Australia’s FMCG landscape is awash with innovation with thousands of start-ups vying to get their break in the industry. Health, sustainability and convenience are among the top priorities for today’s consumers and fortunately, there are plenty of entrepreneurs eager to meet those needs. In the first of a series of interviews, we talk to Michael Vidor, founder of Urban Ethos, an eco-conscious brand that has seen 500-per-cent growth during the past year and secured $3.8 million in funding fr
Unlock indepth features,executive
interviews and quarterly magazines
Australia’s FMCG landscape is awash with innovation with thousands of start-ups vying to get their break in the industry. Health, sustainability and convenience are among the top priorities for today’s consumers and fortunately, there are plenty of entrepreneurs eager to meet those needs.In the first of a series of interviews, we talk to Michael Vidor, founder of Urban Ethos, an eco-conscious brand that has seen 500-per-cent growth during the past year and secured $3.8 million in funding from some of Australia’s most influential investors.Inside FMCG: Who are you?Michael Vidor: Urban Ethos is a Melbourne-based FMCG brand that develops eco-conscious products with the mission to change consumer habits.The concept stemmed from years of observation and a feeling of angst around the market’s approach to the development and manufacturing of everyday household goods sold to consumers; and the subsequent disregard for our environment and precious resources that are inherent to its process.Sharing these concerns is my daughter Chantel. Together, we forged a plan to find solutions for everyday consumables that are often overlooked. Products that are part of everyday life required a major revision to minimise the damage they were doing to our environment.Michael Vidor and his daughter Chantel of Urban Ethos.Urban Ethos today is a journey that understands environmental impacts, carbon footprints, ethical ingredients, and manufacturing processes to lead a path of discovery to provide consumers with genuine eco-lifestyle products for people and the planet.What do you do?We empower consumer choice by developing and manufacturing a range of everyday consumable products that have a positive impact on our planet and ultimately help us lead healthier lives. It’s our promise to deliver to consumers a range of ethically responsible brands that meet the highest possible standard of eco-certification, making it easy for them to feel comfortable about their choices and empowering consumers to manage their household in an environmentally friendly way.The Urban Ethos portfolio currently includes five brands, available to shop via urbanethos.co and select brands such as Sugar Wrap and FreshPaper exclusively via Woolworths.What’s your biggest achievement?We’re proud of the brand’s evolution and ongoing commitment to environmental preservation and renewal. Securing Sugar Wrap on shelves in major supermarkets and FreshPaper being the first brand to be placed in the fresh produce section of Woolworths as a non-produce item is second to none. As an extension of our mission, the launch of our e-commerce site urbanethos.co is a major milestone as we empower consumer choice and offer accessibility. Where to from here?We are grateful to have secured $3.8 million in funding to catapult growth, which sees the growth and expansion of several brands including Eco Turtles diversification to cover laundry products. As a brand, we’ve made a commitment to innovation and will continue to search for and implement new ways to achieve better outcomes for consumers and our environment.We recently launched a national campaign, “Shop for your grandkids”, encouraging Australians to make environmentally-led choices in their every day to guarantee a positive future for the next generation.
