# Bogobrush

Subscription bio-degradable toothbrushes. Beautiful and Gives Back

## Elevator pitch
We're rethinking the toothbrush with buy one + give one, eco-designed toothbrushes made entirely in the USA. The plastics in almost all toothbrushes are non-recyclable, meaning over 450 million toothbrushes a year in the U.S. alone end up in landfills. Our products are either bio-degradable or made from nearly 100% recycled plastic. When you're done, throw them in your compost or recycle bin—and nature will do its thing.

- Canonical URL: https://wefunder.com/bogobrush
- Entity ID: wefunder:company:9800
- Last updated: 2026-06-13T05:00:05Z
- Generated at: 2026-06-13T05:45:39Z

## Quick facts
- First recyclable & bio-degradable toothbrushes on the market.
- 450 million toothbrushes a year get tossed in landfills from the U.S.
- 80 million Americans don't have access to proper dental care; we donate brushes to low-cost or free dental clinics with every purchase.
- Currently in 25 boutiques around the country.
- Plans for toothbrush subscription model.

## Active fundraises
- wefunder:fundraise:5612: 4(a)(6) successful (USD)

## FAQ
1. **Is the material you use to make the product specifically designed for the Bogobrush or is a general product anyone can use? Do you own it? Is it patented?**
   - Hi A O. Thanks for asking a question! The material is a proprietary right of our partner C2Renew. We worked with them to create the correct and unique formula of bio-composite material to meet the specifications of the Bogobrush collection, and we continue to collaborate with them for future material ideas. We are excited to have them as a supporting partner in our growth. Let us know if you have further questions or thoughts. We're happy to help!
2. **What is the difference in price between your product and a normal, off-the-counter, toothbrush?**
   - Hi Yousef! The prices for manual, off-the-counter toothbrushes can vary a lot based on type of brush and even which store is selling it. Generally speaking, for a non-eco, manual brush, you can find a super cheap brush for roughly $2, or you can buy an over-designed, gripped-out brush for $4-$6. These brushes are impossible to recycle because of their use of materials (rubbers, plastics, and glues) all in one little brush. For eco-friendly brushes, you can find them on the shelves for a range...
3. **Do you have an office where someone who lived/worked in Detroit could come visit?**
   - Hi Michael! We don't have an office in the traditional sense (working from home, coffee shops, or one of our partners' offices helps keep our costs down). That said, I'd be happy to visit with you/someone in Detroit. You can reach out to me on Linkedin if you'd like to coordinate a time to get together to talk toothbrushes!
4. **Hey there! I'm curious about how you're processing online orders. Are you packaging in-house? Also, are big-box retailers and/or online retailers on the roadmap?**
   - Hi Owen, great questions! Our website and e-commerce runs on the shopify platform. Our partner, Skybridge Americas, then handles kitting the products in their packaging, and all order fulfillment (direct and wholesale). Skybridge has integrated digital and fulfillment support, which has been great as we can work with them to scale our e-commerce direct to consumer side, and our wholesale side through the same channel. We are in the midst of conversations with a few big box retailers now, who ...
5. **Could it be harfmul to brush your teeth with recycled plastics?**
   - Hi John! All of our materials are safe for you to use. Everything - the recycled plastic, plant-based biocomposite and bristles - is BPA free and FDA approved. Let us know if you have further questions!

