“I believe that diverse perspectives make us stronger and I wanted to support founders who care,” says Odile Roujol Founder of both the new Fab Ventures Fund and the Fab Fashion and BeautyTech Community.
In her remarks to the press this week Roujol (who has significant experience in the venture capital space and spent nearly 14 years in leadership roles at L’Oréal), explained her approach to choosing founder partners further saying, “Investing in a diverse team that drives innovation, tackling underserved needs that require an intimate understanding of certain problems. Founders who build a community, try to make people’s lives better. A more sustainable way of living, taking care of our mind and body, and our impact on the planet.”
The Fab Ventures Fund provides both funding and professional guidance
The Fab Ventures Fund is hybrid incubator / accelerator / venture capital fund and partners with sustainable, inclusive, direct-to-consumer brands in the Angel, Pre-Seed, and Seed stages, writing check for anywhere between $50,000 and $450,000 (average check size is $250,000), according to this week’s press release. And for 3-year intervals, brands that the fund partners with will have the support of mentors, advisors, entrepreneurs, executives, and venture capitalists from around world.
“We are a lean structure, company builders offering operational support for accelerated growth,” says Roujol.
“We begin with the customer and the community. We believe in the power of brands and design. We care about the formulation, ingredients, regulatory, packaging, manufacturing, supply chain, and logistics. We are data-driven,” she says.
“I am grateful,” adds Roujol that “l to have close relationships with later stage Venture Capitalists in the Silicon Valley and being part of an inspiring ecosystem in Los Angeles.”
The Fab Ventures Fund’s first 7 brands
The following DTC startups are the first to be supported with funding and guidance from The Fab Ventures Fund. These descriptions are taken nearly verbatim from this week’s Fab Ventures media release:
STIX - The future of women’s health designed by women
Stix is providing women the products, education and support they need throughout their health journey -- starting with pregnancy and ovulation tests. Founders: Cynthia Plotch and Jamie Norwood, created Stix because buying a high-quality pregnancy test should be easy and delightful, no matter the result you’re looking for. They live in Philadelphia.
BLOOMI - The leading market-place for intimate care and women wellness
Bloomi is revolutionizing the sexual wellness category as the first online multi-brand marketplace for intimacy. Founder: Rebecca Alvarez Story, a WoC health activist and Latinx Sexologist, focuses on diversity initiatives that empower other women of color. She lives in Oakland, CA.
DR. ELSA JUNGMAN - The true Clean Beauty skincare for sensitive skin, protecting the microbiome
A true clean beauty routine by a French Female Doctor in California. Naturally derived ingredients. Clinically proven. Cruelty Free. Founder: Elsa Jungman embodies the new wave of clean beauty with radical honesty. She lives in Noe Valley, San Francisco.
KHAIRPEP - K18 Peptide/Aquis Hair
Patented biomimetic hair care endorsed by hairstylists for damaged hair. Hair care products and routines have only made our ‘hair more needy’ –a sharp contrast to advances in the modern skincare category. Founders: Britta Cox and Suveen Sahib, led by their mission of ‘less is more’, when it comes to haircare, have based their startup in San Francisco. Britta is a champion for gender equality in the Bay Area.
VERY GOOD LIGHT - A beauty and skincare brand, further empowering young people, with an inclusive definition of beauty, for all spectrum.
Exploring the redefinition of masculinity, pushing forth conversations around underrepresented communities, launched early 2021, Good Light beauty hopes to celebrate gender, sexuality in a democratized fashion. Founder: David Yi, a Korean-american beauty influencer, is the Founder and Editor of the Very Good Light. He has championed a more inclusive definition of Beauty through community and content.
FOXEYE - Precision Lash. Revolutionizing beauty services with automation in 15 minutes.
Revolutionizing beauty services with automation to give women back their most precious resources: time and peace-of-mind. Founder and CEO: Lynn Heublein is a veteran beauty-industry founder, having grown Skin Spirit, her chain of luxury medi-spas, into the leading destination in California. With Philippe Sanchez CEO, they aim to build Foxeye into a global retail brand.
THOUSAND FELL - Full circle footwear. Removing barriers to entry to the circular economy for next gen consumer. The company is a scalable closed loop system for sustainable design and retail. They are leading the transition to end textile waste through material innovation, product tracking, and closed loop recycling. Co-Founders: Chloe Songer and Stuart Ahlum have backgrounds in retail and supply chain. They both live in New-York.