Update: Labfresh has raised €700,000 in 1 week through crowdfunding. The announcement was made by Kasper Brandi Petersen through a LinkedIn post.
Amsterdam-based Labfresh, a startup that aims to fight overconsumption by developing intelligent apparel, has made a significant decision to raise €500K to develop a new womenswear collection.
“For 7 years Lotte and I wanted to do this, but we kept saying no. Because we don’t want to half-ass it,” says Kasper Brandi Petersen.
With this new investment, the Dutch company aims to dedicate its efforts to creating high-quality fabrics and fits tailored specifically for women.
LABFRESH has chosen not to sell equity in the company, instead, they are offering a loan with a 7 per cent interest rate to prospective investors.
“We do, however, not wish to sell a stake in LABFRESH – we are blessed with 822 amazing shareholders,” adds Petersen.
The announcement comes over a year and a half after raising €721,846 in a crowdfunding campaign on Seedrs from 350 investors.
Labfresh: Fighting overconsumption with smart apparel
Founded by Kasper Brandi Petersen and Lotte Vink, Labfresh is on a mission to fight overconsumption by developing intelligent apparel that repels stains and odour.
Developed in Switzerland, produced in Portugal, and designed in Amsterdam, these smart t-shirts from Labfresh are made of 100 per cent long-staple cotton.
The Dutch company uses FreshCore technology, a unique treatment mix that combines three performance-enhancing technologies in one – hydrophobic, antibacterial, and easy care.
The combination of these three properties allows our products to be stain, wrinkle, and odour-repellent.
The smart T-shirt repels water-based liquids like red wine and ketchup. In addition, it has moisture-wicking technology, which ensures that sweat is absorbed and spread out over the fabric so it can dry quickly while not being externally visible.
The company’s fabrics and yarns are also STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX and BlueSign certified.
“We can obtain these certifications because we choose our suppliers, treatments and fabrics carefully. We don’t use nano-coatings or treat the surfaces of the fabric – we only treat the yarn,” says the company.
Labfresh is digital-first but has retail stores in Copenhagen and Amsterdam to increase new customer conversion and reach an audience that doesn’t like ordering new apparel online when they don’t know their fits and sizing.
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