## Team
- Heather McDougall (CEO)
- John McDougall (Chief Creative Officer)

## Recent posts
- Subscriptions, Donations, and the Environment: Bogobrush Aims Higher (2017-08-17T16:39:25Z)

## Q&A
- Q: This concept looks really good and I just wanted to congratulate you on getting your business this far. As a potential investor, I do have a few questions which I would like to pose to you: a) I like the concept of having a subscription based oral care item, but it looks like you have not launched this service due to lack of inventory. You say for every Bogobrush you sell, you give one away. Have you thought of suspending giving away free brushes until you have sufficient inventory to sustain a subscription based business? I think getting this to a subscription based business as quick as possible is imperative and will get you a large chunk of market share. b) Why did you decide on having two types of brushes, a recyclable one, and a compostable one? What are the advantages/disadvantages of both and why not just focus on only one type? c) Down the line, are you planning on expanding to selling toothpaste, mouth wash, tongue cleaners, floss, etc. with your subscription based business? d) How are you going to differentiate yourself from another competitor called Quip, when it comes to the subscription based business model? Thank you and looking forward to reading to your responses.
  - A: Hello Devang. I am sorry for not answering sooner. This one slipped by me somehow, but thankfully, Vijay Kowda's question popped up and pointed me to you. Thank you for asking questions. Here are my responses: a) We are very excited about launching the subscription program, too! However, our reasons for not having yet launched it have nothing to do with inventory. (I'm curious what led you to that thought - I don't want our profile to be misleading!) Our reasons for not launching the subscription are strategic and resource based. When we launched the website last fall, we needed to make choices about priorities. The subscription has always been our plan, and thanks to our Wefunder campaign, we'll now be able to bring it to life. b) We decided to have two types of materials mostly to provide options to our customers, but there is an added benefit in operations by diversifying our material sources. For our customers, we want to accommodate the different end-of-life disposal options people choose, or have available. Some people have easy access to compost - in their yards or through city programs. For others, recycling is a more accessible. From a design perspective, while both are beautiful and minimal, the materials have aesthetic differences that might matter to folks as well. c) As Bogobrush grows we will expand the product line and brand. We certainly have our eyes on other personal care products and accessories, but we also have ideas for other expansion lines. The future is exciting! d) Yes, we anticipate subscription businesses to be a norm not an exception, as time continues. We are excited to get in early on this trend, and without spilling the details before we launch them, here is what I can say. We will differentiate our subscription service through customer experience and dedication to our mission at each step of interaction. We will continue to innovate with well-designed products and accessories to change the way people interact with their toothbrush/personal care, we will inspire attention to environmental and social awareness, and we will honor each customer's relationship to Bogobrush and our shared mission for a better world. Please let us know if you have further questions. Thank you!
  - A: Hello Devang. I am sorry for not answering sooner. This one slipped by me somehow, but thankfully, Vijay Kowda's question popped up and pointed me to you. Thank you for asking questions. Here are my responses: a) We are very excited about launching the subscription program, too! However, our reasons for not having yet launched it have nothing to do with inventory. I'm curious what led you to that thought - I don't want our profile to be misleading! Our reasons for not launching the subscription are strategic and resource based. When we launched the website last fall, we needed to make choices about priorities. The subscription has always been our plan, and thanks to our Wefunder campaign, we'll now be able to bring it to life. b) We decided to have two types of materials to accommodate the different end-of-life disposal options people choose, or have available. Some people have easy access to compost - in their yards or through city programs. For others, recycling is a much easier and accessible process. From a design perspective, while both are beautiful and minimal, the materials have aesthetic differences that might matter to folks. All around, we think it's better to provide options to our customers, plus it is better to be diverse from a supply chain perspective - less pressure for only one material source.
- Q: Hi Heather, great concept! and great presentation collateral. Before I invest I would like to have some information about past fund raises (how many rounds if any and how much? -if self funded, how much did you invest in yourselves?), how much you have spent ($) so far? what is your burnrate? and what is actually the amount that is need to get you to the next step? (as describe in Wefunder spot) Looking forward to your answers. All the best, Hal
- Q: I would definitely be interested in investing but I am curious what that delivers to me as an investor? What level of dollar commitment would earn some level of equity in the company? Thank you, Matt
- Q: Hello. Will investors be receiving monthly updates? When can we expect our perks to mailed?
  - A: Hi Dilraj, Thanks so much for your attention to these items! The perks are ready but were delayed because Wefunder announced to us they were launching a perk dashboard we should use. This just launched last week so we're organizing around this. I'm hopeful we'll get things going this week. Thank you for your patience! With updates, John and I should agree on a frequency for you all to expect to hear from us. Perhaps monthly, or perhaps quarterly. We will talk about this today and will make a decision soon. No matter what we decide, we'll get a new update to you all shortly. Thanks, again, Dilraj. Please share any thoughts you have. Best! Heather
- Q: Hi. When can we expect our investor perks to be mailed out?
  - A: Hi Dilraj! I thought we already replied to this. So sorry! All perks will ship this month, (February). We'll use the addresses from your investment so if anything has changed, you'll want to let us know. Cheers! Heather
- Q: Hi, Heather, John! I love your project and decided to invest on June. I recently wrote to wefunder for some update on the investment closure but had no response. Could you please, give us some feedback to those that already did the transfer and are waiting for news? Thanks! BR Iñigo
  - A: Inigo, hello! I missed this question and I'm sorry for that! Do you still have questions about the transfer? I am posting an update for all investors shortly, and you'll be receiving news about your perks in a week or so. I hope you are doing well and thank you so much for supporting Bogobrush!
- Q: I can't tell from the images : is the recyclable plastic bogobrush clearly marked with the recyclable symbol and plastic type? (triangle of arrows, 5 for plastic type). In our local recycling collection system, items that are not clearly marked, (and that aren't common enough to be quickly recognised), get sorted out into the waste stream, so the recyclability of an item is not effective unless very clear to sorters.
