Air up raises 18 million euros

The aroma start-up has successfully completed another financing round. A big name is among the investors.

The Munich-based start-up Air up has received 18 million euros in investment, reports Handelsblatt. The American drinks manufacturer PepsiCo is also said to have taken a small stake, the founder told the newspaper. Three years ago, Frank Thelen and Ralf Dümmel also invested in the start-up - outside of the show "Die Höhle der Löwen", in which both sit on the jury. Just a year ago, the investors injected a further 2.3 million euros into the start-up. The main investor at the time was VC OysterBay led by Christoph Miller.

Air up produces drinks bottles with attachments that emit an aroma. This allows water to be flavored without having to add sugar. The idea was born five years ago during Lena Jüngst and Tim Jäger's bachelor thesis. The first bottle was then presented and launched on the market in 2019.