up2u
up2u GmbH is a German consumer goods company that designs, manufactures, and sells the MuC My useful Cup, a patented, origami-inspired foldable reusable coffee cup, plus a small line of accessories and a stainless-steel bottle. It serves eco-conscious European consumers via DTC e-commerce and corporate buyers via a dedicated B2B portal across ten European countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersNuremberg, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What up2u does
up2u GmbH is a German consumer goods company headquartered in Germany that designs, manufactures, and sells the MuC My useful Cup®, a reusable, origami-inspired foldable coffee cup. The core technology is a patented folding mechanism that compresses the cup from 13 cm to roughly 5 cm in height (to about one-third of its open size), built from BPA-free ABS plastic, BPA- and petroleum-free silicone, and an OEKO-Tex Standard 100 certified rubber band, with a 350 ml capacity engineered to fit under the majority of professional coffee machines. Production is 100% Made in Germany (Bavaria), is CO2- and climate-neutral certified by the German Institute for Sustainability & Economy (Certificate 5721 2835), and carries an additional sustainability certification (Certificate 5721 2840); the cup is also registered as an EUIPO Community Design.
The company sells primarily through a direct-to-consumer Shopify storefront (my-up2u.shop), with the flagship cup priced at €19.95 and a small accessory portfolio (Hang On carrier, belt sets and single replacement belts, carabiner hook) priced between €1.95 and €19.95, alongside a stainless-steel MuC Bottle at €24.95 and gift vouchers from €10. A permanent 3-for-2 promotion is used to drive basket size. A separate B2B portal (up2u-business.de) targets corporate buyers for employee gifts, branded merchandise, and bulk orders. Geographic reach covers ten European countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, UK, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland) with country-specific free-shipping thresholds.
Revenue mechanics are entirely transactional (one-time purchase, no subscription). Marketing relies on organic social channels (Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn), a 10% welcome-discount email newsletter, content/blog, and the recurring volume deal. The company runs a charitable partnership with One Earth – One Ocean e.V., donating 3% of every MuC sale to marine debris cleanup. It is a private GmbH with no disclosed funding, headcount, revenue, or leadership information in the source material, making it a small, bootstrapped-appearing operator at an early commercial stage.
up2u firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- up2u
- Legal name
- up2u GmbH
- Website
- https://my-up2u.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- up2u GmbH is a German consumer goods company that designs, manufactures, and sells the MuC My useful Cup, a patented, origami-inspired foldable reusable coffee cup, plus a small line of accessories and a stainless-steel bottle. It serves eco-conscious European consumers via DTC e-commerce and corporate buyers via a dedicated B2B portal across ten European countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
up2u industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Reusable Drinkware
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Plastics Products (3080)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Foodservice/To-Go Packaging (Cups, Clamshells, Cutlery) (IMALAHAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Beverage Packaging (Bottles, Cans, Cartons, Kegs) (IMALAHAD)
Keywords
Where up2u is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nuremberg
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
up2u business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Direct E-commerce Sales: Direct-to-consumer online sales of MuC My useful Cup and accessories through their Shopify e-commerce store. Products sold at fixed unit prices with promotional volume deals (e.g., 3-for-2 special). Revenue is one-time per transaction with no recurring subscription component.
- B2B Corporate Sales: Separate B2B sales channel through up2u-business.de for bulk/corporate orders including employee gifts, promotional items, and branded merchandise.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | MuC My useful Cup - €19.95 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | MuC Bottle - €24.95 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Hang On Tasche - €19.95 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | MuC Belt Set Glitzer - €7.95 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | MuC Belt Set Classic - €4.95 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | MuC Belt Einzeln Glitzer - €2.95 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | MuC Belt Einzeln Classic - €1.95 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | MuC Hook (Karabiner) - €2.95 |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Vouchers - from €10.00 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
up2u product offering
Product offeringCore offering
up2u GmbH designs, manufactures, and sells the MuC My useful Cup®, a patented origami-inspired foldable reusable coffee cup made in Germany from BPA-free ABS plastic, food-grade silicone, and OEKO-Tex certified rubber band. The company also offers a small line of complementary accessories (stainless steel bottle, paper carry bag, decorative silicone bands, carabiner hook) and gift vouchers, sold primarily direct-to-consumer via its Shopify storefront my-up2u.shop with a secondary B2B portal (up2u-business.de) for corporate gifting and promotional orders.
Product overview
up2u GmbH offers a portfolio of sustainable, collapsible drinkware products centered on the MuC My useful Cup® — the company's flagship foldable coffee cup with a patented origami-inspired folding mechanism. The product line extends to complementary accessories (MuC Bottle, Hang On Tasche, MuC Belt Sets, MuC Belt Einzeln, MuC Hook) and gift vouchers. All products are designed, engineered, and manufactured in Germany with a focus on climate neutrality and sustainability.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- MuC My useful Cup®: The company's flagship product - a foldable, reusable drinking cup designed for on-the-go beverages, made in Germany with sustainable materials.
Products and services
- MuC My useful Cup® A 350ml, 115g collapsible reusable coffee cup that folds from 13cm to 5cm height, fits under 99% of coffee machines, and is 100% drip-tight. Sold at €19.95 with a permanent 3-for-2 promotional deal; available in six colors (Earth, Stone, Kiwi, Vanilla, Blossom, Ocean). Designed for environmentally aware consumers seeking a portable alternative to single-use takeaway cups.