  - A: Hi Ursula, Thanks for your question! Right now, the recyclable plastic bogobrush is not marked with the symbol. This is because we currently make both lines of product from the same tool and can't have the recycled symbol on the biodegradable line. With increased demand and further investment into production, we can start to build the symbol into the product. In terms of your recycling program, I don't know enough about the method, but each program does differ. Some are able to determine the type of plastic with lights, others is single source, and others have "unmarked plastic" bins. I really appreciate your feedback, though, because it helps us see ways to make Bogobrush even more recycle-friendly. Thanks, again!
- Q: Hello! I grew up outside Detroit, so it's awesome to see more and more cool tech like this coming out of the area. I have a few questions: 1) what is the planned subscription price point? 2) what's the current burn rate? 3) is the plan to take the company to profitability with this $50K in marketing spend, or raise more money again?
  - A: Hey Alex. Thanks for asking and sorry for keeping you waiting! Here are some answers to your questions: 1) We don't want to reveal too much about specific pricing strategy until the platform launches, but I am comfortable saying that we'all offer a price incentive one way or the other - maybe percentage discount, maybe shipping, maybe a combination of pricing methods. 2) Can you clarify what you mean by "burn rate?" Are you asking cash? Inventory? And over what period of time are you interested? Monthly? 3) The plan is to build more market demand with this $50K and then receive further investment to reduce production costs, grow our team, and increase profitability. If this $50k brings us to profitability, great! We'd still evaluate profitability to determine if we need more investment to achieve our goals for growth. I hope that helps. Thanks, again, for reaching out and for supporting us in the D!
- Q: Hi, I am repeating the same questions asked by one of my friend "Devang Devani". a) I like the concept of having a subscription based oral care item, but it looks like you have not launched this service due to lack of inventory. You say for every Bogobrush you sell, you give one away. Have you thought of suspending giving away free brushes until you have sufficient inventory to sustain a subscription based business? I think getting this to a subscription based business as quick as possible is imperative and will get you a large chunk of market share. b) Why did you decide on having two types of brushes, a recyclable one, and a compostable one? What are the advantages/disadvantages of both and why not just focus on only one type? c) Down the line, are you planning on expanding to selling toothpaste, mouth wash, tongue cleaners, floss, etc. with your subscription based business? d) How are you going to differentiate yourself from another competitor called Quip, when it comes to the subscription based business model?
  - A: Hi Vijay, Thanks for tipping me off to Devang's questions! I somehow missed them previously. I did reply to him, now, so please check out my response to him for your answers. I welcome any further questions. Best, Heather M.
- Q: Time frame for public offering?
  - A: Hi Tony, We don't have a time frame for public offering. Right now, we are focused on growing the business and mission. We are open to a variety of possibilities in the future whether it's selling to another company, shareholder buyout, IPO, or other. Thanks for asking!
- Q: Does buying and giving a brush cut your margins down to 30%?
  - A: Hey John, Thanks for the question. The margins are factored with the give one brush as part of our costs, so no, the margins don't get cut further from the giving. I hope that helps, but please let us know if you have any follow-up questions or if anything is unclear. Best! Heather
- Q: Are there monthly plans or do you have to buy another brush ever single month?
  - A: Hello! This investment will be put, in part, toward finishing the subscription plan which will allow customers to subscribe and receive a new brush regularly, with a few different options, (i.e. Monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly.) Currently, customers need to come back to the site to reorder. The subscription platform will be an awesome addition to the business and we're excited about reaching our finding goal to make it happen. Best! Heather
- Q: What was the previous raise valuation/ valuations ?
  - A: Hi John, This is our first equity raise. Until now, our funding has been through state grant for manufacturing support, a loan through a micro lending organization for marketing, and contribution from John and me. No value has been set previously. Thanks for asking!
- Q: Hi guys, look like you are doing some great things, well done! What exit strategies do you foresee to provide investors with a return on investment? I don't imagine you would be in a hurry to sell the company as selling could mean an end to the charitable aspects of the company. How and when do you envisage investors may see a return?
  - A: Hi Jacob, Thanks for the question! Regarding exit strategies, you are right, we have a lot of goals for developing the Bogo brand with a variety of products before we would really look to exit in a traditional sense. That said, if a partner came along that could amplify our mission, our minds would be open at any time.
- Q: Hi Heather, it looks like a great product - congratulations. I have two questions - 1. Your product seems ideally suited to hotels that need to highlight they're environmentally conscious. Do you target them specifically in your sales efforts? 2. Do you have plans for partnering or entering directly into global markets? Thanks and good luck.
  - A: Hi Thomas, thanks for your interest in Bogobrush and for reaching out with your questions. I'll address them in order: 1. You are spot on with our brain waves! Yes, we are currently talking with a few boutique hotel chains and other travel-related companies. We think Bogobrush offers the perfect opportunity for hospitality companies to provide a beautiful product to guests, and also to tell the story of local community and environment. Do you have any tips for hotels we should consider? 2. Yes. We are currently talking with distributors in Denmark, Netherlands, and Chile. Plus, we have demand from a few retailers in places like Spain, Argentina, South Korea, and France. Our design and eco-friendly commitment make Bogobrush such a great fit for many European countries. The main barrier for international distribution right now is our manufacturing cost. The international distributors need prices low enough that they can pay for the shipping and fees in addition to our price for them. This is a bit of a chicken and egg situation for us because they need us to quote lower prices before they order, and we need to purchase more equipment before we can guarantee a lower purchase price. We are working our way toward agreement, and reaching our funding goal here on Wefunder would be a massive surge in our ability to meet that demand. Do you have any connections to international distributors? Thanks, again, Thomas. Let me know if you have more questions. I'd love to welcome you to the Bogobrush family. Best! Heather