“We’re not traditionally hardware and we’re not, no we are software.”
Puns were aplenty as Sheets & Giggles creator Colin McIntosh took home gold in the 2018 Denver Startup Week Pitch Challenge finals on Thursday.
Sheets & Giggles, termed ‘ridiculously soft’ by Forbes, is a sustainable eucalyptus bedsheet company based in Colorado.
McIntosh said the eucalyptus sheets are sustainably produced, softer, and more environmentally friendly than traditional cotton sheets. The company uses 96 percent less water and 30 percent less energy to produce their sheets as compared to traditional cotton sheets.
“It’s not the sexiest startup category,” McIntosh said of sheets. “I wanted a product that was traditionally physical retail. I wanted a huge commodities market that was highly fragmented with no clear market leader. Then I wanted something with zero brand differentiation.”
That’s how McIntosh landed on Sheets & Giggles.
The company raised $284,000 during an IndieGoGo campaign earlier this year and will soon become an Amazon exclusive for six months.
A king set of sheets from Sheets & Giggles retails for $150 and comes with five different color choices.
By beating out five other competitors and winning the Denver Startup Week Pitch Competition, the company will take home nearly $100,000. McIntosh said that money will largely go to expanding advertising and growing the Sheets & Giggles team.
Upsuite, an online brokerage for coworking spaces, took home second place and Nanno, a childcare booking service, took home third prize in the competition.
In addition, The Hopper, Who’s on Tap, and Untapp were finalists for the pitch challenge.
