Angel + Crowdfunding
Eco-conscious consumers and small retailers
2012
Crowdfunding, product innovation, brand storytelling
Beauty CPG
Founder Brianne West raised NZ$200,000 in 2015 through equity crowdfunding, followed by NZ$500,000 in 2017, alongside angel investors, to scale her zero-waste beauty business.
Early customers were eco-conscious consumers and small retailers seeking solid beauty bars with compostable packaging.
Startup Rollercoaster
The Spark
In 2012, Brianne West began developing solid shampoo, conditioner, cleansers, and other personal-care formulas from her kitchen in Christchurch, New Zealand. She founded the company, first called Sorbet, with the mission to eliminate plastic packaging from the cosmetics industry.
The Peak
In 2015, West raised NZ$200,000 via equity crowdfunding on PledgeMe, rebranding Sorbet to Ethique and moving production into a small lab. In 2017, she raised NZ$500,000 in just 90 minutes through a second crowdfunding round, combined with angel and wholesale investors, enabling Ethique to expand manufacturing and prepare for international markets.
The Drop
As demand grew, manufacturing and fulfilment lagged, with some orders cancelled due to production constraints. Maintaining compostable packaging, ethical sourcing, and premium ingredients added cost and complexity compared to traditional beauty products.
The Reset
Ethique scaled up facilities, expanded its product range into categories like body care and pet care, and improved its e-commerce platform. The company also began exporting, particularly into Australia and the U.S., while continuing supermarket and retail partnerships in New Zealand.
The Discipline
The business maintained a strict sustainability ethos: no plastic bottles, only compostable packaging, cruelty-free, palm oil-free, and ethically sourced ingredients. Equity crowdfunding became part of its culture, engaging customers directly in its mission.
The Climb
By the late 2010s, Ethique products were sold in more than 20 countries, and the company reported saving over 6 million plastic bottles from landfill by 2019 — a number that has continued to climb into the tens of millions. In 2020, New York–based Bansk Group acquired a majority stake to fuel global expansion, cementing Ethique as one of New Zealand’s most successful purpose-driven consumer brands.
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