Today, New York City startup, Rocean announced that they raised over $6 million in capital to bring their product to the consumer market. Their lead investor is Blue, a leading global investment firm focused on sustainable solutions for a healthier planet. And there investors include musician John Legend; DJ, Black Coffee; Girls Who Code Founder, Reshma Saujani; Phil Molyneux, Ex-President Sony & Dyson; Peter Carlsson, Ex-Supply Chain Head Tesla; Rohan Oza, Ex-CMO VitaminWater and more.
Rocean’s first product shipping Summer 2019 is called Rocean One: A single device that filters, flavors and carbonates – all while fitting seamlessly above your countertop.
In the press announcement they said, “When we started Rocean, we knew we were building more than a device. We’re building a platform with the same breadth of options as the entire bottled water industry,” said Sunjay Guleria, Rocean’s CEO & Founder. “Consumers are drinking bottled water that is filtered, carbonated, flavored, and enhanced with everything from CBD to caffeine. They won’t give up the bottle easily. If we want to fight climate change, we need to give consumers all of their favorite beverages without the waste of packaging and shipping them around the world.”
Prior to the funding announcement in 2018, CEO Sunjay Guleria told Digital Trends “By creating a single machine that allows the most advanced beverage customization and filtration at home than any other device on the market, rOcean consumers can not only have the most efficient drinking system, but can help to save our oceans while saving thousands of dollars a year.”
The announcement goes on to say, “Rocean’s multi-use pods give users an endless selection of natural fruit flavors, supplements, and enhancements at a fraction of the cost and total carbon footprint of pre-packaged beverages. Their patent-pending micro-dosing system supports two pods at once, letting users mix their favorite flavors and enhancements to their personal preference.
“We believe that personalization is going to drive the same level of innovation as seen in the digital music industry. By giving users full control over their beverages, the Rocean One brings hundreds of thousands of water-based beverage combinations to the common tap,” said Lee von Kraus, Co-Founder and Chief Scientist at Rocean. “Whether electrolytes, natural turmeric for energy, or something that hasn’t been thought of, you can make it with Rocean One. It’s ‘future-trend’ proof.”
We look forward to doing a hands on review and taste test when units become available but for now you can pre-order a Rocean One for 40% off the retail price.