Female Entrepreneurship Series: Ruby Cup

Maxie Mathiessen, Julie Weigaard Kjaer, and Veronica D’Souza founded their business Ruby Cup in 2011 in Denmark. The three women met during their Master’s degree at Copenhagen Business School.Their motivation to found the business stemmed from the will to found something with which they not only earn money, but improve the world in at least a small part. 

The Three Founders

Maxie Mathiessen has been active in public, private and non-governmental organizations and has worked as a researcher drafting studies for the UN General Assembly, as a corporate analyst, and consulted on micro-finance topics in Nicaragua. She holds a Master’s degree in International Business and Politics and a Bachelor’s degree in Business, Languages, and Culture from the Copenhagen Business School.

Julie Weigaard Kjaer has a broad professional background with several years of experience in business administration, supplier management, financial planning and social entrepreneurship in both public and private companies. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Business, Languages,and Culture and is a Master student in Supply Chain Management with minor studies in Sustainable Business at the Copenhagen Business School. 

Veronica D’Souza has worked for both for-profits and non-profits as a sales representative, project manager, journalist, creative campaign developer, and strategic advisor. Her special focus is sustainable business, human rights, health, leadership, and managing strategic partnerships. In her Master’s degree, she studied International Business and Politics with a minor in Sustainable Business at Copenhagen Business School and Columbia Business School.

Product and Business Model 

The three entrepreneurs already knew the menstruation cup from American and European markets. At the same time they realized there was a huge problem of African women’s access to feminine hygiene products. They wondered why this simple solution of a menstruation cup was not introduced where it was most needed: in Africa.

Initially, the business model was based on the “Bottom of the Pyramid” theory. However, they realized this approach did not serve the market in Africa, so they modified their business model and sales channels. The menstruation cup Ruby Cup now is sold successfully via e-commerce throughout Europe. For each menstruation cup sold in the western world, a cup is sold at a symbolic price to girls and women in Kenya, where they cannot afford feminine hygiene products and girls often miss a significant number of school days during their menstruation. Infections and disease also result from a lack of feminine hygiene products. The menstruation cup can be used for up to ten years and thereby solves the problem of feminine hygiene on a long-term basis in Africa. 

On the one hand, the three female founders of Ruby Cup are fulfilling their goal of providing feminine hygiene products to girls and women in Kenya. On the other hand, Ruby Cup is being sold and used in many European countries. With the use of Ruby Cup, waste created through discarded feminine hygiene products can be eliminated, as Ruby Cup can be used for up to ten years. 

Financing

The three women of Ruby Cup were able to finance their start-up very successfully from the beginning on. They won multiple international business plan competitions, received a grant from the Swedish government and were backed by venture capitalists. Meanwhile the business is able to finance itself through sales generated. 

Annamarie