Chemical-free feminine care brand Kushae secured $1.25 in an oversubscribed seed funding round. 

WHO: Kushae was founded in 2018 by pharmaceutical executive Kimba Williams and OB/GYN Barbara McLaren to develop chemical-free solutions to address feminine care issues. The current range includes Natural Feminine Soothing Cream, Gentle 2-N-1 Foaming Wash, Kushae Natural Feminine Deodorant Spray, and Kushae Protective Feminine Skin Balm, as well as various product bundles. 

WHY: The capital will be used to fund product development and inventory and to invest in marketing and wholesale expansion.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS: "We are thrilled to be among the first 100 Black female founders to successfully raise over one million dollars in seed funding," said Kimba Williams, Kushae co-founder and CEO, who led the financing round. "When Dr. Barb and I created Kushae we had big aspirations to make an impact on the feminine health category, but we never dreamed that so many visionary venture capitalists and angel investors would join us on our mission. We look forward to launching new products, growing our team, and ultimately helping more women optimize their daily feminine care…one 'kushae' at a time."

“I'm proud to be an early investor in Kushae," said Arian Simone, General Partner and CEO of Fearless Fund. "The feminine wellness category desperately needs products that women can feel confident in, from both an efficacy and safety standpoint, and Kimba and Dr. Barb have successfully created a line that does just that. To support this company and these amazing co-founders was easily aligned with our mission and a no-brainer."

DETAILS:

• Kushae raised $1.25 million in an oversubscribed seed round with participation from Fearless Fund, TiE Global Angels, TiE Access, TiE SoCal, and Tech Coast Angels San Diego.
• Forbes reported the brand is doubling and tripling revenue year over year.
• In 2020, the brand launched in 33 Whole Foods stores, and in 2021, Kushae started selling products on Amazon.
• The business was initially bootstrapped with $350,000 Williams won in 15 pitch competitions including IFundWomen, the National Association of Women-Owned Businesses (NAWBO), P&G Ventures Innovation Challenge, and TiE Access. 
• The company did revenue-based financing with Clearbanc (now called Clearco), inventory funding from Shopify, and longer-term financing through Fundbox. Williams also became a Tory Burch Fellow.