From Bedroom Startup to Bubbly Revolution: The CO2 YOU Story told by London Daily News

In the UK, only 8% of households have access to home carbonation systems, a stark contrast to the 55% in Germany and over 80% in the Nordics. Marcus O’Donovan, founder of CO2 YOU, is on a mission to change that. What began in 2021 as a one-man operation from his bedroom has blossomed into a rapidly growing business with 15,000 subscribers and 1,000 new users each month. 

A Sustainable Sparkle

CO2 YOU is not just about providing sparkling water; it's about doing so sustainably. We offer a circular gas economy, ensuring CO2 cylinders are reused rather than discarded, dramatically reducing waste to landfill. Our service caters to all sparkling water systems, including Smeg, Sodastream, Aarke, Quooker, Billi Taps, Zip Taps, and more, making water carbonation both affordable and accessible. 

💡 From Bedroom Startup to Bubbly Revolution

The article dives into how CO2 YOU began in 2021—literally from Marcus’ bedroom—with a mission to fix everything that wasn’t working about sparkling water in the UK: the waste, the cost, the lack of access, and the terrible customer experience.

Fast-forward to today and we’ve grown to:

• 15,000+ subscribers across the UK

• 1,000 new customers joining every month

• £2 million+ in revenue by end of 2024

• The launch of our own sparkling water machine, The Bubbla

• Strategic partnerships with major brands like Smeg and more to come

“We want to make refill-first sparkling water the norm in every UK kitchen,” Marcus shared in the article.

♻️ Built for Sustainability from Day One

The piece highlights our commitment to sustainability through our circular refill model—where customers receive CO2 cylinders on a subscription, use them, and we collect them from their doorstep to be cleaned, refilled, and reused again.

Unlike other brands, we don’t believe in waste—or deposits. Just simplicity, transparency, and fizz that doesn’t cost the earth.

Our refill programme is compatible with:

• The Bubbla

• Smeg Sparkling Water Machine

• SodaStream

• Aarke

• Quooker, Billi, and Zip Taps

• And more

🚀 What’s Next?

As featured in the piece, we’re now expanding beyond the UK—first into The Netherlands, and then onto Germany, Ireland, and even the UAE. With support from global investors and industry leaders like Victory (our gas cylinder manufacturer) and Anthony Bolton, the growth is just getting started.

We're also seeing a surge of demand in the hospitality and workplace sectors, where businesses are replacing bottled sparkling water with CO2 YOU-powered taps. Refills = no bottles = big environmental wins.

CO2 YOU's journey from a bedroom startup to a key player in the sparkling water market is a testament to the power of sustainable innovation and the growing demand for eco-friendly alternatives.