Rebundle, a St. Louis-based startup, is revolutionizing the hair extensions industry with its innovative plant-based hair extensions. Founded by Ciara Imani May and Danielle Washington, Rebundle aims to provide more comfort and less waste in the hair extension market, which was valued at USD 6.13 billion in 2021.
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The company recently raised $1.4 million in a pre-seed funding round led by M25, a venture firm focused on the Midwest. Prior to this investment, Rebundle had already secured six-figures worth of grants and other non-dilutive financings. The funds raised will be used to invest in the team and supply chain, as well as to build production facilities in the United States.
Rebundle's plant-based hair extensions are made from banana stems, offering a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to synthetic hair extensions that often cause scalp irritation.
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The brand's Braid Better line features a variety of colors, including black, blonde, brown, auburn, blue, and pink. This innovative approach addresses both health and environmental concerns in the hair extensions industry, as nearly 30 million pounds of plastic synthetic hair end up in US landfills annually.
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In addition to creating sustainable hair extensions, Rebundle also offers a recycling service for plastic synthetic hair. Although temporarily paused, the company accepts synthetic hair through the mail and sustainably disposes of it by sorting it by type of plastic and down-cycling it into shreds for outdoor furniture and lawn and garden tools. Before the pause, Rebundle had collected 235 pounds of plastic synthetic hair.
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The introduction of the color pink to Rebundle's product offerings highlights the disproportionate exposure of Black women to breast carcinogens found in personal care and beauty products. According to Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, the mortality rate for Black women diagnosed with breast cancer is 42% higher than the comparable rate for white women.
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With its innovative plant-based hair extensions and commitment to sustainability, Rebundle is poised to make a significant impact on the hair extensions industry while addressing health and environmental disparities.
