TLDR:
- Berlin-based startup Vyld has secured a seven-figure sum in its seed funding round to launch the world’s first tampon made from seaweed.
- The funding will also support the development of Vyld’s Algaeverse portfolio for business-to-business and business-to-consumer use.
Berlin-based startup Vyld has closed its seed funding round with a seven-figure sum, allowing the company to launch the world’s first tampon made from seaweed. The funding, which comes from the German government, the EU, and Vyld’s self-developed Future Profit Partnership Agreement, will also be used to develop the Algaeverse portfolio for both B2B and B2C purposes.
The company, founded by Ines Schiller and Melanie Schichan, aims to create circular products made from seaweed. Vyld is different from typical VC startups because it is a non-exit-oriented company in steward ownership. The company focuses on long-term sustainability and financial independence and aims to counter exploitative standards and anti-democratic tendencies.
Vyld’s funding model is not based on conventional equity rounds but instead offers a profit share. This means that the agreement ends once the return is achieved, adhering to principles of steward ownership, self-determination, and purpose orientation. Profits are then reinvested, used to cover capital costs, or donated. The company’s financing model also allows Vyld to raise new investments outside the typical equity round logic, providing additional financial independence.
The funding will support the further development and testing of Vyld’s seaweed products. Following a successful trial of the Kelpon tampon, the company has begun testing the Dyper, a compostable diaper with an algae core, as part of its Windelwald cooperation with Goldeimer. The diapers will be composted under controlled conditions and used to plant a small forest.
