A trio of entrepreneurs who developed sustainable menstrual pants in a bid to tackle period poverty have won £12,500 of funding.
Bristol University’s Aurusha Kharas and Anushka Mahesh, along with Queen Mary’s graduate Sarah Bailey, have won a share of £50,000 at a Dragons’ Den-style event at the Shard. The Even Project was among six finalists taking part in business competition Ignite, which is run by the Ford Family Foundation.
The non-profit was awarded the cash after impressing judges with the absorbent underwear, which can be worn and washed 300 times. The pants provide a sustainable alternative to disposable products, reducing costs by 16 times and cutting carbon emissions by six times, according to the co-founders.
“As they look like normal underwear, women aren’t ashamed to hang the pants on their washing lines rather than hide them away, and this means the risk of infection is dramatically reduced and potentially life saving,” a spokesperson for the entrepreneurs said.
The Even Project is currently undertaking a large trial in Greece and already has 44,000 pre-orders for 2025. The founders’ plan is to work with street vendors to ensure the product gets to the girls and women who need them.
The event was judged by Jack Ford; Sarah Grieves of innovative tech platform Beam; the chief executive of Jigsaw Education Group Sanjeev Bag; and Ground+Air’s Jim Brown.
Tony Ford, founder of the Ford Family Foundation, said: “Ignite is a testament to the incredibly driven young people coming out of our universities, to their intelligence, their entrepreneurship and most importantly to their social values.
“The final was a masterclass in pitching and we are looking to help these social enterprises by investing our money, time and experience to maximise their potential and chances of success. Our Family Foundation is keen to invest an initial £3.5m in sustainable, growing and impactful businesses.”
The top prize of £20,000 was awarded to Medily AI – an organisation that has developed a suite of digital tools to manage patient care,