Sustainable London personal care startup raises £5m with plans for international retail expansion

Wild Cosmetics, a design-led personal care startup who pioneered the UK’s first plastic-free refillable deodorant in 2019 has closed £5m from existing investors to double down on its mission to remove single-use-plastics and unnecessary chemicals from everyday bathroom routines.

The subscription-based company recorded 400 per cent YoY growth in 2021, selling 2.5 million of its gender neutral line of natural compostable deodorants. The round was led by JamJar Investments, the venture fund led by the innocent drinks founders.

Cementing a loyal following, culminating in eight-figure revenues in its first full year of trading, Wild was launched in August 2019 by former HelloFresh Marketing Director, Freddy Ward and entrepreneur Charlie Bowes-Lyon.

Eyeing up other sustainably-conscious territories, the London headquartered company will use the funding to satiate this international ambition. Expansion will also involve stretching the product range into other personal care segments.

Online growth has helped Wild expand into the physical retail space. With over 500 stockists nationwide including Waitrose, Boots, Selfridges, and Sainsbury’s, the plastic-free vegan refill which has nurtured a cult instagram following is set to triple this footprint in 2022.

Freddy Ward, CEO and founder of Wild Cosmetics, said: “Charlie and I are part of a generation that have grown up scrutinising waste, unnecessary packaging and potentially harmful ingredients.Consumers are starting to really address the uncomfortable reality of single use plastic waste across their households.

“The bathroom and personal care market still has a way to go in terms of reducing household landfill. Less than 50 per cent of products are recycled, compared with 80% of kitchen products.

“Fortunately though, the sector has shifted up a gear. We’re proud to be leading a category that has jumped seven-fold since we unveiled the first iteration of the product just shy of 30 months ago.

“I think we’re challenging some of the famous legacy personal care players to move and adapt quicker. Which ultimately spurs us on. We’re now on our sixth iteration of the product for example - which is convincing even more people to switch without having to compromise.”