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Investment Themes

Our thoughts on the future of Home & Hygiene, in collaboration with Reckitt Benckiser

Investment Themes

Our thoughts on the future of Home & Hygiene, in collaboration with Reckitt Benckiser

October 26th 2020 / 5 min read

The way the world thinks about home and hygiene has radically changed since the Covid-19 outbreak. It is yet to be seen which of our new-found behaviours will stick and what the ‘new normal’ will become. What we can agree on, however, is that this is an important and compelling time to be building businesses in this space.

Together with Reckitt Benckiser, we have outlined some areas of focus in the Home & Hygiene space. If you're working on something in any of these spaces below, or have a novel idea, apply to join our Venture Studio or Accelerator Program.

What’s in store for Home & Hygiene in 2020/2021

1. Wellbeing in the home

The world has been spending a lot of time indoors lately, and the importance of the home environment - with its impact on our mood and sense of wellbeing - has never been clearer.

Parents, the elderly, caregivers and remote workers are all bracing themselves for winter at home and the challenges that will incur. We expect home dwellers to invest time and money to make the most of their space by elevating their environment and living as comfortably and conveniently as possible.

An area we’ve spotted:

Ageing At Home

It’s well documented that the elderly live longer and fuller lives if they age at home rather than move into care. But the challenges of people aging at home are plenty from social cohesion and connection, hygiene and care, to keeping people healthy and safe. There is space to create companies that give a better outlook to ageing comfortably, creating value for the users & their families.

80% of dollars [in elder tech investment] are going into the B2B institutional care space, for example technology used by nursing homes, yet only 3% of older adults live in institutional care facilities. (Source: Crunchbase)

2. The new conscious consumer

Ethically motivated consumers have created a new value system for brands. Making environmentally sustainable choices remains as important as ever, coupled with racial and social justice, especially to younger audiences. They are inspiring improvements as well as movements, leading brands to find themselves under incredible scrutiny, particularly when it comes to claims of environmental and social responsibility.

An area we’ve spotted:

Use Less For Longer

As people have become increasingly conscious of the disastrous impact that throwaway consumerism and fast fashion have had on the planet, it has become popular to keep quality belongings for longer. Now, on the cusp of a global recession the mentality and behaviours around up-cycling, repurposing, resale and rental vs ownership, will take on a new level of importance and necessity to mainstream consumers.

3. Changing urban environments

The shape and nature of cities are about to change dramatically. If we no longer need to be in the office on a regular basis, and no longer need to live close to our workplace, then the worldwide shift towards urban areas is likely to slow - and could even reverse. This will have a big impact on working and living environments and practices.

Areas we’ve spotted:

Work from Wherever

Covid-19 has accelerated the decline of the office, but not everyone wants to work from home. New venues who find themselves at reduced capacity, or have natural ‘slow periods’ in the day, like bars, clubs and hotels, are offering up their space as localised, yet remote, working hubs.

“77% of the workforce say they want to continue to work from home, at least weekly, when the pandemic is over. (Source: Forbes)”

4. Heightening Hygiene

Human beings are more conscious about hygiene and associated habits than at any time in the last 100 years. This heightened awareness extends to every element of our lives - from home to public spaces through to work and the vehicles in which we travel in to get there.


We believe this growing awareness of issues pertaining to hygiene provides an opportunity to build new tech-enabled products and services that will help individuals to live safely and free from anxiety.

An area we’ve spotted:

Beyond The Surface

With heightened awareness and anxiety about the transmission of Covid via the air and via the things that we touch, concern for hygiene beyond our household surfaces, to the hygiene of spaces and belongings has become top of mind for mainstream consumers and businesses.

New technologies from UV sterilisation to air filtration systems have emerged that allow for whole new levels of cleaning and sterilisation.

“PhoneSoap, a company that makes devices to clean phones and other items with UV light, has seen 1,000 percent growth year over year. Source: Crunchbase”
Other areas of interest in Home & Hygiene:

Renewed energy for gardens and pets: Increased time spent at home has meant a refocus on how we curate our physical environment and who we inhabit it with. Most people find that they now have more time and energy to invest in their gardens (or indoor plants) and much has been made of the mental health benefits associated with surrounding oneself with greenery. A drive to combat loneliness and extra time at home to care for furry friends has equally driven a boom in pet sales and related businesses.

The Anti-Tech Movement: The covid-exacerbated reliance on technology to live, work and connect to loved ones has in turn led to a surge in anxiety, sleep-deprivation and an always-on attitude to work. While many profess the power of the anti-tech movement, it is unrealistic for most of us to give up tech for good and continue to function in the world of today. The most intelligent businesses are ones in which tech enables us but blends into the background when we do not need it at the front of our minds. From Samsung’s Frame TV to timers that limit social media use, more product developers are putting ‘invisible tech’ at the heart of their designs.

Water Worries: With cities straining to keep the quality of their public water high and the deserved stigma around plastic bottled mineral water, we are heading for a new age of water purification as a necessity, even for the western world. With more and more techniques, from LARQ applying light to water in their bottles to charcoal as a filtration, it is yet to be seen who will create the next big business in this space.

We’re looking for commercial and technical founders to build the next-gen of Home & Hygiene products. If you’re working on something in any of these spaces, apply to join one of our programs here.

Have something to add? Say hi to us on Twitter

Are you working on something great in the home and hygiene space? Please get in touch.

Have an idea to disrupt the future of Home & Hygiene?

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