Reckitt Benckiser partners with Founders Factory as exclusive hygiene, home investor

CONSUMER goods giant, Reckitt Benckiser (RB) and Founders Factory have launched Founders Factory Hygiene and Home, a joint venture (JV) on Monday (5).

The JV aims to discover and develop startups who will transform the lives of consumers and create a cleaner world through cutting edge technology and innovation.

The FTSE 100 business said it intended to build 10 new start-ups “from scratch” in the business incubator, as well as bringing in 25 existing firms to support them to grow.

The JV will assist the entrepreneurs in creating new clean and safe home products, including businesses aimed at pet care, gardens, hygiene, and others.

RB joins the Founders Family as its eighth corporate partner and will invest in a number of fast-growth start-ups sourced through Founders Factory’s global network.

The JV will give RB access to developing technologies, disruptive business models and entrepreneurial thinking to help them unlock exciting innovation to serve consumers.

Founders Factory is focused on launching and growing start-ups across a range of sectors.

Co-founded by Brent Hoberman, Henry Lane Fox and George Northcott in 2015, Founders Factory has built and scaled over 100 start-ups in its London, Johannesburg and Paris hubs via its unique corporate-backed accelerator and studio model.

Henry Lane Fox, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman, Founders Factory said: "We are very excited to partner with RB to help the most ambitious entrepreneurs build and scale new startups within the hygiene and home sector. Our 70 strong team of digital operators together with the experts at RB, will provide unparalleled opportunities for entrepreneurs exploring new technologies that create cleaner and safer home environments.

"After 100 investments over the past three years across several sectors, we have a proven model to provide rapid growth opportunities for startups and encourage any founder keen to take their business to the next level, to get in touch."

Start-ups selected for Founders Factory Hygiene and Home will have access to RB’s unique market insights into products designed to protect and enhance the lives of consumers.