Seattle-based sustainable paper products startup Cloud Paper wants to be in stores near you.
The company raised $5 million earlier this month and, according to co-founder Ryan Fritsch, one goal with the money is to gain new distribution channels and expand beyond selling through its website. Fritsch said although conversations with retailers could get pushed back, Cloud Paper would love to be on shelves sometime this year.
"We essentially want to meet our customers where they're at," Fritsch said. "We don't want our customers to feel like they're making a sacrifice. This is already very much a very utilitarian product that doesn't really dictate a lot of mental bandwidth for folks, so we don't want there to be a lot of sacrifice across price or convenience or whatnot."
Although Cloud Paper would like be carried by large, national retailers like Whole Foods, Fritsch said the company would also be open to regional retailers like Metropolitan Market and PCC. With the money, Cloud Paper is also looking to invest in its supply chain and product development, Fritsch said.
Cloud Paper, founded in 2019, uses bamboo to make tree-free toilet paper and paper towels. Fritsch and fellow co-founder Austin Watkins were both previously at the Seattle-based freight network startup Convoy. The company has a business-to-business line in addition to its direct-to-consumer business. According to Cloud Paper, 20% of global deforestation is caused by paper towels and toilet paper.
The company has eight full-time employees, including six in Seattle. Fritsch estimated the headcount could double a year from now. Cloud Paper has office space on Capitol Hill near Pike and Broadway.
Fritsch said the company doesn't have immediate plans to add space, but if Cloud Paper needs more in a year or so it would like to expand in its current location.
Cloud Paper has a number of big-name investors, including celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, Ciara, Russell Wilson, Mark Cuban, Robert Downey Jr. and Ashton Kutcher. Fritsch said Cloud Paper wants to make tree-based paper products go out of favor the same way single-use plastics have. He added that doing so takes time, but it also takes influence, which makes celebrity backing useful.
"They have a captive audience. They have a megaphone they can use," Fritsch said. "This is an overlooked category. People don't spend a lot of time thinking about toilet paper and towels."
