My favourite start-up companies 3#: Thinx

Thinx is not really a start-up anymore, as they were founded in 2011, but they are high on my list, because they are breaking the taboos about menstruation. Half of the population in the world menstruates, menstruated, or will menstruate and has to deal with it, but weirdly enough it is still widely covered with shame and taboos.

Thinx's products are period proof undies that are beautiful, sexy and comfortable and substitutes a pad or tampon. I'm absolutely wild about the product and the company.

1. The product works and delivers on the promise (It can substitute and is hygienic)
2. The company has an excellent policy, fantastic customer service ( I know, because 2 packages did not arrive in the Netherlands via UPS, they send the third eventually via an express service, one other package turned up 2 months later and they told me I could kept both for free , because of the inconvenience)
3. They sponsor projects in countries were woman a treated badly when they are on their period and empower woman all over the world to be more independent.
4. The place they manufacture is carefully chosen to make sure it's fair.

Its not cheap, not even if you calculate the costs of other period products. Is it environmentally more friendly? That is a difficult question, as producing, multiple washing, and disposing of the product needs to be considered as a full life-cycle.
However, pads and tampons are a large waist pile at the moment, and this product is reusable for many many cycles, while being more hygienic and less harmful than tampons and pads, therefore I believe it has the best of both worlds: a better product and less wasteful.

http://www.thinx.com

Disclosure: I have no stake in this company, I just really like the product and the mission they have to educate girls and bring periods out of the taboo.