Venture Catalysts invests undisclosed amount in 100% washable and reusable cloth diaper start-up Superbottoms

Venture Catalysts, India’s #1 integrated incubator, recently invested an undisclosed amount in sustainable and baby-friendly products based start-up Superbottoms. The enterprise managed by an all-mothers team was launched by Pallavi Utagi, an Engineer from Govt. College of Engineering, Pune and an MBA from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies. The platform focuses on making sustainable, 100% reusable baby-skin friendly cloth diapers that are suited for the skin conditions of babies in South Asia and nearby regions.

The disposable diapers industry has grown at more than 20% CAGR for the last decade to emerge as an INR 5000 crore industry today. However, environmental degradation, skin-problems and high per unit cost of these products has led to a growing call for cloth-based diapers. In fact, advanced cloth diapers have become extremely popular in most developed societies due to their compatibility with the soft skin of infants.

Using her professional expertise accumulated over more than 7 years of working with large companies such as Piramal Healthcare and Sanofi, and combining it with meticulous baby-care related research, Pallavi incepted Superbottoms. It is the first Indian brand to get a safety certificate as per stringent US standards. The company is run by a team of 15 passionate mothers who care about long-term impact of proper baby-care practices.

Commenting on the investment, Dr. Apoorv Ranjan Sharma, Co-founder and President of Venture Catalysts, said, “While the disposable diapers industry is massive, sustainable and reusable diaper segment is still at a nascent stage. However, the potential is high as India has had a culture of cloth diapers and a product such as Superbottoms, which combines the comfort of such diapers with the convenience of being sustainable and 100% reusable, definitely has a great future. Even with a penetration of just about 10%, disposable diapers have become an INR 5000 cr industry. Superbottoms, with its high-quality products, can create a much larger market as it will appeal to parents who care deeply about baby hygiene as well as sustainability.”

Pallavi Utagi, founder, Superbottoms said, “We are thankful to such a marquee investment platform as Venture Catalysts to put their trust in us. We aim to make Superbottoms a leading home grown baby diapering brand known for quality as well as unique designs. Our strength lies in our deep product knowledge and customer service. We will be using this money to increase product lines, create awareness about cloth diapers and expand distribution network. Considering our diapers are healthier, more convenient and 75% less expensive to disposable diapers in terms of lifecycle cost, we believe we have a ready opportunity in the Indian market and want to reach out to as many women and children as possible.”

Superbottoms’ diapers can be washed and re-used more than 250 times, adding much more convenience and affordability than disposable ones. Being a team full of mothers, there is a lot of passion and honest intent within the organization, which further underlines VCats’ identity as a platform focused to empower innovative, driven start-ups.