Kadeya
Bottling plant in a box
Location:
United States
Founded:
2020
Team Size:
5
Industry:
Climate, Food and Beverage, Hardware, Logistics and Supply Chain, Impact Investing, Robotics, Retail, Internet of Things (IoT), Environmental, Hard Tech
Founders:
Manuela Zoninsein, CEO & Founder,
About:
Kadeya is a climate-tech startup revolutionizing workplace hydration through its patented beverage kiosks. Our mission is to hydrate frontline workers while reducing logistics costs, improving safety, and eliminating waste. Kadeya’s kiosks wash, sanitize, inspect, and refill reusable bottles, cutting 99.9% of plastic waste and 75% of greenhouse gas emissions compared to single-use beverages.
We address a critical problem: the global packaged beverage industry generates over 500 billion plastic bottles annually, creating staggering waste and logistical challenges. For industrial workplaces, ensuring proper hydration is vital for worker safety, especially in high-heat environments where dehydration can lead to illness, injury, or even death. Traditional hydration solutions—such as pallets of single-use bottles or 5-gallon jugs—are inefficient, costly, and unsustainable.
Our primary customers are corporate employers in industrial sectors (construction, fulfillment, manufacturing, military), where hydration is essential for worker health and productivity. We count Gilbane, Turner, US Air Force, Ecolab, Ingredion, and Georgia Pacific as early customers.
Kadeya's solution offers a Hydration-as-a-Service model, where companies provide free water to employees, and workers have the option to upgrade to flavored or enhanced beverages at a nominal cost. This model saves employers time and money while improving employee well-being and sustainability.
With global scalability potential, Kadeya aims to eliminate the need for single-use beverage packaging forever, decentralizing the beverage supply chain at the point of sale and empowering businesses to meet both their sustainability and health goals.
Describe your startup. What is your startup's mission, and what problem are you solving and who are your customers?
Kadeya is a climate-tech startup revolutionizing workplace hydration through its patented beverage kiosks. Our mission is to hydrate frontline workers while reducing logistics costs, improving safety, and eliminating waste. Kadeya’s kiosks wash, sanitize, inspect, and refill reusable bottles, cutting 99.9% of plastic waste and 75% of greenhouse gas emissions compared to single-use beverages.
We address a critical problem: the global packaged beverage industry generates over 500 billion plastic bottles annually, creating staggering waste and logistical challenges. For industrial workplaces, ensuring proper hydration is vital for worker safety, especially in high-heat environments where dehydration can lead to illness, injury, or even death. Traditional hydration solutions—such as pallets of single-use bottles or 5-gallon jugs—are inefficient, costly, and unsustainable.
Our primary customers are corporate employers in industrial sectors (construction, fulfillment, manufacturing, military), where hydration is essential for worker health and productivity. We count Gilbane, Turner, US Air Force, Ecolab, Ingredion, and Georgia Pacific as early customers.
Kadeya's solution offers a Hydration-as-a-Service model, where companies provide free water to employees, and workers have the option to upgrade to flavored or enhanced beverages at a nominal cost. This model saves employers time and money while improving employee well-being and sustainability.
With global scalability potential, Kadeya aims to eliminate the need for single-use beverage packaging forever, decentralizing the beverage supply chain at the point of sale and empowering businesses to meet both their sustainability and health goals.
Who are the founders, and what sparked the idea for this venture?
The founder of Kadeya is **Manuela Zoninsein**, a serial climate tech entrepreneur. She has extensive experience in both the tech and sustainability sectors. Manuela has launched two successful agritech businesses, one in China, which was acquired, and another in Brazil, which became the country's largest online marketplace for smallholder farmers. Before founding Kadeya, she also worked at Palantir Technologies in international business development and as a climate and infrastructure correspondent in China.
The idea for Kadeya was sparked by the global plastic waste crisis and inefficiencies in the packaged beverage supply chain. The beverage industry contributes to significant plastic pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, with over 1.2 million plastic water bottles used every minute. Manuela recognized the opportunity to disrupt this space by creating a solution that not only reduces environmental harm but also solves logistical and safety challenges in industrial workplaces. Kadeya's patented beverage kiosk eliminates plastic waste and GHGs by washing, sanitizing, and refilling bottles on-site, thus decentralizing the beverage supply chain and making hydration more efficient and sustainable
What makes your product or service unique in the market?
