Bevi, the Boston company behind the countertop “smart water coolers” found in many offices, is adding low-sugar sodas and wellness add-ins to its Bevi beverage machines and has named its first independent board director, moves that point to a company preparing for its next stage of growth. Chief executive Cathy Lewenberg discussed the changes with the Boston Globe in a story published Oct. 8, two days after the company announced the board appointment.
What’s New on Bevi Beverage Machines
Bevi’s machines filter tap water and mix it with flavors, still or sparkling, so offices can skip bottles and cans. According to the Globe, the company this summer added low-sugar soda options, in flavors including root beer and orange cream, along with sports and energy drinks made without artificial dyes, flavors or sweeteners.
Users can also add a “vitamin boost” containing vitamin C, vitamin B5, zinc, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12, plus electrolytes (potassium and sodium) and caffeine. A prebiotic fiber option is coming soon. The Globe reported that the prebiotic dose contains four grams of fiber, which Carlos Soto Díaz, a researcher at the University of North Carolina’s Gillings School of Global Public Health, said “could represent a meaningful contribution to daily fiber intake.”
In its Oct. 6 announcement, Bevi said that when its users choose something other than plain water, nearly half add an enhancement such as Vitamin Boost, Electrolytes, Energy Boost or Focus Blend.
Growth, Customers and Boston Jobs
Lewenberg, a former CVS Health executive and Bain consultant who helped lead liquor delivery service Drizly before its 2021 sale to Uber, took over from cofounder Sean Grandy in 2024. Bevi does not disclose revenue, but the company says it has grown at a compound annual rate of more than 40 percent since 2021. The Globe reported that Bevi now employs almost 300 people, about 170 of them in Boston, and has roughly 7,000 customers, including Tripadvisor, Netflix and Delta, up 50 percent since 2023.
Bevi was founded in 2013 at Greentown Labs, the clean-tech accelerator in Somerville, and now operates in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland. Earlier this year, the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council named it Tech Company of the Year in the growth-stage category, according to the company.
A First Independent Director and an Audit Committee
On Oct. 6, Bevi announced that Tara Comonte had joined its board, effective immediately, as its first independent director and chair of a new audit committee. Comonte most recently served as president and CEO of WeightWatchers. She was earlier CEO of fertility technology company TMRW Life Sciences and president and chief financial officer of Shake Shack, and she sits on the boards of Peloton Interactive, Kindbody and Strava, according to the company’s release. She will work with Lewenberg and chief financial officer Wajeeha Ahmed.
Lewenberg told the Globe a home or consumer product is “not out of the realm of possibility” but is “not on the immediate roadmap.” Asked about a stock market listing, she said the company is focused on growth and on building a company “that will hopefully have many options down the road.” Comonte told the paper the governance changes “continue to build optionality for the company, whether it’s an IPO or any other transaction, or continuing to grow organically.”
Our Take
This section is analysis and opinion from The Boston Report, separate from the reporting above.
Adding an independent director and an audit committee is not an IPO filing, but it is the kind of housekeeping companies usually do before one, and Bevi’s executives are plainly leaving that door open. For Boston, the timing matters. The city’s tech scene has had a rough stretch: a French buyer for Seaport software firm PTC, Uber’s deal for ezCater and Amazon’s Seaport sublease. A homegrown company that keeps hiring here and might one day list here would be a welcome counterweight.
The risk is the crowded shelf. Big soda makers and upstarts alike are chasing the same “functional drink” buyer, and wellness claims face growing scrutiny. Bevi’s edge is that it sells to employers, not shoppers, and its machines cut out bottles entirely. If office attendance keeps recovering, that model looks sturdier than another canned soda brand. If it stalls, Bevi’s push into new products and markets will matter even more.