Dripl, a Belgian startup developing packaging-free soft drink dispensers, has found new capitao for growth. One of the investors is Spadel‘s fund The Source. The water producer sees great potential in Europe.
Saving disposable packaging
Founded in 2020 by Colin Deblonde and Lucas Moreau, Dripl developed a beverage dispenser that produces natural soft drinks and low in calories and sugar, without disposable packaging. Users need only place their glass or bottle under the machine’s tap, select one of the flavours on offer, choose from three levels of flavour intensity and add bubbles if desired.
According to Spadel, the growth potential of this new type of vending machine is huge, with a market size of 2.1 billion euros in the Western European office space alone. Meanwhile, the startup has already installed more than 200 so-called “Refill Points” in companies in Belgium and the Netherlands, including SAP, SD Worx, Daikin and Visma. Each refill point saves an average of 7,000 bottles or cans a year, according to the manufacturer. By 2025, Dripl aims to reach the mark of fifteen million disposable containers saved.
European expansion
Spadel can help Dripl grow faster thanks to its knowledge of the beverage market, Global Business Development Manager Clément Yvorra claims. “On the other hand, Dripl’s expertise can be of great benefit to Spadel, especially in the corporate market and in the field of beverage dispensers.”
In total, Dripl has raised 2.15 million euros: not only from Spadel, but also from investment fund Faraday and from existing Business Angels. With that money, Dripl plans to work on further European expansion, in France, Germany and Scandinavia. By the end of this year, the startup will break even with a turnover of 2 million euros, the founders told business newspaper De Tijd.
