Bevi, which has recently surpassed $100 million in revenue, is now allocating capital toward verticals showing strong early traction and scalable unit economics, including college campuses nationwide.
The smart water cooler company has recorded more than 200% year-over-year growth in its education expansion, fueled by a growing nationwide presence in college dining halls that builds on its broader global footprint across workplaces, multifamily properties and fitness centers.
Beyond hydration, Bevi is leveraging new functional enhancements to drive higher usage, deeper engagement and recurring revenue. Last fall, the company launched Focus Blend, a functional enhancement that combines caffeine, L-theanine, magnesium and B vitamins for sharper focus. The smart water dispenser’s interface allows users to customize their water by tailoring CO2, flavors and caffeine levels.
“One thing that makes Bevi great is how ubiquitous the product is,” said Cathy Lewenberg, CEO of Bevi. “We’ve found Bevi is a great fit for many different settings well beyond the office—including universities and colleges. Students, faculty and staff care a lot about staying hydrated so they can perform their best throughout the day, and we are seeing tremendous interest in Bevi on campus. Gen Z especially is prioritizing healthier, customizable options over sugary drinks or bottled water. They love the option to layer bubbles, flavors and functional enhancements like Bevi’s Focus Blend, vitamins and electrolytes to craft the perfect beverage.”
That broad appeal didn’t come easily—it was shaped during a moment of existential uncertainty for the company.
How the pandemic reshaped Bevi’s office water strategy
The pandemic pushed Bevi to reassess its core customer base, forcing a fundamental rethinking of its business.
“As you can imagine, the majority of our customers—offices—shut down during the pandemic, and for a moment we wondered if Bevi would survive,” Lewenberg said.
“We reframed our thinking about the different customer segments we could serve and also what they needed. Within two years we launched new innovation including functional enhancements and also opened up Bevi to a broader set of customers including hospitality, manufacturing, logistics and fulfillment centers and more.”
Tapping into Bevi’s real-time dispense data, the company was able to see usage and use those insights to recalibrate revenue expectations post-pandemic, allowing the company to align costs, product strategy and go-to-market efforts.
The dispense data found that employees were coming into offices fewer days on average, with their day starting earlier and ending later. At the same time, Lewenberg said employers were creating spaces that better supported collaboration, community building and culture.
“We see roughly 75% of the attendance levels we saw pre-pandemic, a rate that has climbed steadily since return to office began post-pandemic,” Lewenberg said. “As a result, we’ve seen a huge focus on drawing people into the office—relying less on mandates and more on crafting experiences.”
Indeed, the pandemic triggered a lasting shift in global health consciousness, moving consumer’s mindset from reactive to proactive health. According to IPSOS research, 62% of Americans consider their health more important than they did prior to the pandemic.
“People care more than ever about what they put into their body and are rejecting drinks with excessive sugar and/or microplastics,” she said. “Bevi fits both of these movements. We support the right in-office experience meeting multiple beverage needs throughout the day while also giving healthy, better for you options that keep you fueled.”
Focused on leading
With the beverage industry constantly changing, Bevi’s offerings have had to reflect those changes too.
“The functional beverage category is on a remarkable trajectory—projected to grow from $153 billion in 2024 to more than $232 billion by 2032—and we don’t see it slowing down anytime soon,” Lewenberg said.
She said the growth is largely driven by a real shift in how people think about beverages.
“It’s no longer just about quenching thirst; it’s about getting more out of every sip,” she said. “Today’s employees want drinks that not only taste great but also deliver benefits for focus, energy and overall wellness.
“Last fall, we conducted a survey of 1,000 employees across various U.S. industries and found that 72.2% of respondents expressed interest in a focus-enhancing beverage, which helped us prioritize the launch of our newest enhancement, Focus Blend. We expect the category will continue to expand in that direction, with a strong emphasis on cleaner ingredients, personalization and convenience, and Bevi is well-positioned to lead.”
Bevi’s survey is one example of how the company stays in touch with its consumer base—a feedback loop that Lewenberg highlighted shapes nearly every product decision.
“The decisions we’ve made to innovate always begin with the customer,” she said. “We are in constant contact with our customers to understand what they need and want, and it directly informs our product roadmap and pipeline. Given the infrastructure we’ve invested in, we’ve been able to develop and launch new offerings at a solid cadence and expect that will continue. Investors then see the impact of our products—how well we are meeting customer needs—and that is what drives their decision to invest in Bevi.”
Growth with purpose
With revenue rebounding and expanding, Bevi is allocating capital toward verticals that show strong early traction and scalable economics—particularly food service, hospitality and higher education—where deployment density and repeat usage drive faster payback periods.
Riding on the coattails of an exciting 2025, Lewenberg said the sustainable water technology company is already hitting the ground running in 2026.
“We’ve been pulling different growth levers with new verticals and finding wins, and we just hit an incredible milestone…one billion single-use plastic bottles saved with Bevi machines!" she said. “This milestone was 12 years in the making, and we expect to hit our next billion much sooner. This is just the beginning. Our goal is to make Bevi a key player in creating a healthier, more sustainable world.”
