Lemme Be: Hyd-based,Gen Z menstrual care brand expands in Dubai, Australia

HYDERABAD: Lemme Be, young India's bold and proud period care brand, is a Hyderabad-based startup,which was recently launched in Dubai and Australia, that curates special menstrual care products focusing on the variety and individuality of each product. Founded in 2020, by Devidutta Dash, the brand is aiming at breaking barriers of communication around menstrual health among the society.

Menstruation is most commonly experienced in society but it has the most myths and taboos attached to it. Things like girls are impure while menstruating and they shouldn't cook or visit temples were said decades ago, for hygienic reasons, when there were no proper sanitary products and women had to use clothes. However, even after many products were made, the myths remained. Multiple myths were attached to period products too, tampons take away virginity, Menstrual cups are impure, etc.

In an exclusive interview with 'NewsTap', Devidutta Dash explained how 'Lemme Be' , as a brand, not only makes period care products like sanitary pads, menstrual cups and tampons but also aims at building an ecosystem for the new age menstruators – a community which believes in body positivity, openness about mental and sexual health and inclusivity.

Some excerpts from the interview:

How was the concept ideated?

Devidutta Dash, the founder, had been working with the Red Cross on menstrual hygiene since she was 12 years old. After completing her Master's from RMIT Australia in Design Thinking, she came to India and saw that there was no innovation in this category over the last 25-30 years and there is a clear gap that needs to be bridged. Also, this being a social taboo, the innovation and organic, sustainable, and oxo-biodegradable quotient helps in solving the taboo together with the global warming issue.

What market gap did you see?

The category had not evolved according to the needs of generators. It's a 28-day cycle that needs to be addressed. We at Lemme Be are solving this problem by walking the journey with mensuration for the entire 28 days. We strive to make periods comfortable for menstruators, despite the fact that they are never joyous. Our products are specifically designed keeping in mind that each menstrual cycle has a different need.

Where does the seed fund come from?

I started the venture with my capital and was supported in this journey by family and friends, angel investors from UNI-M and the founder of Sixth Sense, Nikhil Vohra.

How many rounds of funding were raised and how much so far?

There have been two rounds that have been raised-angel or pre-seed of INR 5 Cr and pre-series A of INR 5 Cr. Our investors include Wami Capital, Multiply Ventures, Sattva Family Office, UNI-M, angel investors and the founder of Sixth Sense, Nikhil Vohra.

How is the market responding?

We are seeing a huge amount of curiosity and acceptance of our Z Range from the market. What has been an eye-opener is the fact that the menstrual cups and discs have been sold in tier 1 and tier 2 cities spread across the country. Customers are interested and want to know more about the products. Giving the right information has been key in selling. Menstruators are on the lookout for period products that are sustainable, yet comfortable and not harmful to the skin. On our website, in the last 12 months, we have serviced close to 11,000 customers.

Who is the nearest competitor in this space? (Even if the competition is bigger than this company)

Our nearest like-to-like competitors are Nua and Carmesi, although we have market leaders in Stayfree and Whisper, who capture close to 70% of the sanitary pad market.

Was it not delicate to talk about something so common, yet that's unspoken?

As a brand, we encourage unfiltered and real conversation. Menstruation as a topic has been taboo for a long time and we want to break out of this cycle and encourage menstruators and non-menstruators to speak up. This is a journey where we are in the same flow as our customers and understand what they are going through. Gen Z is aware, curious and open to trying new experiments. They are curious and independent in their ways of thinking. It's time to hush the hush and talk the talk. This is reflected in our products and their packaging, which is bold and inclusive.

What's the geography currently the product being used in? And any expansion plans?

Lemme Be launched in India in November 2020. We are a D2C brand with our website and are present across all the e-commerce marketplaces and are expanding to General Trade and Modern Trade stores in the country. We have launched in Dubai and Australia, and we are looking forward to global domination. A global brand from India is what we want to be!

How much more funds do they want to raise and are the promoters in talks with any more VCs?

We just closed our pre-Series A, which has given us a runway of 24 months with expansion into the GCC, Australia, SEA, and US markets. We have a positive contribution margin and expect to break even in the India geography within the next 12-15 months.

When is the expected breakeven and how are they going to give exit to investors?

Indian Geography will take 12–15 months, while each new geography that we open will have a break-even time frame of 15–18 months from the launch of the geography.