All-in-one filtered, flavoured and carbonated water ecosystem

A new water machine can carbonate, filter and add flavour to water, to reduce the use of plastic

Spotted: With more and more people turning to reusable water bottles, startup Rocean has developed a way to allow users to fill their bottles with filtered, flavoured and carbonated water at home. Its smart water dispenser includes a water filter, multi-use pods with natural fruit flavours and enhancements, and a carbon dioxide system to add carbonation. Users can use one or all of these features. 

The machine uses carbon block filtration that can filter more than 75 contaminants from drinking water, which is much more effective than pitcher filters. Rocean’s specially designed flavour pods use RFID technology to allow users to re-create their favourite beverages or new flavours. Users can also select the level of carbonation they’d prefer.

The machine can be used with a water reservoir or connected directly to a cold-water supply. It was designed to fit on a counter or hotel room bar area, and takes up about half the space of a toaster, with an appearance inspired by the iconic architecture of the Roman aqueducts. The company originally raised financing through Indigogo but has recently had a cash infusion of €5.4 million from venture investment firm Blue, and a handful of celebrity angels like John Legend and South African DJ, Black Coffee.

Rocean is not content with the home water market, hoping to appeal to hotels and other commercial enterprises. According to CEO and Founder, Sunjay Guleria, the Rocean is intended not as a device, but as a “platform with the same breadth of options as the entire bottled water industry. If we want to fight climate change, we need to give consumers all of their favourite beverages without the waste of packaging and shipping them around the world.”

The reduction of our use of plastic is becoming an increasingly urgent ambition. Rocean offers a way for people to enjoy their favourite beverages, without the plastic. At Springwise, we have seen other innovations aimed at reducing plastic use. These range from toiletry bottles made of soap, to edible coffee cups.

Explore More: Sustainability Innovations | Food and Drink Innovations