- MuC Bottle A stainless steel reusable water bottle offered as a complementary sustainable drinkware item, priced at €24.95 in Night and Glacier color variants.
- Hang On Tasche A paper carrier bag for the MuC cup, priced at €19.95 and available in Stone, Mud, Sky, and Gravel color variants.
- MuC Belt Set Glitzer A set of glitter silicone replacement bands for the MuC cup, priced at €7.95, available in Blossom Glitzer, Ocean Glitzer, and Stone Glitzer variants.
- MuC Belt Set Classic A set of classic silicone replacement bands for the MuC cup, priced at €4.95, available in Blossom Classic, Ocean Classic, and Stone Classic variants.
- MuC Belt Einzeln Glitzer A single glitter silicone replacement band for the MuC cup, priced at €2.95 per piece, available in Blossom Glitzer, Ocean Glitzer, and Stone Glitzer variants.
- MuC Belt Einzeln Classic A single classic silicone replacement band for the MuC cup, priced at €1.95 per piece, available in Blossom Classic, Ocean Classic, and Stone Classic variants.
- MuC Hook (Karabiner) A carabiner hook for attaching the MuC cup to bags or belt loops, priced at €2.95 in Bright and Night color variants.
- up2u Geschenkgutschein A gift voucher redeemable in the up2u online store, available in denominations starting from €10.00.
Quantifiable outcome
- Compresses to 1/3 original size for pocket portability
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use up2u
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
up2u technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
up2u partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- One Earth – One Ocean e.V.minorup2u donates 3% of every MuC sale to support this non-profit organization's mission to remove existing marine debris from oceans and waterways. This partnership addresses post-consumer environmental cleanup as a complement to product-based waste prevention.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
up2u competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Hydaway: Hydaway produces collapsible silicone water bottles and travel cups, applying similar folding principles to up2u's MuC. Smaller scale and primarily focused on the hydration segment rather than hot beverages.
- q杯子 (Cupkin): Cupkin produces collapsible silicone cups primarily targeting families and children. Adjacent product category with shared folding-cup mechanics but distinct end-user segment from up2u's adult coffee drinker focus.
Direct peers
- Ecoffee Cup: Ecoffee Cup makes reusable cups from bamboo fibre with a wide global retail footprint. Competes with up2u on sustainability credentials but at lower price points and broader retail distribution.
- Ocean Bottle: Ocean Bottle makes reusable water bottles with a per-sale donation model funding ocean plastic collection — directly mirroring up2u's 3% donation partnership with One Earth – One Ocean. Overlaps in sustainability messaging and B2B gifting.
- KeepCup: KeepCup pioneered the reusable coffee cup category with a wide range of sizes, colors, and materials. While not collapsible, it competes directly for the same eco-conscious consumer purchasing reusable cups for daily takeaway beverages.
- Chilly's: Chilly's is a UK-based reusable bottle and cup brand with strong sustainability credentials and brand recognition. Overlaps with up2u's MuC Bottle and broader eco-conscious lifestyle positioning in European markets.
- Frank Green: Frank Green makes premium reusable coffee cups and bottles with smart-click technology, targeting design-conscious and sustainability-minded consumers — directly competing with up2u's premium positioning and aesthetic-led marketing.
- BruMate: BruMate is a US-based premium insulated drinkware brand with a multi-product line of bottles, tumblers, and coolers. Competes for the same aspirational, design-conscious consumer willing to pay premium prices for sustainable drinkware.
- Stojo: Stojo is the closest direct competitor — a collapsible, pocket-friendly reusable coffee cup using a similar accordion-fold design. Targets the same eco-conscious on-the-go coffee consumer in North America and Europe with comparable price positioning.
- JOCO: JOCO produces premium reusable glass coffee cups with silicone sleeves. Targets the same café-going consumer seeking stylish, sustainable alternatives to single-use cups, with a strong specialty coffee channel focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
up2u social profiles
Digital presenceup2u compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
up2u financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
up2u leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
up2u funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
up2u 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 up2u
What does up2u do?
up2u GmbH designs, manufactures, and sells the MuC My useful Cup®, a patented origami-inspired foldable reusable coffee cup made in Germany from BPA-free ABS plastic, food-grade silicone, and OEKO-Tex certified rubber band. The company also offers a small line of complementary accessories (stainless steel bottle, paper carry bag, decorative silicone bands, carabiner hook) and gift vouchers, sold primarily direct-to-consumer via its Shopify storefront my-up2u.shop with a secondary B2B portal (up2u-business.de) for corporate gifting and promotional orders.
Is up2u a public or private company?
up2u is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was up2u founded?
up2u was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is up2u based?
up2u is headquartered in Nuremberg, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does up2u make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Direct E-commerce Sales are the primary driver. The others are B2B Corporate Sales.
Who are up2u's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Hydaway and q杯子 (Cupkin). Direct peers are Ecoffee Cup, Ocean Bottle, KeepCup, Chilly's, Frank Green, BruMate, Stojo and JOCO.
Does up2u have an API?
No public API is recorded for up2u.
What industry is up2u in?
up2u's product category is Reusable Drinkware. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMALAHAM, Foodservice/To-Go Packaging (Cups, Clamshells, Cutlery), with a secondary code of IMALAHAD, Beverage Packaging (Bottles, Cans, Cartons, Kegs). Its SIC code is 3080.