Grove Collaborative, an e-commerce operation that sells natural home and personal care products, has acquired Sustain Natural.

WHO: Seventh Generation founder and former CEO, Jeffrey Hollender, and his daughter Meika Hollender founded Sustain Natural in 2013 and have worked to shift both the product landscape and the conversation around women’s sexual and reproductive health, changing public perception of sex and menstruation with its products and activism-led marketing. From tampons to condoms to lubricants, most sexual and reproductive health products contain harmful ingredients that can hurt rather than help your body. Sustain Natural is committed to always putting women’s health first, which means its products are more natural and more vagina-friendly than traditional brands. Certified B Corp and environmentalist at the core, Sustain creates all of its products with the planet in mind. From sourcing Fair Rubber for their latex condoms, to using organic ingredients in their personal care products, Sustain Natural believes in building a brand that makes the world a better place.

Launched in 2012, Grove Collaborative, a Certified B Corp, creates innovative natural products and offers a curated selection of healthy home essentials like cleaning supplies and personal care products. With a flexible scheduled delivery model and a personal shopper, a “Grove Guide” assigned to each customer, Grove’s platform makes it easy for people to switch to healthier, more sustainable routines. Every item Grove offers, both from its flagship Grove Collaborative brand and from exceptional third-party brands, has been thoroughly vetted against strict standards for sustainability, efficacy, and supply-chain practices.

WHY: The acquisition enhances the company’s values-led positioning, broadens product portfolio, and gains more market share with innovative period products.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS: “At Grove, our long term vision is that consumer products will become a positive force for human and environmental health,” said Stuart Landesberg, co-founder & CEO of Grove Collaborative. “Sustain represents the best of that philosophy, with period products that consider both people and planet, and a passion and track record for women’s advocacy that is unrivaled in the industry.”

“I am thrilled to now bring our brand and our products to an exponentially larger audience with Grove,” said Sustain Natural co-founder and CEO Meika Hollender. “The opportunity to do so with a partner that shares our commitment to women’s health and the sustainability of our planet is paramount. I am excited to introduce our many loyal customers to Grove, knowing that the work we do to amplify women’s voices and positively impact their experience is just beginning.”

DETAILS:

• Sustain Natural has been acquired by the eco-products subscription service Grove for an undisclosed sum.
• Sustain received an investment from Combe, the parent company of Vagisil, earlier this year.
• Grove Collaborative will buy out Sustain’s current majority shareholder Combe.
• Sustain is said to be growing quickly, and posted a 300 percent sales increase for 2018.
• Sustain joins a stable of Grove-owned brands, including incubated lines Seedling, Honu, and Grove, and acquired brand Rooted.
• Meika Hollender will remain Chief Executive Officer of the brand, and will join the leadership team at Grove, where she will focus on the expansion of the broader company’s advocacy and impact programs.
• Sustain’s operations will move from New York to San Francisco, to Grove’s headquarters.
• Last year, Grove generated $104 million in revenue and says it is on track to triple that figure this year. Grove expects to triple the Sustain business over the next year as well.
• In 2016 Sustain Natural raised $2.5 million in Series A investment from new strategic investors including Seventh Generation CEO John Repogle, Asana co-founder Justin Rosenstein, ThirdLove co-founder Heidi Zak, modelFIT founder Vanessa Packer, famed industrial designer Karim Rashid, and others.
• A seed round of funding was raised in 2013.