December 11th, 2025 | by Carina Hamel and Robby Ringer
I'm about to celebrate my one year here at Bivo and a lot has changed in just the one year since I've started. I can't even imagine how much has changed since the very beginning, five years ago. In honor of Bivo's 5th birthday this past week, we've opened up the discussion to all of you on our Instagram, you all had great questions! We picked some of our favorites to ask Robby and Carina. Some questions about business, some questions about life and everything in between. Also, we made a documentary detailing some of these crazy moments that we're so excited to share with you all. Cheers to five years :) - Caitlin
I’m going to invert this question and start with the end, because Carina and I always say Bivo is so much more than a water bottle company. We’re building a brand centered around community and keeping sport fun. These are core to who we are as people and as a company and they’re what get us up every morning. Sure, at the end of the day we sell a bottle, but we hope that when someone is choosing between Bivo and a competitor, they ‘feel’that Bivo stands for something more than the product in their hand. And we hope that feeling makes all the difference.
Making that happen is easier said than done, and honestly it’s the slower path. Our marketing is built on being there for our customers, on giving them stories they want to read instead of salesy messages, showing up at events to meet amazing people rather than relying on impersonal ads. We do these things because they feel right, and because we believe they’re the right way to build something that’s more than just a nifty water bottle.
I'm about to celebrate my one year here at Bivo and a lot has changed in just the one year since I've started. I can't even imagine how much has changed since the very beginning, five years ago. In honor of Bivo's 5th birthday this past week, we've opened up the discussion to all of you on our Instagram, you all had great questions! We picked some of our favorites to ask Robby and Carina. Some questions about business, some questions about life and everything in between. Also, we made a documentary detailing some of these crazy moments that we're so excited to share with you all. Cheers to five years :) - Caitlin
I’m going to invert this question and start with the end, because Carina and I always say Bivo is so much more than a water bottle company. We’re building a brand centered around community and keeping sport fun. These are core to who we are as people and as a company and they’re what get us up every morning. Sure, at the end of the day we sell a bottle, but we hope that when someone is choosing between Bivo and a competitor, they ‘feel’that Bivo stands for something more than the product in their hand. And we hope that feeling makes all the difference.
Making that happen is easier said than done, and honestly it’s the slower path. Our marketing is built on being there for our customers, on giving them stories they want to read instead of salesy messages, showing up at events to meet amazing people rather than relying on impersonal ads. We do these things because they feel right, and because we believe they’re the right way to build something that’s more than just a nifty water bottle.
Robby and Carina. Thank you Sarah Kjelleren for the pictures!
Robby and Carina. Thank you Sarah Kjelleren for the pictures!
As for the technology and product side, this is a great question because in the beginning so many people said, “Really? Another water bottle? The market is so crowded.” But we never saw it that way. From day one, we were laser-focused on creating a performance first metal bottle designed from the ground up for sport. We believed and still believe that 99% of bottles out there are “lifestyle” bottles, built for everyday needs rather than true performance.
Our beliefs shaped two core product pillars we still use as our guiding principles: performance, and health/sustainability. Bivo started from the desire to create a non-plastic bottle that was better for people and the world. We were sick of slowly killing ourselves with gross-tasting plastic bottles, and we knew that clean taste would always be a core belief. But at the end of the day, we’re athletes. We love sport. And the last thing we wanted was to create a bottle that forced you to pull over and ask your friends to wait while you used two hands to drink from your “really cool metal bottle” that had zero performance built into it.
As for the technology and product side, this is a great question because in the beginning so many people said, “Really? Another water bottle? The market is so crowded.” But we never saw it that way. From day one, we were laser-focused on creating a performance first metal bottle designed from the ground up for sport. We believed and still believe that 99% of bottles out there are “lifestyle” bottles, built for everyday needs rather than true performance.
Our beliefs shaped two core product pillars we still use as our guiding principles: performance, and health/sustainability. Bivo started from the desire to create a non-plastic bottle that was better for people and the world. We were sick of slowly killing ourselves with gross-tasting plastic bottles, and we knew that clean taste would always be a core belief. But at the end of the day, we’re athletes. We love sport. And the last thing we wanted was to create a bottle that forced you to pull over and ask your friends to wait while you used two hands to drink from your “really cool metal bottle” that had zero performance built into it.
