Kiwi zero-waste beauty brand Ethique scores major international investment deal

October 13, 2020

The Kiwi company’s success is good news for the environment.

Kiwi business Ethique, the world's first zero-waste beauty brand, has scored a large payday after a major investment deal.

Not only is it good news for the early investors, it’s good news for the environment as it'll help the company's goal of stopping millions of bottles ending up in the dump or in the ocean.

Eight years ago, biochemist Brianne West had a mission to shake up the beauty industry.  

She began whipping up natural beauty bars as an alternative to single-use plastic shampoo and conditioner bottles.

And in the early days when West was looking to raise $1 million through crowdfunding and private investors, hundreds of people took a risk and jumped on board.

Now that risk has paid off. 

"About 350 early investors will see a return many, many times bigger than the amount they originally put in," West told TVNZ1's Seven Sharp.

"Particularly the 2015 crowdfunders, they will be making very substantial returns – it will be one of the world’s most successful exits of those shareholders."

She couldn't share many details about the new investors, only to say they're "from a number of countries".

Ethique recently hit a major milestone of saving nine million bottles heading to landfill. West is hopeful the new investment will help push that further.

"Prior to the deal, our goal was to prevent 50 million bottles heading to landfill by 2025," she says.

"We're now aiming for half a billion bottles by 2030 thanks to the new partnership."

But it's not yet time for West to put her feet up and relax. 

She's sticking around as Ethique chief executive and keeping a seat on the board of directors.

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