Labfresh reaches crowdfunding goal in less than 2 hours

Amsterdam-based clothing company, Labfresh, known for treating its products with dirt-repellent, antibacterial and innovative textile technologies, has successfully crowdfunded for its stain repellent trousers in less than two hours to surpass its 13,000-pound goal.

The Kickstarter campaign marked the fash-tech label’s fourth crowdfunding success and saw it raise more than 100,000 pounds in pre-order for the first pair of trousers with FreshCore technology from nearly 1,000 supporters within one week, with the campaign still having 10 days to go until November 22.

The success of the crowdfunding means that Labfresh will launch the production of their first trousers, billed as the “last pants you’ll ever buy” due to its stain and odour repellent technology, to start delivering trousers, available in two colours, to those who have pre-ordered from April 2020.

Kasper Brandi Petersen, founder of Labfresh, said in a statement: “In 2.5 years more than 12,000 people from 98 countries have helped us develop our tech by placing crowdfunding pre-orders. We never dared hoping for such a response when we spend 300 euros on shooting the first Kickstarter video in our apartment in 2017.

“This success is proof of a high consumer interest in sustainable, durable and dirt-repellent clothing.”

Labfresh adding stain and odour repellent trousers to product line up after successful Kickstarter campaign

Since its establishment in January 2017, the Danish-Dutch startup has been committed to the sustainable premise of "buy less, wash less, wear longer” by specialising in shirts with hydrophobic, odour-resistant and easy-care properties, and this technology will now be expanded to add trousers to its menswear product range.

The idea is that the antibacterial technology that is used across its stain repellent FreshCore cotton shirts, t-shirts and now trousers is that the clothing only needs to be washed after 4 days of wear on average.

The breathable fabrics with water-repellent and antibacterial features have been proven to remain clean longer and, consequently, to require less laundering, while also repelling all water-based liquids such as red wine, coffee and cola.

Labfresh has received a total investment of one million euros from two further rounds of financing. Investors include Stimson, a Dutch investment firm, and the Danish entrepreneur and former minister of education Tommy Ahlers, who won over Lotte Vink and Kaspar Brandi Petersen in the Danish TV show The Lion's Den (Løvens hule).

Since 2017, Labfresh has launched 3 products in 3 years, delivering more than 40,000 products to 98 countries, making it the largest FashTech brand for menswear in Europe. All of its fabrics are Reach, Bluesign certified and manufactured in Switzerland.

Image: courtesy of Labfresh