Leading environmentally friendly nappy and wipe brand Mama Bamboo is seeking to raise £600,000 through a second investment crowdfunding campaign on the Triodos Crowdfunding platform (triodoscrowdfunding.co.uk).
Mama Bamboo was the first UK nappy and wipe company to achieve accreditation as a B Corporation and was given the highest rating by Ethical Consumer magazine of any disposable nappy brand in 2020.
Since the previous investment round in 2021, which raised £600,000 through a share offer with Triodos, the company has developed a new line of sustainable nappies for premature babies, as well as potty training night pads. These products will be launched later this year alongside a brand refresh and a new customer sales app.
With the new investment raised, the company will now look to further increase its brand awareness in the UK and expand into European markets, starting with Italy and Germany where there is a significant and growing market for eco-friendly baby products.
Mama Bamboo’s nappies are made using 100% sustainably sourced bamboo viscose, compostable liners and chlorine-free pulp and their baby wipes are made using 100% compostable bamboo viscose. Normal single-use nappies and wipes are made using crude oil and petrochemicals and generate a huge amount of plastic waste. Around 3 billion plastic disposable nappies1 and 11 billion plastic wet wipes2 are thrown away each year in the UK.
Laura Crawford, founder of Mama Bamboo, said: “We are excited to be working with Triodos Bank again on our second equity raise through the Triodos Crowdfunding platform. I launched Mama Bamboo in 2018 with an ambition to disrupt the market. For 60 years disposable nappies and wet wipes have been damaging the environment and are one of the worst forms of single-use plastic. Personally, my aim is to show that you can run a profitable business and still maintain the highest sustainability standards across all aspects of your business. That ethos runs across everything that we do as an organisation.
“In the last five years, we have grown fast and quickly established a loyal customer base. Despite challenges for both businesses and consumers during the current cost of living crisis, Mama Bamboo has maintained its market share and we’ve seen though our referral schemes that a friend’s recommendation outweighs any initial concern over higher pricing for eco products.”
Since its inception in 2018, Mama Bamboo has grown significantly as consumers in the UK have become increasingly conscious of the environmental impact of their choices. Income for the year ending 31 July 2022 reached over £1 million representing growth of around 24% on the previous financial year.
Minimum investment in the crowdfunding offer is £66 and investors may be able to take advantage of Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) tax relief. Tax relief depends on individual circumstances and may change.
Whitni Thomas, Head of Corporate Finance at Triodos Bank UK, added: “Mama Bamboo is leading the way in offering new parents a range of disposable nappies that don’t cost the earth. At Triodos, we know how passionate an increasing number of people are about making sustainable shopping choices, so we’re incredibly supportive of Mama Bamboo’s plans to give consumers more options of baby care products that are in line with their environmental values.”
Mama Bamboo was awarded the Sustainability Accelerator grant by the University of Hertfordshire and works with both the university and UCL to research and develop circularity for nappy waste. Partnering with established bio-waste processors and hygiene collectors, Mama Bamboo aims to launch the UKs first fully circular closed-loop collection and composting service for nappies and wipes.
The brand has been voted “Best for the World – Environment” by B-Corp for the last two consecutive years, meaning it is one of the top 5% of all B-Corps globally for environmental impact. It was awarded the Good Shopping Guides “Ethical Company” award in 2021, and Ethical Consumer gave its ‘best’ rating for environmental reporting, supply chain management and non-toxic chemical usage.
1 The Waste and Resources Action Programme (2015) Real nappies https://wrap.org.uk/resources/guide/waste-prevention-activities/real-nappies/overview
2 Marine Conservation Society (2018) Swimming in wet wipes https://www.mcsuk.org/what-you-can-do/campaigns/swimming-in-wet-wipes/