Press Release - Cement - fundraising January 2022
Founded in 2019 by Solène Lebon-Couturier and Jeremy Emsellem, the CIMENT soap factory raised €300,000 to expand its concept and accelerate its growth. After opening its second 120m² soap factory in the heart of Bordeaux in September 2021, CIMENT is setting out to conquer France.
The possibility of an eco-responsible franchise?
It was our answer to this question that attracted the pool of investors! The development proposal was "instead of building a large factory, we want to develop micro-soap factories throughout the territory, make them semi-independent, and offer a hybrid model to the franchise . It is time to review this great gap between ultra-capitalist franchises and aging cooperatives."
"We're not just an artisanal soap factory, we're the future of cosmetics," the two founders dream. They're also proud, in the digital age, to be at the helm of physical spaces and vibrant venues that welcome the public to discover this craft that deserves our full attention.
The goal is clear: to become the benchmark for solid cosmetics, with high-quality products. "We want to develop the quality of our products above all, more than just revenue." In an increasingly competitive market, it's no longer enough to say you make an eco-friendly product to sell. Consumers have become more demanding, so we need a high-quality product that's easy to use and does its job. This is a very positive development, as greenwashing was everywhere. Each product is tested by a demanding community. In fact, we meet with our customers daily, in our own stores or during introductory soap-making workshops.
This initial fundraising will also allow the soap factory to hire in R&D, "which is currently carried out internally, in our laboratories," says Solène Lebon-Couturier, co-founder in charge of production and research and development. At the start of this year, we are launching a hair care range, body soaps, a fantastic but currently secret collaboration, and a household soap.
The bet on the high end
Present in department stores, such as the Printemps and La Samaritaine chains, the brand wants to expand its network of 250 retailers and open up other high-end markets: "We are carrying out tests in pharmacies, hotels and hair salons."
Indeed, Savonnerie CIMENT has this high-end image that differentiates it from its DNVB (Digital Native Vertical Brand) competitors, which have emerged in recent years thanks to notable partnerships: La Comédie Française, Maison Sarah Lavoine, and Make My Lemonade. For their part, the new DNVB brands are evangelizing extensively on social media and through crowdfunding campaigns. They are promoting solid products in bathrooms. "We are not competitors; we have the same goal," explains Jeremy Emsellem.
Doing the best possible job creation in the region
CIMENT also offers "made in" products belonging to each city. Thus, in Paris, customers buy products made in Paris. In Bordeaux, products made in Bordeaux! Beyond this desire to do the best possible and as locally as possible, CIMENT trains soap makers and creates jobs. For the Bordeaux opening last September, two soap makers were trained to take charge of the Bordeaux laboratory. Claire and Léa have been soap makers for CIMENT for over a year. They were trained in Paris by Solène Lebon-Couturier, co-founder of the brand.
CIMENT is the result of a meeting between Solène and Jérémy, who share a vision of consuming better, more locally, and more responsibly. It is around this commitment that they developed CIMENT, artisanal cold-process soaps made from organic ingredients, free of allergens and essential oils. They are all handmade, for a simple product that is respectful of the skin and the environment, with particular care given to the design of each soap.
Marlene Seigneur
Partner & PR manager
ALBERT, JEAN and PEDRO
64, rue Rambuteau 75003 Paris