Kadeya’s solution is unique because it goes beyond traditional hydration methods and reimagines the beverage supply chain. Our **patented beverage kiosks** combine a bottling plant, dishwasher, and soda fountain into a single unit. These kiosks wash, sanitize, inspect, and refill reusable bottles on-site, creating a **closed-loop system** that eliminates 99.9% of plastic waste and 75% of greenhouse gas emissions from single-use bottles.
Unlike competitors, Kadeya focuses on **industrial worksites**, where hydration is essential for worker safety and productivity. We offer a **Hydration-as-a-Service** model, where water is paid for by corporate employers, and workers receive it for free. Workers also have the option to upgrade to flavored or enhanced beverages, providing flexibility and convenience without single-use waste.
What sets us apart further is our **digital platform**, which tracks bottle usage and provides **hydration insights** to ensure workers are properly hydrated, helping prevent heat-related illnesses. Kadeya's stations offer the sustainability of reusable bottles while maintaining the convenience of single-use beverages.
Our solution not only cuts environmental impact but also **lowers logistics costs** for employers by decentralizing the supply chain. Additionally, we integrate existing beverage brands into our platform, allowing us to enhance worker well-being without competing with established beverage companies.
What milestones have you achieved so far if any, and where do you see your startup in the next 2-5 years?
**Milestones Achieved:**
- **Sales & Deployments**: Kadeya has pre-sold 36 units, exceeding 2024 sales targets by 75%. We have deployed 4 successful commercial pilots and secured contracts with notable clients, including the **US Air Force** and **Compass Group**, one of the largest food service providers globally.
- **Funding**: Raised $5.5M in equity capital and received over $1.25M in grants, including a **$1.2M SBIR contract** with the US Air Force.
- **Impact Metrics**: Achieved a remarkable **99% return rate** for reusable bottles, saving over 12,000 plastic bottles in early deployments. Workers in our pilots consumed **41% more water**, contributing to higher productivity and worker well-being.
**Next 2-5 Years:**
- **Scaling**: By 2028, Kadeya aims to deploy **10,000 units** globally, eliminating the need for single-use beverage packaging and achieving **$1.3B in topline revenues**. We plan to expand beyond industrial worksites to other sectors with similar needs, such as healthcare and hospitality.
- **Technology Development**: We'll continue to enhance our **digital hydration insights** and **AI-driven monitoring tools** to help companies proactively manage worker hydration and safety.
- **Global Expansion**: Kadeya will expand its **Hydration-as-a-Service** platform internationally, targeting the $3.5T packaged beverage market, focusing on regions with pressing hydration needs and increasing regulatory oversight.
In the coming years, we will solidify our position as a leader in sustainable hydration, offering a globally scalable solution to eliminate plastic waste while improving worker health and safety.
What defines your company culture, and what type of talent are you looking for?
Kadeya's company culture is defined by our **commitment to sustainability, innovation, and impact**. As a climate-tech startup, we are passionate about solving large-scale environmental problems through creative and scalable solutions. We foster a culture of **collaboration**, **resilience**, and **curiosity**, where team members are encouraged to bring forward ideas and challenge the status quo. Our team thrives on **grit** and **fortitude**, qualities that drive us to overcome challenges and continue growing as a business.
We embrace **diversity** and **inclusion** in every aspect, drawing strength from our team’s diverse experiences and perspectives. Our founder, Manuela Zoninsein, is a **female Latina immigrant** who speaks four languages and has built successful businesses across multiple continents. This diverse leadership sets the tone for a company that values a wide range of talents and backgrounds.
We are looking for talent that shares our **mission-driven** approach and can contribute to both our business and social goals. The ideal candidate is someone who:
- **Believes in sustainability** and wants to make a tangible impact on the environment.
- **Thinks creatively** to solve complex problems and thrives in a startup environment.
- Has **technical expertise** in areas like hardware engineering, IoT, software development, or sustainability, or has experience scaling operations.
- Shows **adaptability and resilience** in the face of fast-paced challenges.
- Values **collaboration** and **communication** as key tools for driving innovation and building a supportive team environment.
Kadeya is looking for individuals who are passionate about reshaping the future of hydration and are eager to join a dynamic, mission-driven team.
Are you currently open to investments or partnerships?
Yes
How can interested investors, partners, or potential employees get involved or learn more?
Email: hi@kadeya.com
Follow: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kdy/
What were the best and worst pieces of advice you received as a founder?
Best: a day feels long, but a year feels short
Worst: generate revenue on day 1