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THE NEBIA SHOWER head isn’t internet-ready, nor does it have an app – but the $400 (€362) device counts some of the most-powerful people in technology among its supporters.
And it used a simple pitch to lure those investors: an invitation to take a shower.
The San Francisco-based design startup, which promises a “significantly superior shower experience in each and every sense”, has been backed by investors including Apple CEO Tim Cook and new Alphabet (aka Google) executive chairman Eric Schmidt through the Schmidt Family Foundation.
The device comes as a self-installable shower system that delivers millions of tiny droplets at high pressure over a much wider area than the average shower.
That, Nebia claims, means more water coming into contact with people’s bodies and a better clean, all while using 70% less water – enough for the gadget to pay for itself within two years of use in the average US home.
The company yesterday launched a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for the product and early this afternoon it was already close to reaching its $100,000 target.
Better showers ‘in every way’
In his product pitch, Nebia co-founder Philip Winter said showers were “deeply personal” and were people’s “alone time to wake up, to think, to rejuvenate, to unwind”.
At Nebia, we set out to see if we can make this important part of our daily rituals better in every way,” he said.
Winter and two other co-founders started the company last year after one of the trio, Carlos Gomez Andonaegui, tried to design better showers for customers of the large Mexico City health club firm he ran.
Other investors include seed funder Y Combinator, which has previously backed Airbnb and Reddit, among hundreds of other startups.
In a statement to the New York Times, Schmidt foundation president Wendy Schmidt said Nebia’s technology had the “potential to be transformative”.
“It’s innovative and elegant, and can also have a significant impact on water use — not just in California, where we’re experiencing a severe drought — but around the world where fresh water resources are limited.”
The shower system retails for $399 (€362), although the company has been offering them from $249 (€225) as part of the current campaign. If you fancy getting your hands on one, shipping to Ireland costs $69 (€62) extra.
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