Launched: 2021
Founder: Nadya Okamoto
Key Executives:
2024 Full Year Expected Revenue Range: <$10 million
Offline points of distribution globally projected for 2024: 3000+
Primary Category: Personal Care
Other Categories: Wellness
Key Markets:
Retail Partnerships:
Primary Distribution Channel: DTC
Other Distribution Channels:
Funding Rounds: Seed
Total Funds Raised: 2
Notable Investors / Funding Partners:
Notable Advisors / Board Members: Verity Venture Partner
After years in period advocacy, I founded this company. At 16, I started a nonprofit (period.org) distributing 25 million period care units and led legislative change. At age 20, I authored the book Period Power and worked with top tampon brands as a consultant/influencer. I founded August after years of gaining insights and learning from the space and feeling the need for a better for you, bolder period care brand. August aims to redefine periods with sustainable, superior products, challenging stigma and embracing boldness and beauty in menstruation.
Insight shared by: Nadya Okamoto, CoFounder
What are your key business initiatives for 2024?
Our key business initiatives this year include a strong focus on retail expansion. As a relatively new brand at Target, we're eager to leverage our massive social following to drive growth in physical stores. With over five million followers combined, we're excited to mobilize our communities and see the impact on retail sales. Additionally, we're enthusiastic about expanding our product range to offer even more to our customers.
What are you most proud of having accomplished?
I'm incredibly proud of our achievement in establishing a leading thought leadership brand in a rapidly growing and competitive space. Within just six months, we've attracted millions of followers on social media who are enthusiastic about our journey. We've demonstrated organic growth in direct-to-consumer sales, which contributed to our successful seed round funding six months into our business. Our ability to drive the majority of our business organically showcases our brand's strength and potential.
What has been the biggest surprise?
The most surprising aspect since founding our brand has been the significant role TikTok plays. When we began raising our pre-seed funding, TikTok was just emerging, and I wasn't even active on the platform personally. Now, I have amassed five million followers across channels as a creator, and TikTok has become the primary driver of organic traction for our brand.
What fuels your competitive advantage?
What sets us apart and fuels our competitive advantage is our brand's foundation: being for Gen Z, by Gen Z. Historically, this category has not directly engaged with younger consumers due to outdated patriarchal stigmas. However, as a brand founded by Gen Z founders, we possess a unique authenticity in our messaging and boldness. This authenticity allows us to resonate deeply with our audience and stand out in the market.
Please share your insight on the future of the beauty industry.
I believe beauty influencers will become less influential due to the emergence of TikTok and short-form video platforms, alongside the rise of user-generated content (UGC). These platforms democratize content creation, allowing anyone to become a creator. Consequently, trends will evolve more rapidly, shifting the focus away from micro-influencers to a broader spectrum of creators. In this landscape, everyone has the potential to build a platform and wield influence.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
The best advice I've received as a founder is to prioritize sleep. In the past, I viewed sleep as a waste of time. However, with experience founding three companies, I've realized its importance. Getting sufficient rest allows me to recharge and tackle the groundbreaking work necessary for redefining industries.
What’s the best mistake you’ve ever made?
A few months into raising our pre-seed round, I reached a breaking point in my career and mental health, leading me to spend over a month in residential rehab. Reflecting on this experience, I recognize that my biggest mistake was ignoring signs of exhaustion over the first six to eight years of my career, from high school through college, until it reached a breaking point. This journey has instilled in me a deep commitment to wellness, particularly in addressing periods, hormonal health, and mental well-being holistically. I am personally passionate about combatting the harmful effects of hustle culture.
Paying it forward, what advice would you give someone contemplating launching a beauty brand?
The biggest advice for someone considering launching a beauty brand is to ensure that what you're offering is truly unique and innovative. The beauty industry is booming, and with evolving definitions of beauty, there's a lot of noise to cut through. Whether you're seeking capital or not, it's crucial to emphasize significant differentiation in both product and value creation. This will not only help your brand stand out but also resonate with consumers in a crowded market.
If you could change one thing in the beauty industry what would it be?
If I could change one thing about the beauty industry, it would be to foster a more concrete understanding that gender is a social construct. While it's crucial to recognize and acknowledge gender, we can do so without perpetuating stereotypes and by embracing exploration and fluidity. Intersectionality is vital. It's how we've built a gender-inclusive period care brand that welcomes and celebrates all individuals.
