ROBIC APPLAUDS THE GENEROSITY AND INGENUITY OF ITS CLIENTS. HERE IS THE INSPIRING STORY OF KIIMA
Local start-up Kiima wants to contribute to the preservation of the planet with an ingenious and revolutionary idea. If the young company succeeds in charming and convincing consumers, it could become the world leader in refillable products.
Samuel Dupont and Jenny Essiambre, are the brains behind the KIIMA brand, whose name comes from three different inspirations: the first from the nickname of the mythical volcano in Tanzania, Mount Kilimanjaro, the second from the Greek word for wave and finally, the third is inspired by the Basque word for flower. KIIMA is therefore a path towards a flourishing environment, and better yet, the renewal of our planet.
The duo did a great deal of research before settling on for their first decision: producing refillable deodorant applicators in order to greatly reduce our planet’s waste footprint.
Seeking to achieve an immediate impact, the co-founders realized that containers for personal hygiene products were, for the most part, made of plastic and that they were a prime target for starting their business.
Every year, a billion deodorants are buried in the ground. “ Our deodorant refills are natural, vegan and not tested on animals. The final product, the combination of a KIIMA applicator and a deodorant refill, is packaged in a biodegradable, recycled and recyclable box that creates as little waste as possible. ” proudly says Samuel Dupont.
KIIMA is therefore a brand of reusable containers that is making its consumer debut with its body care product. Of course, the company has a list of other containers and products that it would like to promote in the future. In the meantime, it has had to find partners to manufacture the deodorant to fill the KIIMA applicators. Samuel Dupont mentions that they have so far developed partnerships for significant production of the deodorant in France and the United States. Other partnerships also exist in Québec. As for the KIIMA applicator itself, it is being manufactured in Québec, in a certified eco-responsible plant located in Granby.
“ Consumers will be able to choose their applicator and select their deodorant from those manufactured by our partners by going to our website or visiting traditional retail stores. We are creating the first brand of container that allows the user to purchase from our partners, ” he adds.
This new eco-friendly design for refills and various products seems to have charmed some investors. “ We had to be creative to secure financing. We will launch on Kickstarter on August 11th, an important crowdsourcing platform ” says the young entrepreneur. KIIMA has also won a contest with Desjardins, giving them access to coworking space, but due to COVID-19, the team is working remotely. “ I realized how much time I’m saving thanks to Zoom, it’s great. ”
Looking ahead, KIIMA would like to see stronger adoption of its concept in order to increase the product’s visibility in the marketplace. The company sees plenty of opportunities in the near future. Let’s hope that consumers come on board for the benefit of our planet.
ROBIC APPLAUDS THE AUDACITY OF THESE TWO YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS WHO DARE TO TAKE ON A MARKET FULL OF PROMISE FOR THE FUTURE OF ALL SOCIETY.
AND IT’S NOT OVER, IT’S JUST BEGINNING! HATS OFF!
