Our story
On 7 January 2023, the first sketch of SideFill was drawn – prompted by a simple question: why do water bottles actually have to be round?
Basel, 2023
While studying in Basel, the idea grew out of a very everyday problem: conventional water bottles were round, bulky and took up unnecessary space in bags.
At the same time, they were often difficult to fill at small or low taps.
This observation led to the idea: a water bottle that is flat instead of round and can be filled from the side.
The sketch was made while studying in Basel. Even then, the basic idea of the flat shape and the side opening was already recognisable.
The sketch became an initial 3D model. Shape, dimensions and function were refined over several iterations until the idea became a product ready for production.
Around eleven months passed between the first sketch and the sales launch of the first edition.
SideFill was conceived, developed and designed in Switzerland. The innovation has been patent pending since 2023.
The development – from problem analysis through design to implementation – was carried out by our own team.
In 2025, we presented SideFill on «Die Höhle der Löwen Schweiz».
The appearance was an important milestone on our journey and led to a distribution partnership with Brack.
As seen in
In 2025, we had a stand with SideFill at the Basel Christmas Market. It was a special moment for us: the idea for SideFill was born in Basel – and that is exactly where we were able to show it live and talk directly with customers.
We will be back at the Basel Christmas Market in 2026 too.
Today, SideFill holds 750 ml and is available in several colours. There are also personal engravings, the Sleeve and Cleaning Pearls, as well as tailored solutions for business customers.
What began as a sketch during university is now a product used every day by customers.
With every SideFill sold, we support the protection of 0.1 m² of rainforest in Peru together with Wilderness International. Learn more
Nicolas AltFounder of SideFill
A simple idea became a new kind of water bottle.
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