See other companies on Welcome to the Jungle

air up

Scent-based taste drinking system

air up logo
201-500 employees
  • B2C
  • Retail
  • Sustainability
  • Food
  • Consumer Goods
  • eCommerce
Ludwigsvorstadt-Isarvorstadt, Munich, Germany

Company mission

air up's mission is to do something good for people’s health, and also for the environment.

Led by a woman

Few candidates hear
back within 2 weeks

13% employee growth in 12 months

Our take

Everyone knows how important it is to drink water, but with so many alternative drinks available and global consumption of sugar at an all-time high, water is not often our first choice of hydration. The alternatives invariably contain untold amounts of sugar, additives, and more. So consumers are forced to choose between taste or health.

air up has developed a refillable bottle that turns plain tap water into flavoured water. By transporting scent through air and using the biological effect of retronasal olfaction, the brand has created an impression of taste that is actually scent. The idea redefines drinking water in a way that enables consumers to drink flavoured drinks that are additive-free and sugar-free.

The business aims to be conscious of people’s health and the environment. Compared to the average bottled drink, air up uses far less plastic. And, the small, lightweight scent Pods mean that the logistics are carbon-efficient and kinder to the planet. It's growing fast: so far, the startup has raised a total $67.8 million over the course of 5 funding rounds.

Since its launch on the market in July 2019, the company has already reached in excess of €100M in revenue and has served more than 1 million customers across Europe. This has already led to a huge reduction in single-use plastic and a decline in sugar consumption.

Freddie headshot

Freddie

Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle

Benefits

  • ☕️ free coffee & fruit
  • 🏖 30 days of vacation
  • 💻 remote-first approach
  • 📈 personal development
  • 🏁 start-up spirit
  • 🏷 discount on our products
  • 💰 employer-funded pension
  • 👟 discount on Urban Sports Club
  • 🎉 regular team events

Company values

  • We question
  • We imagine
  • We dare
  • We do

Funding (last 2 of 4 rounds)

Sep 2021

$42.2m

LATE VC

Oct 2020

$19m

SERIES A

Total funding: $69.2m

Leadership

Lena Jüngst

(Chief Evangelist)

Lena Jüngst achieved a Bachelor's Degree in Product Design & Industrial in 2016 before co-founding Air Up in 2018.

Tim Jäger

(CR&DO)

Became a Product Design Intern after leaving a career as a watchmaker. Created the first air up prototype with Lena Jüngst as part of a bachelor thesis alongside co-founder Lena Jüngst.

Jobs (3)

All locations

Data

Finance, Legal & Compliance