Feelou

“Amazed” is how Anne Dijkstra and Noor Figdor, based in the Hague, express their feelings of their first pregnancy. But when they both found themselves having to buy over eight new bras, that amazement became tinged with outrage. Convinced there had to be another way, they developed Feelou’s adaptable bra. It grows with your breasts throughout pregnancy and beyond. The product launch was supported by the Rabo Impact Fund.

“I had no clue how much pregnancy affects your bra size,” says Anne, founder of Feelou and mother of two. “Two components determine bra size: band measurement and cup volume. During and just after pregnancy, they’ll both fluctuate and change at different paces. And if you’re breastfeeding, your bra size might even shift within the space of day.”

Only need two bras

Anne and Noor brought the Feelou bra to market as an answer to the post-pregnancy mishmash of bras. “Our maternity and nursing bra is super comfortable and made of natural materials. Thanks to its unique fastening mechanism, which we’re in the process of patenting, and innovative design, the bra can expand up to ten centimeters in band size and accommodate two to three cup-size increases. As a result, our bra fits perfectly at every stage of pregnancy. You only need two bras instead of eight or more: one to wear while the other is in the laundry. With four million women becoming pregnant in Europe each year, Feelou has a huge potential to save valuable resources.”

37 prototypes

Anne makes it all sound simple, but the journey to market was anything but. With a smile on her face, she says: “Noor’s kitchen table was our drawing board. We got through 37 prototypes before hitting on a model we were happy to bring to market. And then there was the long, long process of finding a manufacturer, as the one who’d made the final prototype for us wasn’t able to mass-produce it. That’s because our bra has a highly technical design, even though it looks quite basic at first glance. A seamstress will take an hour to make just one. It takes real skill, and we found many manufacturers weren’t up to scratch.”

Multimedia campaign

The bra is now available in two colors, with matching panties, in Feelou’s online store. Anne explains how the pair are impatient to give their product a successful market launch. “We’re already taking plenty of orders on our online store. We now want to further improve our visibility with a multimedia campaign across platforms like Facebook and Instagram. We also want to raise our profile among professionals providing services to new mothers. They can then recommend Feelou to their target audience. We could reach those professionals by attending conferences and presenting our product there, but we’d need promotional materials like posters and flyers.”

Professional promotional materials

To fund these plans, Feelou applied for a donation from the Rabo Impact Fund. “We’ve funded most of the outlay ourselves. We receive no support from investors,” says Anne. “While we won The Hague Innovators Challenge last year and received a cash prize, having the Rabo Impact Fund believe in us too and award a €25,000 donation is a huge boost. Besides giving us more financial scope for things like e-mail marketing and professional promotional material, it’s also a welcome endorsement of our product. Rabobank recognizes that it has value and can make an impact. That confirmation gives us the drive to carry on.”

All-round support

The value of Feelou’s new product is also endorsed by Miranda Ruigrok-Koomen, Business Development Manager at Rabobank. “Their bra is a fantastic example of a product that combats waste, thanks to its two-in-one design that adapts to your breasts throughout pregnancy. Feelou is playing its part in our transition to a sustainable economy. That ambition is fully aligned with the themes Rabobank and the Rabo Impact Fund advocate for. We’re eager to support these sorts of companies with a social impact by providing them with financial assistance as well as access to our knowledge and network.”