Podium
CupHub
In this column, we give a stage to start-ups and scale-ups developing groundbreaking products or services. This time: Sophie Haccou of CupHub, winner of the TU Delft Impact Contest 2024.
Who is CupHub?
CupHub was born out of a social, personal, mission to make an impact. I was annoyed that cleaning a menstrual cup in public toilets is almost impossible due to the lack of a sink in the toilet stall. Through my research during a project for my Bachelor of Industrial Design at TU Delft, I found out that this was also a problem for many menstruators. From the course ‘Build Your Startup’, we continued on this topic and I started CupHub together with fellow student Aart Rozendaal.
What have you developed?
We developed the product Casey, the first portable menstrual cup cleaner. It allows menstruators to clean, sterilize, store and carry their menstrual cup. Casey is a small bottle the size of a deo-roller that you fill with water. After emptying the cup into the toilet, you shake the cup in the Casey clean and dispose of the waste water in the toilet. It can be opened with one hand and all types of cups fit in it.
Our goal is to fight menstrual poverty in a sustainable way. In fact, using a menstrual cup is cheaper, better for your body and also more sustainable. Casey ensures that menstruators who have less to spend can still get through their periods comfortably.
How far along are you with your product now?
We now have a prototype of Casey and with help and advice from Martijn Timmermans of V.O. we have filed our first patent application. Our focus now is on prototyping the right material, recycled polypropylene, and doing lab tests on a larger scale. We are also working on the certifications for sterilization through Casey. We expect to offer the product on a small scale next.
What are your plans for the future?
We dream of a company that supports menstruators in every period of their lives. That's why we don't want to stick to just one product, but to expand our product category, for example by offering reusable underwear. To make these plans a reality, we are looking for investors and will start a crowdfunding soon. Aart and I both graduate next year after which we will devote full-time attention to CupHub!
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