Munich Startup: What does your startup do? What problem do you solve?
Sebastian Oelighoff, Co-Founder: Hydro Lion is the Drink for recovery Wherever body and mind need support. Our goal: to motivate people to be more mindful of their own regeneration in everyday life. While other drinks rely on caffeine for activation, Hydro Lion provides fluid and electrolyte balance – after sports, during a night out, or the morning after. At parties, Hydro Lion is the smart alternative to a mid-morning drink, a light soft drink, or the perfect mixer for long drinks. We offer a modern and functional alternative to classics like vodka and soda.
Munich Startup: But that's been around for a long time!
Sebastian Oelighoff: Electrolytes are currently available primarily in powder form, but rarely as a ready-to-drink beverage that tastes good and works. Classic sports drinks often contain a lot of sugar but little real benefit. And functional drinks have barely made it into bars and clubs. Our answer: a balanced electrolyte formula with sodium, chloride, magnesium, and potassium, and only as much sugar as is necessary for optimal absorption in the small intestine. No overload, no gimmicks: simply effective.
Hydro Lion as a practical lifestyle product
Munich Startup: What is your founding story?
Sebastian Oelighoff: For us, Sebastian and Lars, health plays a vital role. We enjoy sports and generally eat a healthy diet. Nevertheless, we also make exceptions when it comes to food, drinks, and socializing. Our jobs can often be stressful, which is why lifestyle products need to be practical and easy to use. So we created the drink we'd always been looking for: the perfect companion for a workout, but also for a night out on the weekend. That's how Hydro Lion was born.
Munich Startup: What have been your biggest challenges so far?
Sebastian Oelighoff: Product development was exciting, but the biggest hurdle was the bureaucracy surrounding the deposit system. Registering with the German Deposit System, in particular, is a complex and often underestimated process. Another major moment was convincing our first customer. But now, many Munich restaurants, such as P1, Lenbachs, and Milchbar, rely on Hydro Lion, and we've already secured our first listing in local retail at Galeria on Marienplatz.
Vision: A European brand for smart regeneration
Munich Startup: Where would you like to be in one year, where in five years?
Sebastian Oelighoff: In one year, we aim to be an integral part of the restaurant and retail scene in several German cities. In five years, we envision Hydro Lion as a European brand for smart regeneration, extending beyond national borders. Furthermore, we want to build a strong brand presence on social media and engage our audience.
Munich Startup: How have you experienced Munich as a startup location so far?
Sebastian Oelighoff: Munich offers a vibrant startup scene with strong networks that foster a great deal of exchange, support, and inspiration. The restaurant scene is fiercely competitive due to large brands, but if it were easy, everyone would be doing it.
Munich Startup: Outsource or do it yourself?
Sebastian Oelighoff: In the beverage industry, it's common practice to work with external contract bottlers – and we do too. We deliberately entrust production and logistics to strong partners. However, we keep strategic issues, sales, and marketing in-house because that's where our DNA, our spirit, and our vision have the strongest impact.
