About

Christou 1910 is a health-wear brand inspired by life itself! Showing the utmost respect and understanding for people, their modern needs and proper body care, our brand stands for a new contemporary lifestyle ensuring more movement, comfort and security for everyone. Our driving principle is that quality and stylish health products are a fundamental privilege for all, so we have made sure that they are easily accessible in different health-wear corners. Envisioning a "new normal" for the body supports and foot-care market we are aiming to challenge health industry standards and norms through innovation and new ideas.

Solution & Product

PROBLEM: DAYS FRESH Mint & Citrus Deodorizing comfort insoles is an innovative health consumer product that was created for everyone at any age when walking/exercising on urban cities surfaces that are covered mainly by concrete. Concrete is not a flexible soft surface and puts extra pressure on your joints creating severe musculoskeletal problems and changing your feet’s bio-mechanics. Kids feet’s also facing the same problem, as they walk, run, play in hard surfaces that do not encourage a natural flexing movement of the feet and also the appropriate breathability. SOLUTION: DAYS FRESH INSOLES were created to give an everyday make me smile solution to the situation described above. We collaborate with Botanologists, the Laboratory of National Technical University of Athens (ΕΜΠ) as well as with imaginative illustrators and artists. This collaboration resulted in a state of the art insole that sparkles emotional responses and allures the imagination. PRODUCT: Days Fresh Insoles smell good, feels great and the more you sweat the better they work keeping your feet happy and fresh for longer, always sustainable and responsible to the core using raw materials & choosing production methods with Earth- positive impact on the world. Latex from Coconut tree - OEKOTEX fabric - Packaging made by sugar cane (100% recyclable)

Innovation & Scalability

INNOVATION: Innovative product with antimicrobial essential oils of tea tree and peppermint (menthol-rich), encapsulated in the biocompatible and biodegradable carrier, β-cyclodextrin, which offers their prolonged release. State-of-the-art technology product consisting of 100% natural materials without the use of chemical additives, with combined antimicrobial and deodorizing activity for a longer duration of freshness. Cyclodextrins incorporate the essential oils offering prolonged and sustained release of their bioactive components, boost their antimicrobial activity, absorb the molecules excreted with sweat and cause undesirable odor thus providing a healthier and fresher micro-environment for the shoe. The innovative material development process is an environmentally friendly approach due to the lack of chemical additives, the application of mild temperatures (harmonized with the global effort to reduce energy consumption) and the use of 100% natural raw materials, in combination with the requirement for fewer washes when using the product, water consumption is reduced thus the overall environmental footprint of the product is reduced. SCALABILITY Export agreements with Italy and French distributors. Organic growth in the Greek market - listing in major athletic shoes chains and HORECA channel. New products enriching portfolio and will be listed to existing customers at all channels. Trend that exists at National and Global level for a shift to a healthy lifestyle.

Traction & achievements

2017: 650k EUR raised in pre-seed funding 2018: Listing product assortment in all major Greek K/As – Product Development 2019: New product development: Kids Insoles with Organic Essential Oils - Listing Kids Insoles assortment in Selective Retail 2020: Company’s E-shop launch in Feb (B2C) - Listing product assortment in pharmacies/drugstores 2021: Expand in pharmacies/drugstore B2B channel (100+ points of sales) - E-shop sales reached 145,000 EUR - Participation in ECRM “HEALTH EUROPEAN PROGRAM” 2022: +21% in NET SALES (8M) vs 2021 (8M) - EXPORTS: SIGNED EXCLUSIVE AGREEMENTS FOR EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTION IN ITALY, FRANCE - LAUNCHING OF DAYS INSOLE RANGE– COMFY (ANATOMIC) & FRESH RANGES - 3 DESIGNING AWARDS FOR DAYS MICROSITE (www.days.christou1910.com) - LISTING IN MAJOR SPORT SHOES CHAINS (INTERSPORT - COSMOS SPORT - STEP SPORT) – EXPANDING IN PHARMACY CHANNEL (130+)

Team & Why Us

Alexandra Christou (Founder - – MARKETING & PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT - BA): fourth-generation successor of the family business, leading R&D Dept. in creating innovative health products by introducing for the first time worldwide the science of clinical aromatherapy in design and production. (linkedin.com/in/alexandra-christou-6673bb86) Dimitris Hadjikokkinos (Founder – CEO/CFO- MSc): 20 years of successful experience providing fiscal, strategic and operations leadership in diverse business, multinational environments . Entrepreneur with performance driven approach and a passion for achieving business objectives with a high level of quality through collaborative teamwork and a thorough, efficient & consistent process. Responsible for Commercial strategy, Financial and Operational issues, Logistics and Business Development. (linkedin.com/in/hadjidi)

Funding Needs

Growth stage (series A) funding - 3m EUR - Investment pillars: Product development-Working Capital (increase stock level, team, marketing) - participation in international fairs - international e-shops