF)strategicWWF is listed as a partner, indicating alignment on environmental conservation initiatives.
- Madison Square GardenmajorMadison Square Garden is listed as a music/venue partner.
- LA ColiseummajorLA Coliseum is listed as a sports venue partner.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
r.World competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- CupClub: CupClub offers tracked reusable cup systems for events and corporate campuses, addressing the same venue-driven reuse use case with an IoT-tracking emphasis.
Broad incumbents
- Novolex: Novolex is a large specialty packaging producer including foodservice disposables, overlapping with r.World at the venue procurement level and increasingly offering sustainable lines.
- Eco-Products (Novolex): Eco-Products is a leading supplier of compostable foodservice packaging and a primary alternative to reuse systems at venues. It represents the substitution threat rather than direct reuse competition.
- Pactiv Evergreen: Pactiv is a major foodservice packaging manufacturer with a broad disposables portfolio, competing for the same venue procurement budgets as r.World via single-use alternatives.
- Dart Container: Dart Container is one of the largest manufacturers of disposable cups, containers, and foodservice packaging in North America, representing the entrenched incumbents whose volumes r.World is targeting to displace.
Direct peers
- TURN: TURN operates a reusable cup system at major concerts, festivals, and stadiums, with similar reverse-logistics and venue-direct sales motion to r.World. It is the most direct North American competitor in event-venue reuse.
- Algramo: Algramo provides reusable and refillable packaging systems across foodservice and consumer goods, using a comparable circular-economy service model targeting retailers and venues.
- MIWA: MIWA builds smart reusable and refill packaging infrastructure with reverse logistics for retail and foodservice, addressing the same reusable-packaging-as-a-service category as r.World.
Regional players
- CIRCULA: Germany-based CIRCULA operates returnable cup and foodware systems for events and stadiums, directly comparable to r.World but focused on the European DACH market.
Others
- Closed Loop Partners: Closed Loop Partners is both a strategic partner of r.World and a broader investor/incubator in the circular economy and reuse infrastructure space, making it an adjacent ecosystem participant.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
r.World social profiles
Digital presencer.World financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
r.World leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
r.World funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
r.World M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about r.World
What does r.World do?
r.World provides reusable cups and foodware to sports venues, music venues, convention centers, and corporate clients as a service-based alternative to single-use disposables. The company operates an end-to-end reuse system that includes delivery of serveware, on-site collection, reverse logistics, and industrial sanitization, powered by its proprietary r.Turn technology platform. Customers contract for the service on a per-event or recurring basis, eliminating the need for venues to manage reusable serveware infrastructure themselves.
Is r.World a public or private company?
r.World is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was r.World founded?
r.World was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is r.World based?
r.World is headquartered in Minneapolis, United States, in the North America region.
How does r.World make money?
One revenue line is on record: reusable serveware rental and service.
Who are r.World's main competitors?
CupClub is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Novolex, Eco-Products (Novolex), Pactiv Evergreen and Dart Container. Direct peers are TURN, Algramo and MIWA. CIRCULA is listed as a regional player. Closed Loop Partners is listed as an others.
Does r.World have an API?
No public API is recorded for r.World.
What industry is r.World in?
r.World's product category is Reusable Serveware Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAIANAE, Reusable Packaging & Refill Systems (Returnable Transport Items, Deposit/DRS Ops), with a secondary code of IMALAMAE, Reusable & Refill Packaging Systems (Returnable Packaging, Refill-at-Home/In-Store). Its NAICS code is 333310 and its SIC code is 3590.