2,500+ failures, haha. A little context: we spent 18 months designing and developing our first bottle. More 3D prints than I can count, endless tweaks, and so much hot glue. I wouldn’t classify every print as a failure, more like a step along the path that taught us what worked… and, very often, what didn’t.
After all that tinkering, we finally placed our first purchase order for 2,500 units in 2019. I still remember the moment 12 hours before launch when we got an email from a tester saying the silicone coating was peeling off like an orange. We cried, I definitely panicked (we’d poured so much of our own money into those bottles), and then we got back to work. A few months later, with 2,500 “failures” in the rearview mirror, we were finally off to the races.
2,500+ failures, haha. A little context: we spent 18 months designing and developing our first bottle. More 3D prints than I can count, endless tweaks, and so much hot glue. I wouldn’t classify every print as a failure, more like a step along the path that taught us what worked… and, very often, what didn’t.
After all that tinkering, we finally placed our first purchase order for 2,500 units in 2019. I still remember the moment 12 hours before launch when we got an email from a tester saying the silicone coating was peeling off like an orange. We cried, I definitely panicked (we’d poured so much of our own money into those bottles), and then we got back to work. A few months later, with 2,500 “failures” in the rearview mirror, we were finally off to the races.
An early model of the Bivo One
An early model of the Bivo One
Five years in, I still don’t see our bottles as finished or perfect. I’m constantly looking for improvements, listening to customers, and making changes that refine the product bit by bit. We call this “re-engineering” and believe that design isn’t a single step but an ongoing process. Always moving. Always forward.
At first, this felt like a hard question to answer. We move so quickly at Bivo that setting goals can feel almost impossible. We have numbers to hit, of course, but those often feel arbitrary and sometimes like the wrong thing to anchor ourselves to. With the landscape shifting so quickly, traditional goal-setting can feel out of step with the reality of a fast-growing startup.
But we do have one goal that never changes:to create more joy for people on their adventures and to build an incredible community around us.
Five years in, I still don’t see our bottles as finished or perfect. I’m constantly looking for improvements, listening to customers, and making changes that refine the product bit by bit. We call this “re-engineering” and believe that design isn’t a single step but an ongoing process. Always moving. Always forward.
At first, this felt like a hard question to answer. We move so quickly at Bivo that setting goals can feel almost impossible. We have numbers to hit, of course, but those often feel arbitrary and sometimes like the wrong thing to anchor ourselves to. With the landscape shifting so quickly, traditional goal-setting can feel out of step with the reality of a fast-growing startup.
But we do have one goal that never changes:to create more joy for people on their adventures and to build an incredible community around us.
Bivo Bash 2025. Thank you Carter Clark for the Pictures!
Bivo Bash 2025. Thank you Carter Clark for the Pictures!
Even though the world moves fast, that pace has brought incredible opportunities. When we saw Japan as an opportunity for us, we went for it. When tariffs hit, we used it as a chance to re-evaluate, get scrappy, and strengthen the foundation of our business. And then we threw the Bivo Bash, because we all needed to have a little more fun!
Our goals may evolve as we grow, but if we remind ourselves of our core purpose, we’ll always know whether we’re headed in the right direction.
Even though the world moves fast, that pace has brought incredible opportunities. When we saw Japan as an opportunity for us, we went for it. When tariffs hit, we used it as a chance to re-evaluate, get scrappy, and strengthen the foundation of our business. And then we threw the Bivo Bash, because we all needed to have a little more fun!
Our goals may evolve as we grow, but if we remind ourselves of our core purpose, we’ll always know whether we’re headed in the right direction.
Lowest: When we first launched Bivo, we were living in Western Massachusetts with my parents. COVID had just hit, childcare had evaporated overnight, and our daughter was 18 months old. What we thought would be a short stay turned into 16 months, eight of which were after Bivo launched.
At the same time, we were still running our footwear design and development agency, managing sourcing, development, and production for 6 brands. COVID absolutely crushed supply chains. Everything slowed down, everything became more expensive, and every project felt like a slog. And, because we apparently love chaos, we also decided to have our second child, Nolan.
Four months after he was born, we were in the middle of transitioning Bivo to Vermont. We had moved six months earlier, but our bottles were still shipping out of our barn in Massachusetts. Robby was driving pallets up to our new office in Vermont while I stayed in Massachusetts with the kids so I could have a little extra help.
