Water should be free – so why do we pay to drink it? It’s a pivotal question that is being asked by the Austin-based startup FreeWater as they push to make not only water but other products “free” across the globe. FreeWater is a new type of company that makes money by printing advertisements onto aluminum bottles and paper cartons of natural spring water which then allows them to give it away at no cost to the consumer. Leading what they call the “giving economy” they also donate 10 cents per beverage to build water wells for people in need.

During SXSW, thousands of participants gather from across the country and all over the world to explore downtown Austin and experience the best this city’s startup community has to offer. At the last SXSW Startup Crawl, there were 250+ companies and 5,000+ registered crawlers. This year, the SXSW Startup Crawl will be concentrated at Capital Factory — up and down multiple floors.

For info on the Startup Crawl, see here.

The company says FreeWater is only the beginning and it’s just the first product of their future free supermarkets. Each new free product they introduce will donate to a different charitable cause. The groundbreaking startup has quickly become an international phenomenon creating interest around the world from brands, investors, and consumers alike. FreeWater’s viral Tiktok and Instagram accounts have played a key role in its massive influence with combined followers at over a million across their platforms.

FreeWater has already financed two water projects in Kenya by distributing free spring water in the USA. Their mission is to put the highest quality products in consumers’ hands for a negative price since the water is free and ten cents per beverage is donated to charity. For additional information see www.freewater.io.