Period care startup gets investment from Indiana University
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Co-founded by an Indiana University graduate, Sunny Period has received a $250,000 investment from the IU Angel Network.
Sunny is a recent startup created by Drew Jarvis and Cindy Belardo, who position their menstrual cup product as an eco-friendly alternative to tampons. Jarvis is a graduate of the IU Kelley School of Business.
Jarvis first came up with the idea in 2018 while a student at Fishers High School and began building out the company in the ensuing years.
Sunny makes the Sunny Cup + Applicator which is produced from medical-grade silicone and other reusable medical-grade materials. The company says it inserts like a tampon, holds 2-5 times the amount of tampons, can be used for up to 12 hours at a time, and is reusable for up to one year.
Earlier this year, Sunny landed a key clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which lets the company expand and improve on its product more easily.
The IU Angel Network is a part of IU Ventures, an organization committed to providing investment support and mentoring to startup business, especially those with associations to Indiana University. In a news release, IU Ventures said the money will go toward helping Sunny improve and scale its manufacturing practices.
The company went viral with a pair of videos on TikTok explaining the product in April 2022.
In the release, Jarvis said Sunny has sold out of its inventory for a third-straight year and has 16,000 back orders. The company has shipped 5,000 Sunny Cups so far, Jarvis said.
Sunny Period is currently based in Boston.