Curro Rodríguez: from bankruptcy to global water empire

Published on 20/03/2026 - 15:00 GMT+1

From a start-up founded successful Malaga successful 2015 with a fewer 1000 euros, Ly Company has go 1 of Europe’s fastest-growing multinationals, and a planetary person successful the sustainable h2o packaging sector.

With 10 factories located crossed Europe, Latin America and the Middle East, Ly Company produces astir 10 cardinal bottles of h2o successful cardboard packaging per month.

Unlike astir competitors, Ly Company doesn’t beryllium its occurrence to wide retail firms.

It sells personalised products to much than 3,000 brands, ranging from airlines and edifice chains to backstage transport companies and large events organisers. “There is simply a batch of h2o successful sectors wherever nary 1 thinks it is consumed”, notes Rodríguez. “An airline, for example, tin devour 50 cardinal bottles per year.”

The institution is present targeting China and, supra all, the United States.

Its positioning is besides based connected sustainability: factories powered by greenish energy, cardboard from responsibly managed forest, bioplastic made from sweetener cane and h2o guaranteed to beryllium microplastics-free. Part of the profits money his “Agua y Vida” Foundation, which is progressive successful biology and humanitarian projects.

“I’ve gone done immoderate precise hard times. Now that I’m doing well, I privation to springiness thing backmost to society”, explains Curro Rodríguez.

Behind this emergence lies a chaotic journey. While moving arsenic a first-responder successful exigency aesculapian services for 20 years, helium was simultaneously launching businesses, sometimes risky ones. Two successive bankruptcies saw him edifice to nutrient assistance and doing unusual jobs for a while, earlier helium reinvented himself.

“My passionateness is bringing projects to life”, explains Curro Rodríguez, who has founded a full of 39 companies, 23 of which are presently progressive wrong his holding company. “When things are done retired of emotion, and not for money, they make value. The wealth follows. But you person to look for worth first”, helium concludes, a large grin connected his face.