At the intersection of sustainability, consumer convenience, and tech-enabled design, Aerflo is quietly revolutionizing how we hydrate.

What started as a casual conversation between longtime friends John Thorp and Buzz Wiggins, both driven by a shared passion for building something better, has now turned into a bold mission: to end single-use waste in the sparkling water space—and beyond.

The idea was born in 2019, during a chat that spotlighted the meteoric rise of sparkling water consumption, coupled with the environmental and practical compromises consumers were being forced to accept.

From that “⚡️afternoon” in Buzz’s kitchen where the first Aerflo prototype came to life, the duo has been building a brand rooted in circular design, simplicity, and impact.

With a growing community of fans and over 1 million single-use containers already avoided, Aerflo is proving that hydration can be both delightful and deeply responsible.

In this interview, John and Buzz take us behind the scenes—sharing their lightbulb moment, the mission fueling their innovation, and how they’re using design and data to reimagine everyday rituals in a way that’s better for people and the planet.

What was the Lightbulb Moment - Origin Story of Aerflo?

John: Buzz and I have been friends for well over a decade - we first met playing hockey in NYC. We’d always talked of working together. During a convo in 2019, we noticed how overnight everyone around us had a sparkling water “habit”...the demand trends were, and still are wild.

So then we looked at the options for a consumer: single use cans/bottles or countertop systems. I think this audience is familiar with the problems around the single use model, but it is also wildly expensive and inconvenient, just consumers have never been given another way.

Countertop definitely improves on this - but you are not putting one of those in a backpack and people hate going to the store for refills.

People love this product but are being forced to compromise, and the planet is bearing the impact of a commercial model that makes no sense.

At the same time, reusable bottles had become mainstream - everyone had (one) and talked about it by its brand name.

There was one afternoon where we hammered out the vision and Buzz built our first prototype in his kitchen.

By some miracle it worked.

What is the Vision and Mission of Aerflo?

Buzz: We aim to make effortless, thoughtful hydration the norm—powered by circular design and a world beyond single use.

We’re moving hydration beyond single use—designing better ways to drink that never compromise on experience, convenience, or the planet.

How Does Aerflo Impact Lives and/or the Environment in a Positive Way?

John: There are several ways we positively impact the environment, and one thing we like to anchor ourselves in is that one Aerflo capsule makes 2L, or the equivalent of a six pack of cans of sparkling water.

That means every time you carbonate with Aerflo, those cans are not being made, shipped (empty), shipped (with water inside), crumpled up in your bin, sent to the waste stream (50% are recycled), and so on.

From our research, that liter made with Aerflo has under 4% the carbon footprint of a can of sparkling water.

As you multiply that through all of our customers (or the $12B sparkling water market more broadly), that is staggering—especially when one single use can has a carbon footprint equivalent to driving a car for 5mins.

If we step back, at a market size of $12B/year and at $0.75 a can, that is the CO2 equivalent of 860 million hours of driving per year.

Single use containers and shipping water all over the place, it adds up. That said, it is important to also look from a customer’s perspective, setting impact aside - to us sustainability is tablestakes, but the benefits must extend beyond.

Cost: take a look at the store or your grocery bill - the average cost of sparkling water in the US is $2 per litre, close to $3 if you are buying name brands.

Hydration: For reasons like longevity and performance to beauty and just feeling better, we all want to drink more water.

What we hear all the time is having sparkling on hand all the time turns drinking water from a chore to a treat - and a treat without any of the bad stuff. Toxins:

There have been some alarming reports on PFAs in popular brands recently, plus the very relevant concerns about microplastics in single use bottles.

We spent 5 years to build a system that is verified free of all of those - just the water you choose and bubbles.

We’re motivated by a business that makes the world a better place with every dollar of revenue, and recently we passed the 1M cans/bottles avoided mark.

That motivation doubles if we are also making people healthier and freeing up their hard-earned dollars for other things they love.

How have you funded the company thus far?

Buzz: After some initial bootstrapping, we have raised $12M+ in venture capital in rounds led by Lerer Hippeau and Torch Capital, with additional investment from Closed Loop Ventures Group, Amity Supply, Good Friends, SWAT Equity Partners, WISE Ventures, Bluestein Ventures, RiverPark Ventures, Palm Tree Crew, Echo River Capital, Air Venture Partners, and Green Circle Capital.

We’ve used the capital to build our state-of-the-art refill infrastructure, support necessary regulatory approvals, and drive R&D across our whole portfolio.

The funds will continue to support our product roadmap growth plans.

What Tools Do You Use to Run Aerflo?

John: R&D is all done in our workshop, which includes a metal lathe, mill, 3D printers, and NYC’s best o-ring collection. Our refill facility was completely built in Minecraft before construction started.

More broadly, we’re big Google Drawings people, Trello, Notion and try to have a Google Slides deck for just about everything.

💧 Aerflo Pricing & Products

Aerflo’s mission to transform hydration starts with accessible, high-quality design.

Here’s how you can get started:

• Aer₁ System – $74
  The flagship portable sparkling water system. Lightweight, sleek, and built for life on-the-go, the Aer₁ lets you choose still or sparkling anytime, anywhere.
• Spare Exchange Box – $43
  Extra or replacement capsule packs for ongoing carbonation. These seamlessly integrate with Aerflo’s Capsule Exchange Program, keeping your bubbles flowing with zero hassle.
• Aerflo Gift Card – Custom
  Share the experience of thoughtful hydration with friends and family—perfect for birthdays, wellness gifts, or just because.

➡️ Capsule refills and exchanges are handled through Aerflo’s streamlined capsule program, ensuring convenience and sustainability with every sip.