Hubert Burda Media announced a follow-on investment in the German FemCare start-up The Female Company (TFC). Burda’s international growth capital arm BurdaPrincipal Investments (BPI) has been invested in the start-up since 2019. New investors are Munich-based venture capital fund Acton Capital and Berlin-based IBB Beteiligungsgesellschaft. TFC will use the funds to further develop their tech & data platform, and to expand the product portfolio.
“The founders of The Female Company have built a strong community- and content-driven commerce brand and managed to rapidly increase market penetration via a wide range of distribution channels. Their loyal customer base supports the brand now more than ever. BurdaPrincipal Investments is proud to continue to back this great team in building a company with such an important mission.”
Benita Krahforst, Principal at BurdaPrincipal Investments
“BPI is not only an investor, but also a trusted partner for The Female Company. We are extremely proud that Burda supports us with a follow-on investment and look forward to further intensifying our successful cooperation.”
Ann-Sophie Claus, Co-Founder of The Female Company
Growth despite Corona
Being a supplier of essential goods, and using multiple distribution channels, The Female Company could achieve strong growth in the midst of the ongoing corona crisis. The FemCare start-up offers organic period products as a subscription, and educates on all things female health through its magazine. The product portfolio has expanded away from purely tampons to include panty liners, sanitary towels made of organic cotton, menstrual cups, slips made of organic cotton, and more recently postpartum products. The organic period products have been listed in Germany’s leading drugstores since 2019. In March 2020, Öko-Test awarded The Female Company the certificate “very good” for its organic tampon line.
Community engagement
In April 2019, TFC received a great deal of media attention as part of its campaign to reduce the so-called ‘tampon tax’. With their ‘Tampon Book’ they contributed significantly to the political decision to reduce the tax in Germany from 19 percent to 7 percent. Following this campaign, the founders Ann-Sophie Claus and Sinja Stadelmaier were invited to the German Bundestag and the UN Commission on Women’s Rights as political spokespersons.
For more information visit The Female Company’s website.
by Dorothee Stommel
Head of International Communications
Dorothee.Stommel@burda.com