For the parents who know the four-month sleep regression… we were in it full on. And for those who know me well, you know I love sleep. I vividly remember going for a hike with Nolan strapped to my chest, exhausted in every possible way, and realizing something had to give. We were drowning. Too much work, too little sleep, and I felt like we were on the verge of failing at everything.
I really fought shutting our agency down - it was my first business and I loved it. On that hike, though, the clarity hit me: it was time. I emailed Robby right then and told him we needed to close the agency. It was scary letting go of the thing that was still paying the bills, but it felt undeniably right. And I haven’t looked back since.
Lowest: When we first launched Bivo, we were living in Western Massachusetts with my parents. COVID had just hit, childcare had evaporated overnight, and our daughter was 18 months old. What we thought would be a short stay turned into 16 months, eight of which were after Bivo launched.
At the same time, we were still running our footwear design and development agency, managing sourcing, development, and production for 6 brands. COVID absolutely crushed supply chains. Everything slowed down, everything became more expensive, and every project felt like a slog. And, because we apparently love chaos, we also decided to have our second child, Nolan.
Four months after he was born, we were in the middle of transitioning Bivo to Vermont. We had moved six months earlier, but our bottles were still shipping out of our barn in Massachusetts. Robby was driving pallets up to our new office in Vermont while I stayed in Massachusetts with the kids so I could have a little extra help.
For the parents who know the four-month sleep regression… we were in it full on. And for those who know me well, you know I love sleep. I vividly remember going for a hike with Nolan strapped to my chest, exhausted in every possible way, and realizing something had to give. We were drowning. Too much work, too little sleep, and I felt like we were on the verge of failing at everything.
I really fought shutting our agency down - it was my first business and I loved it. On that hike, though, the clarity hit me: it was time. I emailed Robby right then and told him we needed to close the agency. It was scary letting go of the thing that was still paying the bills, but it felt undeniably right. And I haven’t looked back since.
Don't worry, this isn't the finished office space!
Don't worry, this isn't the finished office space!
Highest: It’s funny how it’s not the big press or financial wins like getting into Wirecutter or receiving our first PO from REI, but the smaller moments that maybe don’t seem as significant to those watching in. We recently expanded our office. For those of you who have already watched our film, you got a very quick (and embarrassing glimpse) into how tight and messy our office was. There were eight of us packed into a very small space and I don’t think any of us realized how stressful it was to bump into each other. I literally had to ask Robby to get out of his chair to get out of my desk.
We got a warehouse space in our building and it opened up a whole new desk and lounge area for our team. Robby and I went to Lake Placid the weekend we got it for the Mountain Bike World Cup, and our amazing team (plus our neighbor and nordic skier Ben Ogden) took the initiative to tear down walls and move us into our new space. We were all so excited as a group, and for me to witness our team with such joy was absolutely the highest high for me to date.
Highest: It’s funny how it’s not the big press or financial wins like getting into Wirecutter or receiving our first PO from REI, but the smaller moments that maybe don’t seem as significant to those watching in. We recently expanded our office. For those of you who have already watched our film, you got a very quick (and embarrassing glimpse) into how tight and messy our office was. There were eight of us packed into a very small space and I don’t think any of us realized how stressful it was to bump into each other. I literally had to ask Robby to get out of his chair to get out of my desk.
We got a warehouse space in our building and it opened up a whole new desk and lounge area for our team. Robby and I went to Lake Placid the weekend we got it for the Mountain Bike World Cup, and our amazing team (plus our neighbor and nordic skier Ben Ogden) took the initiative to tear down walls and move us into our new space. We were all so excited as a group, and for me to witness our team with such joy was absolutely the highest high for me to date.
Robby and Carina running at the App Gap in Lincoln, VT. Thank you Joshua Strong for the picture above and the header image!
Robby and Carina running at the App Gap in Lincoln, VT. Thank you Joshua Strong for the picture above and the header image!
P.S. In honor of our birthday, we made a film to share all of the highs and lows of the past 5 years! We hope you enjoy :)
P.S. In honor of our birthday, we made a film to share all of the highs and lows of the past 5 years! We hope you enjoy :)
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