CHICAGO – October 25, 2022 – Evergreen Climate Innovations announced its investment in sustainable hydration solution provider Kadeya, which was conceived when its founder and CEO, Manuela Zoninsein, asked “why do we manufacture a new container for every bottle of water someone drinks?”
Zoninsein’s passion to solve this global problem inspired her to launch Kadeya, a Chicago-based startup that is seeking to replace unsustainable single-use plastic water bottles.
Kadeya manufactures an autonomous and self-serving beverage station that allows a user to scan a personalized code to receive a sanitized and freshly filled bottle of filtered still or sparkling water. The station accepts empty bottles once a user is finished and conducts a 4-step sanitizing process before bottles are refilled.
“We are proud to support Kadeya as they tackle the enormous global problem of plastic waste,” said Erik Birkerts, Chief Executive Officer at Evergreen Climate Innovations. “Manuela and her team are on a critical mission to change how we deliver and consume drinking water across the globe in an effort to reduce the harmful effects of single-use plastics.”
“At Kadeya, we live our mission to “drink local” – we source water locally to support local water systems and eliminate the heavy carbon footprint that comes from shipping liquid all over the world,” said Manuela Zoninsein, Founder and CEO of Kadeya. “We knew there had to be convenient, sustainable hydration solutions so, with the support of investors like Evergreen Climate Innovations, Kadeya has reimagined this critical supply chain.”
Kadeya eliminates the need for disposable packaging through its network of smart bottling stations and reusable, digitally identifiable bottles. By delivering convenient, quality, low-cost water through an interlinked circular network, materials are infinitely reused, significantly reducing the associated carbon footprint.
Kadeya will use the funding to make several soon-to-be-announced strategic hires and invest in R&D to support the use of stainless-steel bottles in their station network. Kadeya is also now taking orders for pre-sales of their production units. Please contact hello@kadeya.com with queries to be among the first workplaces eliminating single use plastic waste for a more sustainable tomorrow.
In addition to Evergreen Climate Innovation’s investment, Kadeya was named to the Techstars Farm to Fork food tech accelerator Class of 2022, which includes 12 startups focused on solving global problems of the food system. Kadeya also won Accenture’s Supply Chain Summit competition, was selected as one of nine startups to receive funding as part of Exelon Foundation and Exelon Corporation’s Climate Change Investment Initiative (2c2i), and received an Antares REACH Grant, which is supported by Antares Capital, The Global Entrepreneurship Network, and Hello Alice.
This investment is made possible by the Illinois Clean Energy Innovation Fund. Evergreen Climate Innovations manages the Illinois Clean Energy Innovation Fund, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy State Energy Program and overseen by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Energy.
About Evergreen Climate Innovations
Evergreen Climate Innovations, formerly Clean Energy Trust, provides catalytic capital and support to entrepreneurs and startups that bring impactful climate technologies to market. The nonprofit pioneered its 501vc® Investment Fund to align philanthropic and corporate contributions to deliver environmental, economic, and social impact. Evergreen advances and expands access to innovation across the Greater Midwest and cultivates an ecosystem of investors, donors, and collaborators. For over a decade, Evergreen Climate Innovations has invested in startups that have raised $37 for every $1 invested. Learn more at evergreeninno.org
About Kadeya
Based in Chicago, Kadeya is the world’s first closed loop beverage vending system. Their stations vend fresh, safe beverages and when finished, the bottle is returned to any station which washes, sanitizes, inspects, and refills it for future users. Think of Kadeya as a bottling plant at your fingertips. Learn more at kadeya.com
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Media Contact
Amy Yanow Fairbanks, Senior Communications & Marketing Manager
Evergreen Climate Innovations
amy@evergreeninno.com
