Another addition to the large number of top Swiss inventions: two students from ETH in Zurich have come up with a portable water bottle that produces sparkling water at the touch of a button. The two students, based in Aarau, are clearly on to a winner, as they were able to reject an 800.000-franc funding offer when appearing on the Swiss version of Shark Tank.
The new Swiss business, called Bottle+, revolves around a modular water bottle that can produce sparkling water on the go. The bottom of the bottle is filled with CO2 - sourced from a charging station that customers can have at home. If the bottle's CO2 tank is full, it is possible to produce more than five litres of carbonated water when on the move.
The two students from the Swiss university, Christian Käser and Linus Lingg, said that their product was designed to tackle plastic usage. They noted that in Switzerland alone, enough bottles go unrecycled each year to fit once around the globe when arranged top to top, and that sparkling water bottles make up a significant proportion.
"At the moment you always have to buy a PET bottle for sparkling water on the go," Käser told 20 minuten. The reusable water bottle, which costs the equivalent of around 15 rappen to produce a litre of sparkling water, makes it "possible to turn high-quality Swiss tap water into sparkling water anytime, anywhere, while minimising plastic consumption.”
The water bottle is expected to be launched in March 2023, costing 180 Swiss francs. "Further modules are planned for the future, which can be used, for example, to purify water or produce flavoured water," Käser explained.
The sparkling water bottle went down particularly well on Die Höhle der Löwen Schweiz, Switzerland’s version of Dragon's Den and Shark Tank. Entrepreneur Tobias Reichmut said the idea “should have been around for a long time”, with him and three other investors offering the pair 800.000 francs for a 14-percent stake in the company.
However, it appears the project may have an even larger backer, as they rejected the bid. "Another option opened up, which, after very fruitful talks, promised us a little more," Käser explained. For more information about the product, visit the Bottle+ website.