For Women Only: E-Retail Subscription Firm Athena Club Raises $3.8M – Info Entrepreneurship

Xconomy
New York — 

[Updated 7/31/17 7:46 am. The story and headline has been changed to reflect an updated amount.] Athena Club, a subscription program for feminine hygiene products, is the latest entrant into the direct-to-women e-commerce space and announced today that it has raised $3.8 million in funding.

Co-founder Maria Markina says her New York-based startup gives women the convenience of a subscription service but at lower prices compared to other similar services.

“We’re not sacrificing quality, but we are bringing the price [down] so that many more women can afford” to purchase the subscription, Markina says. “We’re also giving women the ability to customize among multiple sizes and different frequencies.”

Athena Club plans to offer two lines, organic and premium, which will be priced at $7.50 and $6.50 per package respectively, for a total of 18 pads and tampons. (Shoppers can choose the frequency of the packages depending on their need.) Women will be able to choose from among several capacities designed for heavier or lighter flows.

“Everyone’s flow is different,” says Allie Griswold, co-founder of Athena Club. “One day, you need super-plus and then you need lights. You end up having to buy two boxes. We give customers the ability to customize their box to their flow so they have exactly what they need when they need them.”

The founders say the new funding will be used for marketing and to explore additional products Athena Club could sell.

Last month, Lola, which is also based in New York, announced it raised $24 million to support its e-commerce subscription service for women’s hygiene products with subscriptions that start at $9 every four weeks. In addition to tampons, pads, and liners, the three-year-old startup also sells First Period and Cramp Care kits. Lola added a Sex by Lola line in May, selling condoms, lubricants, and feminine cleansing wipes.