In December of 2017, from Smart Cups’ 23,000 sq. ft. facility, located in Southern California, we launched The World's First Printed Beverage to the global market via direct to consumer on this website. Founded by Chris Kanik, Smart Cups is proud to be an American brand, operated in Mission Viejo, California with all products manufactured on U.S. soil.
Smart Cups is a sustainability-driven technology company with a mission to provide a mindful path forward for the beverage industry and beyond. Having created the world’s first printed beverage, an energy drink, Smart Cups eliminates the need to bottle and ship liquids, which, in turn, significantly reduces our carbon footprint. To put that into perspective, a truck that would ordinarily carry 96,000 12 oz cans of soda, can instead carry 1.2 million Smart Cups thanks to the stackable, waterless design. This translates to a reduction of shipping weight and in turn reduction of CO2 emissions.
Smart Cups entered the trillion-dollar beverage industry with our proprietary technology applied to a simple cup as proof of our game changing concept. However, with the unique ability to print ingredients on any type of surface, our technology can be easily implemented across a myriad of industries—offering an eco-forward approach to the way products are manufactured, shipped and consumed. From life-saving medications to personal care and hygiene products, spirits, cosmetics, cleaning supplies and even water purification systems, the potential of Smart Cups is endless.
We have created a revolutionary new standard of environmentally conscious products that will usher in a brighter and more sustainable future for everyone. This is the beginning of that journey.
By supporting Smart Cups today, you are supporting our planet-saving innovations on the horizon.
Smart Cups now, for the future.
ABOUT OUR FOUNDER
Smart Cups was founded by Chris Kanik. Chris is the son of immigrant parents and he thrived on the prospect of fulfilling the American Dream. Chris first stepped foot in a lab at 12 years old, now with over 25 years of laboratory research experience, Smart Cups is the embodiment of his life’s work.
At age 12, Chris Kanik was able to attain University permission to begin work at Stevens Institute of Technology as a researcher using a high-performance liquid chromatography machine (HPLC) to study the chemical degradation of aspartame in diet sodas over extended periods of storage at various temperatures. At age 14, Chris was a Research Assistant at Rutgers University in the Nutritional Sciences Department, studying adipocyte metabolism in adipocyte fatty acid binding protein knockout mice (aP2-/-) after short-term high-fat feeding. From there, Chris, continued to be a Researcher at Rutgers University in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering/NASA, assisting in the development of the conceptualization of biologically based nano-robots.
Chris Kanik attended Cornell University as an American Chemical Society Scholar. During his last two years at Cornell University, Chris took on the role of Student Manager, providing support and managing over 70 employees, showing off his abilities as a highly dynamic leader with a unique balance of analytical and interpersonal skills. Chris went on to graduate from Cornell University in 2005 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. Rather than pursuing the conventional path after graduating, Chris blazed his own trail and pursued his passion for stand-up comedy on the New York circuit. In 2011, Chris Kanik was sitting a packed taco Tuesday and wanted a margarita… his waitress was not fast enough, so he had an idea. The next day, Chris successfully created encapsulated ethanol in his kitchen using simple tools. After researching solutions for bringing the product to market – Smart Cups was born.
Chris’ creative and entrepreneurial spirit can be directly attributed to being the first generation born of immigrant parents. Having experienced first-hand the struggles and inequalities that exist among socio-economic classes, Chris has always been drawn to disrupting the status quo and designing better solutions to systems. Chris’ dream was to provide resources to people in need across the globe in a more efficient and eco-forward manner.
