If your 2021 Bingo card says "My shower head needs a small turbine, Bluetooth connection, an app and fine spray", then congratulations, you have won the prize. The prize is to know that Hai exists-and this good news, it will tell you how the company raised $6 million to grow your business. And we might have some good, clean pleasures—that is, shower puns—to put in well.
A good suggestion, in short, this is the point of the sea. The founder claims that your daily descaling program is one of the largest water users in a residential environment. Many people care about the environment, but how do you know how much water you actually spray on your way to a godly heaven? The answer is some very expensive electronics, or this (probably equally expensive) shower head for $250. Hai is designed to allow you to easily install and remove it with just your hands. The Hai shower head is a bit like a platform, especially for apartment residents who want a "spa-like shower experience", and they can take it with them as they wander from apartment to apartment.
"When I was in my 20s, I moved to a new apartment every year. One thing I watched every time I moved was a shower. I am very tall, and having a high enough shower is very important to me—— Pressure is obviously important," recalled Leah Stigile, Hai's co-founder and CEO. "I am a mother of two young children, and the time to take a bath every day is very important to my personal health. When I talk to other people, I realize that the ritual of showering is also very important to others, but for many reasons. I I am very encouraged to be part of a company that not only provides an amazing experience, but also helps you pay attention to the resources you are using."
It seems that a group of investors agree with the team's point of view that this is a space worthy of further exploration. Trousdale Ventures led the $6 million financing, Will Smith’s Dreamers VC, A-Rod Corp, The Najafi Companies (owners of the Phoenix Suns and McLaren F1), Amity Supply (Jesse Derris), social media star Josh Richards And Griffin also joined Johnson, Noah Baker's Animal Capital (Marshall Sandman), a former board member and early investors in Peloton, Howard Draft and Local Globe.
Phillip Sarofim, founder of Trousdale Ventures, said: "We invested in Hai because they created an innovative, high-quality shower head that can meet consumer demand for sustainable home products." "We believe that as consumers Constantly turning to personalized and environmentally friendly products, Hai can provide the best shower experience."
"What you see is a $9 billion market. According to my calculations, when you look at the size of the space, there are five or six large new entrants in this market. What's interesting is that in the past 75 years, This $9 billion was shared by the same five companies. What's interesting is that the brand is almost irrelevant in this area," Hai's co-founder Leonard Brody explained. "More than 85% of millennials say that showering is the most important self-care ritual in their home, but most people cannot tell you what brand of shower head they use every day. This is very unusual in the consumer sector. I bet , 60% of people can also tell you the brand of toilet paper they use."
Hai's shower heads are very easy to install-removing the old shower head takes longer than installing a new shower head. The most important thing is: no leakage, no tools required. Photo by Haje Kamps for TechCrunch
Hai's shower heads are very easy to install-removing the old shower head takes longer than installing a new shower head. The most important thing is: no leakage, no tools required. Photo by Haje Kamps for TechCrunch
Therefore, since the market is huge and there are no clear winners, we have seen many new companies join the competition. The company's latest development seems to start with Kickstarter darling Nebia pre-sold a US$3 million mist shower head as early as 2015, and then raised investment from bathroom giant Moen, which was later annexed.
"One of the biggest water waste in the shower is actually when you turn on the water and linger and be busy while waiting for the water to warm up. The shower is running and you have already washed three pieces of clothes before you know it. We have developed a small hydroelectric Bluetooth Turbine, it can do some things. First, it powers the LED lights in the shower, and when the water temperature rises and is ready to enter, it will notify you. In addition, if you get lost, it will send a push to your phone Notice," explained Brody. "Secondly, through our partner app, you can set the number of gallons of water to be used in the shower. The average shower water volume is about 20 gallons. Of course, you can configure it, but our product is set to 20 gallons by default. When you reach this limit, a little light will notify you, reminding you to pack your things and jump out of the shower."
The device tracks your water consumption over time, thereby solving one of the primary challenges in awareness; awareness. The company suggests that by measuring your baseline and then setting goals for yourself, you can do your part for the environment and reduce water consumption. The company also hopes to use the data it collects to personalize the shower experience.
"We will launch the next step of the roadmap in early 2022. We will adopt our products and add a layer of consumables. First, we have what we call infusions. We have developed a single-use no-waste pill that can It is added to a capsule suitable for existing shower heads," Stigile explains. "You can inject aromatherapy or hair and skin care directly into the water. This really helps provide the spa experience we are trying to create in your home bathroom. Then the next step is filtration. Using the sensors we have, we can actually It's very complicated to tell you the ingredients in the water supply. This is a very personalized experience. We can even consider the temperature you like in the shower and recommend the most suitable consumables for your specific use case. This is a huge opportunity for us ."
The company only started shipping its products a few weeks ago, but so far, they have made a good start, achieving good sales through their direct channels and the retail business of the Bed Bath & Beyond website and its flagship store in New York.