Marlow Investment

Hey everyone,

Historically, the hallmark of product defensibility was often proprietary innovation. Build a better mousetrap, secure a patent, develop proprietary technology, or corner a niche with a superior feature set,  these were the keys to building a competitive moat.

As we hurtle further into the age of artificial intelligence, particularly with the proliferation of sophisticated AI coding tools, the very definition of "product defensibility" is being rewritten. The new battleground isn't primarily in what you build, but how you will sell it via building brands which foster customer communities. 

In some ways the most successful companies have already followed this mantra from Apple to Nike to Coca Cola. This is something the founding team at Marlow understands deeply.

Nadia, Harit and Kiara are passionately disrupting the FemTech space with an innovative, customer-obsessed approach to menstrual health.

They understand the core mechanics of building offline and online communities with viral marketing and monthly group events. 

With more followers than Tampax, a 15x engagement rate (compared to Tampax) and exponential revenue growth, the numbers were a no brainer. 

Ofcourse we all know a company is a lot more than just the numbers, what truly makes the difference is the people. Specifically, their focus, vision, how they work together and how they handle obstacles.

Distribution is the new moat and the way forward is to build, distribute and engage. 

Marlow exemplifies the "new moat" of distribution and the forward-thinking strategy of "build, distribute, engage".

While their core product, the Marlow Lubricant (MarLube) and 100% organic cotton tampons, is innovative in addressing a critical unmet need for comfort, their true defensibility lies not just in the product itself, but in their robust distribution channels and unparalleled customer engagement. They're not merely building a better tampon; they're distributing their solution across a diverse, multi-pronged strategy.

Marlow does this impressively by coupling their online presence with expanding into the retail market.  They are already in major retailers like Whole Foods, and we believe its only a matter of time before they launch in giants like Shoppers Drug Drug Mart, Target, and CVS.

This strategic emphasis on getting their product into the hands of consumers through both physical and digital avenues, while simultaneously fostering a loyal, educated community, creates a far more durable competitive advantage than a standalone product innovation approach.

Thank you for reading,

Rishad