We are excited to announce that Girlified has been selected for the $30,000 M Ventures Accelerator, a global program supporting innovators developing the next generation of sustainable menstrual health solutions. M Ventures is a program of Capital M - an initiative by the UN's Sanitation and Hygiene Fund (SHF) - and implemented by Bopinc. This milestone shows our commitment to advancing research-based solutions to provide accessible and affordable menstrual solutions to women and girls in underserved communities.
Since launching commercially in 2023, Girlified has grown into one of Nigeria's leading biodegradable menstrual health enterprises. Built on years of research and community engagement, we have sold over 2 million sanitary pads and reached over 70,000 women and girls across Northern Nigeria through schools, pharmacies, retailers, NGOs, and institutional partnerships.
Through the M Ventures Accelerator, we will embark on an ambitious research and development pilot to create the next generation of Girlified sanitary pads. This pilot will focus on two major innovations. First, we will use nanoparticle-driven engineering of plant fiber structures to improve absorbency and moisture wicking, increasing our current absorbency performance from approximately 67% to at least 85% without increasing the retail price. This will provide greater comfort, reduce leakage, and allow women and girls to use fewer pads during their menstrual cycle, lowering their overall menstrual costs. Secondly, we will ensure full biodegradability of our menstrual pad.
Over the years, we have always believed that menstrual health should not force women to choose between affordability, quality, and environmental responsibility. Participation in M Ventures provides us access to world-class technical mentors, menstrual health experts, researchers, and industry partners who will help validate our technology, strengthen our product design, and generate the scientific evidence needed to scale our innovation across West Africa. The knowledge and partnerships developed through this accelerator will play a critical role in helping us bring a fully biodegradable, high-performance menstrual product to millions of women and girls.
We are grateful to the M Ventures team for believing in our vision and look forward to sharing the outcomes of this exciting next chapter. Together, we are proving that the future of menstrual health can be innovative, sustainable, and built in Africa.
