Stack-Cup
Stack-Cup is a UK manufacturer of patented reusable stacking cups with a spiral handle design, serving festivals, stadiums, arenas, and corporate venues with custom-branded drinkware plus washing and logistics services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- Headquarters—
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Stack-Cup does
Stack-Cup (legal entity STACK-CUP UK LIMITED) is a privately held UK manufacturer based in Stockton-on-Tees, North East England, specializing in patented reusable drinkware built around a globally patented spiral handle and spiral base geometry that interlocks cups so users can carry four or more drinks in one hand without cardboard trays. The core Stack-Cup™ platform spans pint-to-brim (625ml), pint-to-line (568ml), and half-pint (330ml) formats, with additions including hot drinks cups (10oz/12oz/14oz), a 350ml full-colour stackable wine cup, Half Pint Full Colour, and Pint to Line Single Colour SKUs. Manufacturing is vertically integrated with in-house In-Mould Labelling (IML) digital printing using food-grade BPA-free polypropylene, producing 20,000 cups per day with a 48-hour express turnaround, 500+ wash-cycle durability, and UKCA/CE compliance. A Smart Stack-Cup variant embeds QR codes during the IML process for asset tracking, remaining scannable for 500+ washes and integrating with EPOS and RFID infrastructure.
The company generates revenue through a mix of one-time custom-printed cup sales (minimum 50 units, unit pricing £0.38–£1.55 depending on SKU and volume), B2B trade/wholesale accounts with dedicated account management and volume discounts, and recurring-style managed services including cup rental/hire and nationwide washing and logistics for festivals and events. Go-to-market is dual: a direct-to-consumer e-commerce site with online quoting and artwork upload for SMB and self-serve buyers, paired with enterprise field sales and dedicated trade account managers targeting major venues, festivals, and stadiums — with capacity for orders up to 500,000+ units and price-match guarantees. Primary customer segments are music and cultural festivals and stadiums/arenas, with secondary segments in corporate/B2B and hospitality & food service. Notable customers include BRIT Awards, Coca-Cola, Bud Light, OVO Hydro Glasgow, Green Man Festival, Standon Calling, Pub in the Park, Motorpoint Arena Nottingham, and Birmingham County FA. The company operates a secondary brand, Drinksmate, used on certain product pages.
Stack-Cup firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Stack-Cup
- Legal name
- STACK-CUP UK LIMITED
- Website
- https://stack-cup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Stack-Cup is a UK manufacturer of patented reusable stacking cups with a spiral handle design, serving festivals, stadiums, arenas, and corporate venues with custom-branded drinkware plus washing and logistics services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Stack-Cup industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Reusable Drinkware
- NAICS
- Plastics Bottle Manufacturing (32616), Plastics Bottle Manufacturing (326160)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Beverage Rigid Plastic Packaging (Water, CSD, Juice Bottles) (IMALAAAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Beverage Packaging (Bottles, Cans, Cartons, Kegs) (IMALAHAD)
Keywords
Stack-Cup business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Custom Printed Cup Sales: One-time sale of custom printed reusable cups to venues, festivals, and events. Revenue generated from unit pricing with volume discounts. Minimum order quantities start at 50 units.
- Cup Rental/Hire Services: Comprehensive hire service for festivals and events where customers rent cups, use them, and the company collects them for washing. Circular economy model for one-off or annual events.
- Washing and Logistics Services: Full washing and logistics support including nationwide collection, industrial washing to food-safe standards, and storage or return of cups for next events.
- Trade/Wholesale Accounts: B2B trade accounts for bulk orders with dedicated account management, volume discounts, VAT invoicing, and payment terms for qualifying business clients.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Pint Cups (Single Colour) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Full Colour IML Printed Cups |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Hot Drinks Cups |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Stackable Wine Cups |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Stack-Cup product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Stack-Cup manufactures custom printed reusable plastic drinkware featuring a globally patented spiral handle design that allows cups to interlock and be carried in stacks of 4+ drinks without trays. The product range spans pint cups, half pints, hot drinks cups, and stackable wine cups sold to festivals, stadiums, arenas, and corporate clients across the UK, complemented by industrial washing and logistics services for full cup lifecycle management. Production takes place at the company's Stockton-on-Tees facility with a 48-hour express turnaround and 20,000-cup daily capacity.
