Hydration pioneer air up® is marking a major milestone in its journey to becoming Europe’s leading flavour hydration brand. Since launching just before the pandemic, the brand has reached over 19 million customers across Europe and US, including 2.2 million in the UK, and generated £100 million in revenue across Britain alone. With a retail presence across all tier 1 retailers – from Carrefour to Boots – in the past 12 months, and operations in 14 countries, air up® combines a strong direct-to-consumer heritage with fast-growing multichannel success. Its product portfolio now includes seven reusable bottle styles, a newly launched Tumbler, and 27 innovative flavour pods, placing the brand firmly at the intersection of wellness, design, and product innovation.
A full national rollout in Boots earlier this month has significantly strengthened air up®’s retail footprint, with the brand now available in over 650 UK stores and 31 across Ireland. This follows a successful debut in Sainsbury’s earlier this year, expanding its bricks-and-mortar reach and reinforcing its status as a go-to hydration solution for British consumers.
Since its inception just before the pandemic, air up®’s scale-up journey has defied expectations – not only outpacing competitors in the hydration space, but standing out as one of Europe’s most successful consumer brand scale-ups, regardless of category. In 2025 alone, air up® has secured new listings in dm Italia, Interspar in Austria, REWE in Germany, and Albert Heijn in the Netherlands, building on established partnerships with Rossmann, Müller, Coop, and others.
Having evolved from a digital-first disruptor into a truly multichannel player, air up® is now focusing on deepening retail availability. With 76% of UK customers expressing a preference to shop in-store – a pattern mirrored in other markets – the brand is setting its sights on doubling retail revenue in 2025, making its scent-based system even more accessible to a growing audience.
A new category, built from scratch
At the heart of the air up® system is its patented Scentaste™ technology, which flavours plain water through the power of scent, not sugar – delivering a healthier way to hydrate for the one in three UK adults who struggle to drink enough water. And the benefits are measurable: a 2024 clinical trial showed 70% of users increased their water intake over 12 weeks of use.
But creating a product this novel means rewriting the rulebook. air up® sits in a category of its own – not quite a drink, not quite a kitchen gadget. Market research reveals that 70% of consumers view air up® as part of the beverage space, especially alongside near-water and flavour-enhanced drinks. The remaining 30% position it with household items like water filters, opening up unique opportunities for secondary retail placement.
To support growing retail distribution, air up® is also investing in large-scale marketing. This spring saw the brand’s largest UK creative activation to date: a £500,000 above-the-line campaign across London, bringing its signature surreal storytelling to the streets and stations of the capital. In Austria and Germany, TV campaigns are backing in-store efforts in REWE, dm, Müller and Interspar, while OOH placements in London are already turning heads.
Turning hydration into a lifestyle
As the demand for functional wellness products continues to surge, air up® is positioning itself beyond health – and into lifestyle. With a bold and customisable aesthetic, the brand taps into a shift in consumer behaviour: in a recent survey, 41% of Brits said their water bottle is one of their favourite accessories. By combining design, function and scent-based science, air up® is helping consumers express themselves – all while staying hydrated.
With €60 million in funding and a global team of 250+ employees, air up® continues to lead a new era of flavour innovation – proving that when it comes to drinking more water, the future really does smell better.
