Globally, industries and individuals aim to reduce their carbon footprint. However, vegan and natural goods are often more expensive than their alternatives or filled with ingredients from far flung places, resulting in a bloated carbon footprint.
But now French company 900.care is shaking up the hygiene beauty industry by creating refillable hygiene products that are cheaper than or the same price as their alternatives, and a model that dramatically reduces plastic pollution and CO2 emissions.
Today, the company is announcing a €21 million Series A.
I spoke to CEO and co-founder Aymeric Grange to find out more.
The company was launched in 2021 with a model is based on a simple principle — conventional hygiene and cleaning products are composed of 90 per cent water, and have to be transported through the logistics chain, from factories to supermarkets.
Grange explained:
“We realised that there was something really wrong with the personal care industry as a whole. Most products—like body wash, for example—are essentially 90 per cent water wrapped in single-use plastic.
This results in a tonne of plastic waste. Also, when you think about all that water that is shipped across the country in big trucks, when we all have tap water at home, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense from a carbon CO2 emissions point of view. "
So, why not offer consumers only the 10 per cent active ingredients of these products and let them mix them with tap water at home in a reusable bottle?
900.care sells small compressed sticks of active ingredients, which when dissolved in water, allow for over 15 different products, from shower gel to shampoo and deodorants. All of 900.care’s products are made in France, with natural formulas, and at comparable or lower prices than large producers.
As Granger explains:
“You’re not generating any plastic waste because you keep refilling your reusable bottles, and you've not shipped water. And we can price at the lower price of mainstream brands because we don't have all the extra costs involved with shipping what is mostly water.”
There are a lot of natural cleaning and beauty products available. Many are just not that effective. Granger explains that the company wanted to ensure customers aren’t sacrificing for more eco-friendly products.
“We want the experience to be just as good if not better than what you would experience with a supermarket brand. So it feels exactly like a body wash, the texture is great, it smells good.
It's natural formulas, great ingredients, we really try to tick all the boxes. With this it becomes a no brainer — there’s no reason not to switch to this solution.”
Furthermore, 900.care has saved the transportation of over 1 million litres of water and the production of 4 million plastic containers since its launch in 2021 — avoiding over 1,500 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
One point of difference is that 900.care is a direct-to-consumer brand — a sector that’s notoriously difficult to crack.
The company offers a subscription model that starts with a trial kit, and it resonates with consumers. It now has 90,000 customers and 235,000 active subscriptions.
The company almost tripled its turnover in 2023 and exceeded €10 million in revenue by the end of the year.
With this new funding round, the team aims to be profitable by the end of 2024 and have a turnover of €100 million within three years.
New investor Lombard Odier Investment Managers lead the funding alongside existing investors White Star Capital, Swen Blue Ocean, and Founders Future.
According to Victoire Carous, co-manager of the Plastic Circularity portfolio at Lombard Odier Investment Managers:
"900.care represents precisely the type of business model that can create a brighter future via a circular business model, minimising plastic production.
This simple, easy-to-use solution, accessible to a wide consumer base, supported by an innovative industrial process, allows consumers to make a positive change in their daily lives."
Matthieu Lattes, General Partner at White Star Capital, shared:
"White Star Capital is convinced that companies that can leave a lasting legacy of positive impact, positively change the lives of the consumers who use their products, and conserve the planet’s limited resources will also become the industry-defining success stories of tomorrow.
We’re proud to continue supporting 900.care’s fantastic team and product."
900.care also plans to accelerate its product development and expansion across Europe, including the UK market, starting H2 2024, building on the successful product launches the company has achieved in Belgium and Switzerland.
Lead image: 900.care. Photo: uncredited.
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