Product overview
Stack-Cup is a UK-based manufacturer of patented reusable drinkware featuring a unique spiral handle design that allows customers to carry multiple cups without trays. The product portfolio centers on the patented Stack-Cup™ platform available in multiple formats: pint-to-brim (625ml), pint-to-line (568ml), and half-pint (330ml) sizes. Supporting products include hot drinks cups (10oz/12oz/14oz) and stackable wine cups (350ml). The Smart Stack-Cups add-on integrates QR code technology for asset tracking and digital engagement. Services include washing and logistics solutions for the complete cup lifecycle. All products use BPA-free polypropylene, are UKCA/CE marked, and are designed for 500+ wash cycles.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Drinksmate: Brand name used on certain product pages including Hot Drinks Cup and Single Colour Pint cups.
Products and services
- Stack Cup™ – Pint to Brim
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 15% increase in bar sales for venues
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Stack-Cup
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Stack-Cup technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature4 records
Stack-Cup partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Stack-Cup competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- KeepCup: Established global reusable cup brand with broad retail and foodservice distribution — overlaps with Stack-Cup's corporate/B2B and hospitality segments, though KeepCup is consumer-led rather than venue/event-focused.
- YETI: Major premium drinkware brand with broad product portfolio of reusable cups, tumblers, and bottles — adjacent competitor in reusable beverage container category with much larger brand and distribution.
Direct peers
- Globelet: Reusable cup washing and rental service operating across events and venues, comparable to Stack-Cup's circular-economy model and venue-targeted go-to-market.
- CupClub: UK reusable cup rental and washing service targeting events and venues with a deposit-return model — comparable to Stack-Cup's rental/hire service line and washing/logistics offering.
- rCup: UK-based reusable cup brand offering custom-printed cups to events, festivals, and venues — directly competing with Stack-Cup on the same product category and customer base in the UK market.
- Cup Zero: UK reusable cup rental and washing service for events and venues, operating a comparable circular-economy model to Stack-Cup's washing and logistics services.
- Repurpose (inc.): Reusable cup service provider with deposit-return infrastructure for events and venues, overlapping with Stack-Cup's washing/logistics service and QR-based asset tracking.
Emerging players
- Huskee: Reusable coffee cup brand focused on the café and hospitality segment with a sustainability narrative — comparable to Stack-Cup's Hot Drinks Cup line and hospitality customer segment.
- Muuse: Smart reusable cup service using QR codes and deposit-return infrastructure for venues and events — directly comparable to Stack-Cup's Smart Stack-Cups QR tracking product.
Regional players
- Green Your Party: UK-based supplier of reusable and compostable event drinkware targeting festivals and parties — comparable UK geography and customer segment though broader product range (plates, cutlery).
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Stack-Cup compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Stack-Cup financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Stack-Cup leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Stack-Cup funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Stack-Cup 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 Stack-Cup
What does Stack-Cup do?
Stack-Cup manufactures custom printed reusable plastic drinkware featuring a globally patented spiral handle design that allows cups to interlock and be carried in stacks of 4+ drinks without trays. The product range spans pint cups, half pints, hot drinks cups, and stackable wine cups sold to festivals, stadiums, arenas, and corporate clients across the UK, complemented by industrial washing and logistics services for full cup lifecycle management. Production takes place at the company's Stockton-on-Tees facility with a 48-hour express turnaround and 20,000-cup daily capacity.
Is Stack-Cup a public or private company?
Stack-Cup is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Stack-Cup founded?
Stack-Cup was founded in -1.
How does Stack-Cup make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Custom Printed Cup Sales are the primary driver. The others are cup Rental/Hire Services, washing and Logistics Services and trade/Wholesale Accounts.
Who are Stack-Cup's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are KeepCup and YETI. Direct peers are Globelet, CupClub, rCup, Cup Zero and Repurpose (inc.). Emerging players are Huskee and Muuse. Green Your Party is listed as a regional player.
Does Stack-Cup have an API?
No public API is recorded for Stack-Cup.
What industry is Stack-Cup in?
Stack-Cup's product category is Reusable Drinkware. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMALAAAI, Beverage Rigid Plastic Packaging (Water, CSD, Juice Bottles), with a secondary code of IMALAHAD, Beverage Packaging (Bottles, Cans, Cartons, Kegs). Its NAICS code is 32616.