soulbottles in transition #wearenotfinishedyet

UPDATE - 15.07.2025

6 months after bankruptcy: A new beginning with soul

Half a year after the insolvency, we are not at the end – but in the middle of a new beginning.

It's been six months since we had to file for bankruptcy. Six months full of uncertainty, difficult decisions, intense discussions—and honest reflections.

When we applied back then, we didn't know what to expect. Whether and how things would continue was completely open. We were prepared for many things—but not for the feeling that we could lose everything.

Today we know: It continues.
Not like before. But with clarity, with a new team—and with a lot of soul.

What really went wrong

The question “why” cannot be answered simply in one sentence.
It wasn't one big mistake. Rather, it was a chain of circumstances—some external, others man-made.

It all started with the coronavirus pandemic. Overnight, our most important sales channel collapsed almost completely. Brick-and-mortar retail came to a standstill. We saw the numbers, but instead of pausing to react, we went into reactive mode. We clung to what we knew – out of fear of losing our footing. And always with the hope that things would recover.

Added to this were economic challenges such as rising production costs and a market in which sustainable promises were increasingly diluted.
Internally, things weren't running smoothly either. In the wake of the crisis, we gradually and drastically reduced our team. As a result, roles were no longer clearly defined, and responsibilities were sometimes distributed vaguely.

And then there's idealism—our driving force and, at the same time, our weakness. We believe in our values. But without a solid economic foundation, no company can be run in the long term.

What we learned from it

The past few months have opened our eyes.
They have shown us that economic efficiency is a component of sustainability. Profit is one of the three essential elements, which can sometimes be brought into focus to the detriment of others (planet, people).

Today, we're working on distributing responsibility more clearly within the company, rethinking processes, and focusing more on what defines soulbottles—and how we can continue to develop it sustainably.

What remains – and what comes

What remains: our attitude, our vision, our products, our commitment to acting in an ecologically and socially fair manner.
What is changing: our understanding of sustainable entrepreneurship, in which all three pillars of sustainability remain stable.

We call it soulbottles 3.0.
A new beginning that doesn’t make everything different – but many things more conscious.
A company that is more resilient. Clearer. And ready to continue growing.

We're glad we're still here. And we're happy that we can continue to shape things – together with you.

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There are those moments in life when everything is turned upside down. When the world spins a little too fast for a moment and you don't quite know what will happen next. We're at exactly that point right now. Yes, it's official: We're in insolvency proceedings. But is that all there is? – no, because we want to move on!

We're not finished yet.

For over 12 years, we've been fighting to make tap water the new normal, to make sustainable consumption a real movement rather than just a trend. We stand for a world without plastic waste, for conscious consumption, for fair production, and for companies that care not just about profits, but also about people and the planet. Our mission was never to simply sell drinking bottles —we want to make a difference. And we've done it: Together with you, we've replaced over a billion single-use plastic bottles*. Together, we've raised over €1,500,000 for water and climate protection projects. We've produced fairly, worked CO₂-neutrally, and proven that business can be done differently. We've shown that it's possible to run a company with heart and attitude.

And that's exactly why we're not giving up now.

*Source: soulbottles Impact Survey 2020

The story continues – with you!

Of course, this is a difficult moment for us. But it's not the end. It's a turning point. And at turning points, new things emerge – with creativity, with courage, and with a strong community. That's precisely why we have a new soulbottle for you: the stainless steel drinking bottle steel light "unfinished." It represents what we're going through right now, the unfinished, the transition, the next phase that we're shaping together.

This bottle is more than a product—it's our symbol. Our sign that we're moving forward. That we're still fighting for a sustainable future. That we don't have to be perfect to move forward.

How can you support us?

You want soulbottles to continue? That we're not history, but continue to write history? Then let's be loud together:

• Tell your friends about it, share our hashtag #soulbottles and let’s show together that responsible business is the future.

• Let us know what you need. What products, what ideas, what paths should we take? What do you want from soulbottles? We're always open to new ideas and fresh perspectives!

Our journey has never been easy. But it has always been important. And now we're writing the next chapter – together with you. Let's go!

#soulbottles