A pair of Bristol graduates who invented a women’s urinal have raised a quarter of a million pounds in their first fundraise from investors including the co-founder of Monzo Bank.
Amber Probyn, 23, and Hazel McShane, 25, the founders of Peequal, say their flatpack portable urinals are six times faster to use and produce 98% less carbon than traditional portable toilets.
The duo came up with the initial design while studying at the University of Bristol and the idea won them £15,000 from the institution’s start-up competition. Since graduating in 2021 they have toured UK festivals, gaining user feedback and tweaking their product.
The pair said the latest cash injection would help take the business to its "next level". The investors in the funding round are the British Design Fund; Monzo co-founder Tom Blomfield; former Gü chief operating officer Sarah Jones; and angel investors Chris Stamp and Elaine Groenestein.
The pair are hoping their urinals, which are made of recycled sea plastics, will become a common sight at British festivals and events, with 250 units currently under construction and several deals being signed with large-scale festival operators in the coming weeks. Deals are also underway with European festivals for the 2023 season.
According to Ms McShane, because the urinals are modular and flat packed, just one of the company’s festival orders this summer will take 70 lorries – or 140 lorry trips – off the roads.
She said: “This funding is not only a huge vote of confidence in Peequal but also a big moment for pee equality the world over. We want Peequal to empower women to take back their time and break the taboo around female urination.
“We are building a team to bring our urinals to festivals, sporting events, outdoor shows and more.”
Tom Blomfield, co-founder of Monzo, added: “I'm proud to be an investor in Peequal - it's important that women have access to toilets that are quick, safe and sustainable.
“I was really impressed with Hazel and Amber's drive and determination, and the progress they've made with the business is magnificent. I'm sure you'll see more of their urinals at UK festivals this summer.”
Peequal is working with social enterprise Peepower to turn the urine into electricity, and also has plans to convert the urine into fertilizer in the future.
Christine Dent, site manager of Shambala Festival, said the urinals were “excellent” and “the best solution" she had seen.
According to the Alison Rose review of Female Entrepreneurship, less than 1% of UK venture funding goes to all-female teams and nearly half (48%) of investment teams include no women at all.
Ms Probyn added: “Being part of the 1% of women who successfully raise funding, I feel humbled and passionate about helping other female founders do the same.”
Peequal now has offices in Runway, the University of Bristol’s student and graduate start-up hub.
Mark Neild, programme director for Runway at the University of Bristol, added: “Amber and Hazel are the perfect examples of what intelligent and dynamic young people are capable of doing – disrupting a stale market that doesn’t work for half of its consumers.
“We are excited to have them join our new Runway space to inspire others and share in the community we are creating to help student start-ups fly.”
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