Waken Mouthcare has secured £950,558 in a fundraising round.
The oral care brand, which was founded by the creators of male grooming business Bulldog Skincare, tapped investment firm Republic Europe for the cash boost.
Waken plans to use the funds to grow its distribution network by bringing on new retailers, as well as invest in “ground-breaking” innovations.
The cash injection will also help to give the brand an edge in the increasingly competitive oral care market, said Waken co-founder Simon Duffy.
“One of Waken’s main challenges continues to be navigating the intense competition in the oral care category, especially from well-established brands with deep market penetration,” added Duffy.
“However, Waken has turned this challenge into an opportunity by focusing clearly on core values – being effective, progressive, open and principled.”
Waken generated net sales of £1.7m in the twelve months to 31 July 2024, and £5.4m in sales since its creation in 2019.
“The funds we have raised will be strategically invested to fuel growth across these key areas and a few others, ensuring we continue to deliver on our mission to offer more sustainable, next-generation oral care products,” said Duffy.
“Sustainability and ingredient transparency are becoming increasingly important trends in the oral care category.”
Waken has 4,000 distribution points across retailers including Amazon, Asda, Boots, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose.
It is also available in stores in Singapore, Malaysia, Turkey and Korea.
Duffy created Bulldog in 2005 alongside Rhodri Ferrier, with the pair selling the skin care business to Edgewell Personal Care in 2016.
“The timing of the sale was aligned with our rapid expansion into the US market, where we launched into major retailers like Walgreens,” added Duffy.
“This partnership with Edgewell gave Bulldog access to even greater resources to further accelerate growth, and myself and Rhodri continued to work with the team for another two years as the brand entered its next phase.”