Smart Cups

Smart Cups is a California-based beverage and food technology brand rethinking how drinks and nutrition are made and delivered. It introduced what it describes as the world’s first printed beverage: add water to a Smart Cup, and ingredients printed inside release and mix to create a drink. The company’s current products include energy shots in flavors such as Blue Raspberry and Tropical Punch, as well as bundles and branded gear.

At the heart of Smart Cups is patented zero-liquid printing technology. Plant-based capsules hold flavor, vitamins, electrolytes, nutrients, or medications on food-safe surfaces until water activates them. Beyond its recycled paper cups, the technology can be used on materials and products including glass, plastic, aluminum, edible films, snacks, bars, and tortillas.

By shipping ingredients rather than finished liquid, Smart Cups aims to reduce transport weight, packaging waste, refrigeration needs, and carbon emissions. The company cites a UCLA life-cycle study validating emissions reductions and presents its approach as a more efficient way to make nutrition accessible.