Air Up, the German startup that flavors water using only scented air, has raised an €18m Series A funding round from investors including PepsiCo, Five Seasons Ventures, the French foodtech investor and German media group Ippen.media, per Sifted.
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Air Up works by attaching a scent pod to its reusable water bottle which releases flavor smell into the drink, to trick the consumers brain into perceiving a taste. This means that they aren’t so much “tasting” a flavor with their mouth as smelling it as the food vapors rise to the back of the mouth where it connects with nasal passages.
Air Up is available in a variety of scents from fruity to coffee to cola.
The investment will be used to expand Air Up into new markets in Europe. Currently, it is available in Germany, Austria, France, the Netherlands and Belgium.
