Period care startup set for product launch after viral video boosts preorders
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A period care startup that originated in central Indiana is finally launching its product on Saturday after going viral on social media more than a year and a half earlier.
Sunny, which has developed a menstrual cup with a reusable tampon-style applicator, was created by co-founders Drew Jarvis and Cindy Belardo, who say the product creates an eco-friendly alternative to tampons.
Since going viral with a pair of videos on TikTok explaining the product in April 2022, Sunny has received more than 20,000 preorders ahead of this weekend’s launch.
In an interview with Inside INdiana Business, Jarvis said the support for Sunny has grown since the videos were posted, despite taking so long to begin fulfilling preorders.
“We’re a new business. We’re a medical device, and we’re a product company,” said Jarvis. “We’ve just been trying to build on our supply chain, go through the manufacturing process, make sure we’re meeting all the regulatory requirements. But we’ve still seen a lot of support from our customers, and people are just getting more and more excited.”
The Sunny Cup + Applicator is made of 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.
Sunny, which is now based in Boston with a small team of six working in different parts of the country, has seen over $750,000 in preorder sales since last April.
Jarvis said she feels like the company did the whole process backwards.
“Most people have a product and then launch, and we kind of like launched and then made a product,” she said. “And we certainly, you know, at the time, didn’t know how much was going to go into this. We didn’t anticipate some of the roadblocks we faced. We’ve had a lot of really, really patient and loyal customers who, I think, they enjoy the transparency that we’ve been giving about what this process has been like for us.”
Even though it’s been about 17 months since preorders began, Sunny has seen a 97% retention rate for those preorders. Jarvis attributes that retention to not only transparency about the process but also the fact that, she said, there is no alternative to the product that the company is making.
Jarvis, a graduate of Fishers High School, first pitched the idea for the product in 2018 when she was a senior. Then known as Lily Pod, Jarvis won the $25,000 grand prize at a pitch competition called “The Next Launch” at Launch Fishers.
“A lot of people didn’t even know what a menstrual cup was at that point. I had to kind of educate on that piece and in a weird turn of luck, I guess, over the next several years, more or less people are aware of menstrual cups. And so when we launched pre orders, the response wasn’t, ‘What the heck is this thing?’ It was, ‘Oh my god, this is genius.'”
Since going viral, Sunny was named a finalist in Fast Company’s 2023 World Changing Ideas Awards in the Consumer Products category.
With the launch, Sunny will begin shipping its product in batches on a first-come, first-served basis over the next few months. New customers will be able to purchase the product, but shipping for those new orders is expected to begin in January to allow the company to catch up on preorder shipments.
“One of our biggest roadblocks is just continuing to improve our manufacturing timelines and process for our applicators,” said Jarvis. “It is a new technology, and we’re working out some kinks still, but the finished product is beautiful. It’s really great. It’s just takes time to make.”
Jarvis graduated from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business in Bloomington last year. Looking long-term, she said Sunny plans to build greater brand awareness now that the product is out.
Sunny is being built with a three-pronged approach, Jarvis said, focusing on earth-friendly and sustainable products, honest and inclusive education, and global impact.
“We’re excited to continue our educational pieces in the reproductive space and in period care in general. And then, that global impact aims to help end period poverty, continuing to build out our nonprofit partnerships, and then give back with a physical product now.”
Jarvis said the company does have plans to add more team members as they work to scale up, though an exact number is not yet known.