Monday 19th March 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PledgeMe crowdfunding success story Necesse launches sales direct from new website
Organic cotton tampon subscription service Necesse has officially launched in New Zealand.
The new look Necesse website offers customisable tampon subscription options which are delivered to the doors of kiwi
women on the 1st of each month. Subscribers can choose from a combination of tampon sizes and to have their boxes
delivered on either a monthly or bi-monthly basis.
Necesse’s social impact subscription model means that for every order sent out to paying subscribers, a box of tampons
is given to disadvantaged women and girls through a partnership with Canterbury-based family violence services charity
Aviva. In December 2017, the social enterprise donated more than 500 sanitary products to their charitable partner and
is looking to bring on new charitable partners across the country as their subscriber base grows.
The unique slide tray tampon packaging and the start-ups social impact model has seen subscriptions flying out the door.
For the next week, new subscribers can also benefit from a website discount code in recognition of International Women’s
Day.
The start-up was created by University of Canterbury students and flatmates, Isabelle Smith and Josie Milton who came up
with the idea after reading reports of girls and women missing school or work while on their periods and following the
rejected request to Pharmac to fund tampons. The co-founders entered their idea in up a start-up challenge run by the
University’s entrepreneurial club ‘Entre’. They came ‘Overall Runner-up’ in the highly competitive competition and took
out the prize for ‘Best Business Plan’.
In October 2017, Milton and Smith successfully raised over $15k on crowdfunding platform PledgeMe, to launch their
organic cotton tampon delivery subscription service. Over 300 people supported the campaign including other New Zealand
owned businesses such as Little Yellow Bird, Fix and Fogg Peanut Butter and Noble and Savage Tea. Following their
crowdfunding campaign, they were able to order their first shipment of organic cotton tampons from their supplier in
Europe.
The social enterprise rebranded from its former name The Monthly Co in February this year to open up opportunities to
expand their subscription line offerings.
Co-founder Smith says “It’s taken a lot of work to turn our dream into a reality but thanks to the support of our
amazing PledgeMe supporters, we’ve been able to launch direct sales from our website and bring our subscription services
to women across New Zealand”
Visit www.necesse.co.nz for more information.
ends