Brand profile · Germany
airup Revenue, search volume and competitors 2026
Munich-based inventor of scented drinking bottles, on a doubling trajectory until 2023, with no new figures released since then.
Fact sheet
- Founded
- 2018
- Founders
- Lena Jüngst, Tim Jäger, Jannis Koppitz, Simon Senner, Fabian Schlang
- Headquarters
- München
- Company
- air up group GmbH
- Employees
- über 200 (2025)
- Die Höhle der Löwen (German TV show)
- Did not appear
- Funding
- Venture capital backed
- Investors
- Frank Thelen, Ralf Dümmel, PepsiCo, Five Seasons Ventures, Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis
- Funding rounds
- 2019: Wandeldarlehen (Thelen, Dümmel), 2,3 million €; 2020: Serie A (PepsiCo, Five Seasons Ventures), 20 million €
Background and milestones
The idea arose in 2016 during research by Tim Jäger and Lena Jüngst for their bachelor thesis at the University of Design in Schwäbisch Gmünd. The principle: the flavour comes from scent pods at the bottle head while the water stays free of additives.
- 2016
Idea from a university project in Schwäbisch Gmünd.
- 2018
Founding in Munich.
- 2019
Frank Thelen and Ralf Dümmel invest outside the TV show Die Höhle der Löwen (according to t-online).
- 2020
Series A round of 20 million euros with PepsiCo and Five Seasons Ventures.
- 2022
Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis join as investors.
- 2025
US market entry and partnership with REWE (over 2,300 stores).
SWOT analysis of airup
Editorial assessment based on the sources listed and the radar data.
Strengths
- Distinctive concept with scent pods instead of additives in the water, which drives repeat purchases through the pod system.
- Well-capitalised investors including PepsiCo and over 60 million euros raised according to Gründer.de.
- Very high brand search volume of about 90,500 per month in Germany.
Weaknesses
- Recurring revenue depends heavily on pod repurchases and therefore on user retention.
- The brand had to defend itself against greenwashing accusations (Handelsblatt).
Opportunities
- Expansion into the US market and growth of retail distribution (REWE, over 2,300 stores).
- New flavours and product lines widen the accessory business.
Threats
- Imitators and competing scent drinking bottles can dilute the concept.
- A growing retail share can strain margin and the direct customer relationship.
What is behind the demand?
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Sources
- W&V
- brutkasten
- Kassenzone-Podcast
- Gründer.de: Air up, Duftwasserflasche erobert die Welt
- t-online: Air up sammelt 20 Millionen Euro ein
- WirtschaftsWoche: Air-up bekommt 2,3-Millionen-Wandeldarlehen
- Handelsblatt: Start-up-Check Air Up und Greenwashing-Vorwürfe
- openregister.de: air up group GmbH München
- Watson: Pepsi-Konzern investiert in Startup
Frequently asked questions about airup
How much revenue does airup make?
airup generated around 200 million € (Konzernangabe) in revenue in 2023 (partly documented). The full revenue history and a model estimate of organic revenue (brand vs. non-brand) are in the brand profile after login.
Who founded airup?
airup was founded in 2018 by Lena Jüngst, Tim Jäger, Jannis Koppitz, Simon Senner and Fabian Schlang. The company is based in München.
Was airup on Die Höhle der Löwen?
No, airup did not appear on the German TV show Die Höhle der Löwen.
Is airup backed by venture capital?
Yes, airup is backed by venture capital. Investors include Frank Thelen, Ralf Dümmel, PepsiCo, Five Seasons Ventures, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis. Known funding rounds: 2019: Wandeldarlehen (Thelen, Dümmel), 2,3 million €; 2020: Serie A (PepsiCo, Five Seasons Ventures), 20 million €.
How much does airup spend on marketing?
airup does not publish its ad budgets. What can be measured is how much demand the brand creates: brand searches show whether social media, ads and word of mouth are working. The higher that share, the less airup has to pay for each visit.
How much revenue does airup make through Google?
The model estimate combines brand searches and organic traffic of airup with the niche's purchase intent, conversion rate and basket size. It separates brand revenue (people who already know airup) from non-brand revenue (new customers via SEO). The figures are in the brand profile after login.
What would the organic traffic of airup be worth as a Google Ads budget?
Every organic click replaces a paid one. Organic clicks times the keywords' cost per click gives the equivalent ad budget. The brand profile shows the organic traffic and ranking keywords of airup after login.
How do I find out the SEO revenue of my own website?
With your free Visibly account, which also works on antonioblago.com, you connect Google Search Console and see which keywords and pages bring you clicks, split into brand and non-brand. That lets you run the same numbers for your own domain as shown here for airup.
Want to make your own brand this visible?
In the sparring we review SEO, GEO and marketing together on a regular basis; for a market launch there is go-to-market.