A Welsh technology business is preparing for international expansion after partnering with Brains Brewery to commercialise what it says is the world’s first self-cooling beer can.
deltaH Innovation, founded and led by Welsh entrepreneur James Vyse, has developed Cool>Can™, a patented packaging technology capable of cooling a drink by around 10–15°C after being activated by the consumer.
The business has attracted interest from potential customers and partners in international markets including the United States and Japan, but Vyse has chosen Wales as the base from which to commercialise and scale the technology.
Cardiff-based Brains will become the first brewery to use the innovation commercially, with its Bayside Welsh Lager selected for the initial Cool>Can launch.
“I’m incredibly proud to be Welsh, and I want to build something here that can have a global impact,” said Vyse.
“We’ve had interest from around the world, and there were certainly people who wanted to be first, but for me there was always a real desire to launch this from Wales — and then take it to the world.
“That’s why the partnership with Brains is so important. It’s a Welsh company with an incredible heritage and exceptional beer. Together, we can put Wales at the heart of a global technology story.”
The technology has taken more than two years to develop and uses a non-toxic chemical cooling system housed within a can-within-a-can format.
Importantly for its commercial prospects, deltaH says Cool>Can has been designed to integrate with existing beverage production and filling arrangements rather than requiring brands to overhaul their supply chains.
A pilot production line is already operating in Wales and the company intends to scale manufacturing capacity in South Wales as demand develops.
The company has secured backing from a syndicate of Welsh investors to support product development and the expansion of its manufacturing capability.
Vyse believes the availability of engineering and metal packaging expertise in Wales could help the company build an international technology business without moving its core operations elsewhere.
“My ambition is to build the first Welsh unicorn,” said Vyse. “I want to prove that you can build a global technology company from Wales. The engineering talent in the region, especially in metal packaging, is some of the best in the world.
“We don’t need to go somewhere else to make this happen. We can develop it here, manufacture it here, create the jobs here and take it to the world.”
The project also draws on Wales’ history in drinks packaging. Felinfoel Brewery in Llanelli became the first brewery outside the United States to produce canned beer in 1935.
“Wales has a history of doing things first,” said Vyse. “Felinfoel produced the first canned beer outside the US, and now we have the opportunity to create the world’s first self-cooling beer can.
“There’s something really special about that continuity. To be able to take this next step alongside another Welsh company like Brains makes it even more meaningful.”
The first commercial Cool>Can containing Brains’ Bayside Welsh Lager will be unveiled at London Packaging Week 2026.
The longer-term strategy is to use the Welsh operation as the blueprint for international expansion.
“This is only the start,” said Vyse. “We’ve had incredible interest from around the world. We’re building the template in Wales, which will always be our global centre. Once that foundation is in place, we will scale Cool>Can globally.
“I’d love nothing more than for the next big global technology company to come out of Wales.”