The Power To Redefine Hydration
Lena Jungst is co-founder and chief evangelist at air up.
By Lena Jungst
In 2016, during my undergraduate studies at the University of Design in Schwäbisch Gmünd (Germany), the idea for what would later become known as air up® took root. Together with my co-founder Tim Jäger, I delved into the fascinating realm of retronasal olfaction—how scent influences taste. This exploration sparked a question: Could scent be the key to merging healthy choices with delightful experiences?
Fast-forward to 2019, and air up® was born: a hydration tool that transforms plain water into a subtly flavored drink using only scent—no added sugars, artificial coloring, or sweeteners. Unlike conventional water bottles, air up® is more than just a vessel. Designed for people aiming to drink more water, it serves as both a water bottle and a beverage—it’s a healthy alternative when drinking plain water tastes bad or feels like a chore.
In a food and beverage system that invests billions into promoting sugary drinks, air up® aims to help people break free from sugar-laden beverages and their adverse health effects. Sweet drinks are the leading source of excess sugar in Americans’ diets, with the average person consuming a staggering 43 gallons of soft drinks per year. But why do we keep sipping these sugar bombs? Because they're everywhere, they're cheap, and they taste so good! We're all guilty of making emotional choices over rational ones.
With air up®, we’re flipping this script. We’ve created a hydration tool that can compete with these unhealthy alternatives, both in terms of flavor and product experience. Since our inception, air up® has grown rapidly, reaching annual revenues of up to EUR 200 Million in 2023 and expanding to 14 markets worldwide. With a team of over 300 individuals from diverse backgrounds, we're united by a common goal: to make healthy hydration not only essential but enjoyable.
Lena Jungst is co-founder and chief evangelist at air up. https://www.linkedin.com/in/lena-juengst/;