Personal care brand Wild Cosmetics, who pioneered the UK’s first plastic-free refillable deodorant in 2019, has picked up an extra £5 million from existing investors in a funding round led by JamJar Investments.
The London-based company will use the funding to expand internationally into other ‘sustainably-conscious territories’, extend its product range into other personal care categories and bolster its sustainability credentials – it is currently preparing to become a certified B Corporation.
“Charlie and I are part of a generation that have grown up scrutinizing waste, unnecessary packaging and potentially harmful ingredients,” explains CEO Freddy Ward, who co-founded the brand with Charlie Bowes-Lyon. “Consumers are starting to really address the uncomfortable reality of single-use plastic waste across their households. The bathroom and personal care market still has a way to go in terms of reducing household landfill.
“Less than 50% of products are recycled, compared with 80% of kitchen products. Fortunately, though, the sector has shifted up a gear. We’re proud to be leading a category that has jumped seven-fold since we unveiled the first iteration of the product just shy of 30 months ago.
Freddy and Charlie are doing a great job in making sustainability in reach and more convenient for everyone
“I think we’re challenging some of the famous legacy personal care players to move and adapt quicker. Which ultimately spurs us on. We’re now on our sixth iteration of the product, for example – which is convincing even more people to switch without having to compromise. We’ve also re-engineered systems and processes to innovate quickly to stay ahead of the curve.”
Adds Richard Reed at Jam Jar Investments: “Just as consumers had an appetite for more natural ingredients in their smoothies twenty years ago, we can see the trend really picking up momentum in the personal-care sector. We love businesses like Wild with a positive mission and ambitious team tackling important problems that we face as a society today … Wild is not just kind to your skin and the planet, it’s crucially effective against sweat. Freddy and Charlie are doing a great job in making sustainability in reach and more convenient for everyone.”
