The Hague-based sustainable soap and detergent startup Seepje snaps €4.2M

Seepje, a sustainable soap, and detergent company with headquarters in The Hague announced the raise of €4.2 million from the ABN AMRO Sustainable Impact Fund and the Fair Capital Impact Fund.

By extending its line of eco-friendly soap products, Seepje claims it will use the funds to boost its position in the Netherlands and Belgium.

The money will also be used to expand internationally faster and have a bigger social impact.

Jasper Gabrilse, a co-founder of Seepje, claims that “this money infusion will assist us to become the world’s most impactful soap brand.” In addition to financial support, our investors will offer ideas on how to improve the professionalism of our impact measurements and reporting to make our supply chain more transparent.

When Jasper Gabrilse and Melvin Loggies watched locals in Nepal make natural soap from fruit shells on television, they were inspired to come up with Seepje’s idea.

When the shells of Sapindus come into contact with water, saponin, a naturally occurring kind of detergent, is released into the skins.

To bring the first shipment of shells to the Netherlands, Melvin and Jasper decided to scrape together their student loans and contact Hari, the Nepalese shell farmer.

At the moment, the business creates soap bars, detergents, fabric softeners, dishwasher liquids, all-purpose cleansers, and hand soaps using only the finest natural components, such as the shells of the Sapindus Mukorossi fruit.

Online and offline retailers in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, and South Korea sell Seepje.

ABN AMRO owns and funds the ABN AMRO SIF, which also has an investing strategy. By investing in businesses that advance the transition to a sustainable and inclusive society in three areas—the circular economy, the energy transition, and social impact—the fund seeks to combine social and financial rewards.

“Seepje is a real game-changer, capable of greatly affecting the sustainability transition in the housekeeping and personal care industry,” adds Investment Director Erick Buckens of ABN AMRO’s Sustainable Impact Fund.

This fully aligns with the mission of ABN AMRO SIF to hasten the transition to a sustainable and inclusive society. Both a sustained influence and financial gains are what we’re after, says Erick.

According to Michelle de Rijk on behalf of Fair Capital Impact Fund, “Seepje’s creators have been making a difference in the fight to stop the planet’s natural resources from being exhausted for almost a decade now with their detergents and cleaning solutions.”

Image Credit: Seepje