Clermontois Capillum, with its reworked hair, intends to grow trees (and clean the oceans soon?)

This Wednesday, February 1, Capillum founders James Taylor and Clément Baldellou will present their innovation on the set of Who Wants to Be My Partner?

“ This is a big focus of our startup” James Taylor admits, “It makes us visible to investors and also to the general public. In the previous season, between prime and second part of the night, this program was watched by about 17.1 million viewers, it is very important for us to publicize our approach.”

For its third edition, the show returns with a pool of six investors to really dupe (Anthony Bourbon, Delphine André, Eric Larcheveque, Isabelle Chevalier, Jean-Pierre Nadir and Marc Simoncini).

While contestants aren’t allowed to reveal the milestones or amount they want to achieve thanks to the show before the switch, we already know thatAll funding received by Capillum since 2019 amounts to €1.3 million. It is enough to demonstrate that their project can be convincing for investors.

It is in this context that the founders of Capillum, James and Clément, will present the adventure that has stopped their lives since 2019 and has allowed them to bring together almost 3,500 hair salons through the creation of the first haircut in France. An idea that may seem crazy, but has been happening for a few months now.

Global innovation in fundraising

They will present to investors a world-class innovation protected by three patents: the recycling of hair and, more precisely, the first product they can produce from this raw material. Capillum has actually designed a mulching mat of natural origin and compatible with organic farming, which acts as a support for the purpose of replanting trees or cultivating plants or cultivating a vegetable plot.

Marketed as a set for €24.90 each, the product is a real alternative to the plastic covers traditionally used in agriculture, taking advantage of the superpowers of this man-made raw material. : to initialize propertiesthermal insulation also allows for better water retention, at the same time it has the ability to absorb up to eight times its own weight, without the need to consume additional resources such as water or oil, because they are produced naturally. the human body.

However, the two partners know they will only have a few minutes to convince investors to stick with their side. “We prepared for this show like the best athletes. We knew we were going to be under intense fire with many questions and the judges were experts, the stakes were high.” poster by James Taylor.

Capillum will nevertheless be able to confirm its results: “Currently, we have already produced more than 6,500 mulching products. We should soon exceed 10,000.”

In terms of the economic model, its mats are now sold to a variety of players: garden centers, shops, communities, cities, foresters, individuals.…” They mainly allow watering, limit weed growth, act as a barrier against slugs and snails, and are also compatible with organic farming. “, details James Taylor.

Lit also accounts for the additional income provided by the annual subscription charged to the partner hairdressers (between 70 and 159 euros per year, against the recycling kit as well as the collection aid in connection with the Swiss Post subsidiary Urby). It is enough for the young push to leave 300,000 euros on the counter in 2022.

4000 tons of hair will be recycled

It must be said that its raw materials are not lacking: cIn France, about 4,000 tons of hair are usually thrown in the trash every year and can find a new use with the Capillum cycle.

” Since its inception, Capillum has recycled 100 tons of hair, which is half of what is thrown into the trash at common hairdressers. This is a huge volume. You should know that there are a million French people who go to the hairdresser every day “The model is also reminiscent of James Taylor, based on the La Poste group’s collocation partnership with the Urby chain.

The two founders, who employ ten people in the medium term, now have several goals: to accelerate the industrialization and marketing of Capillum products,recruiting new talent (for both commercial and R&D functions) and reaching milestones In 2023-2024, while earning million euros accompanying new hairdressers in circular economy approaches…

After a gradual and constant rise in strength, the company is participating in the program to find the necessary support for its ambition: to turn hair into the fiber of tomorrow. For this, it has new projects in the pipeline such as a a new product (not yet on the market) but already designed as a natural suction tube that will help clean up the oceans. The prototype was already supposed to be tested this summer The Delta festival in Marseille and thus could open a new way for Capillum’s economic model, this time based on pollution activities.

(with ML)