In just over two years, Dunedin-based founder Yvette Shum has stopped more than 15 tonnes of plastic waste from entering the environment – all through a product that many people still feel awkward talking about.
Coralcone is a reusable menstrual cup; designed by people who menstruate, for people who menstruate. It was founded by Yvette Shum, a Dunedin local who came up with the idea while traveling and participating in coral reef conservation work in Raja Ampat, Indonesia. It was there that Yvette saw firsthand the toll of plastic pollution on the ocean, and decided to do something to solve that problem.
After returning to Aotearoa, she teamed up with product design engineer Heather Cunningham and a group of women’s health professionals to get things going. Coralcone met with Startup Dunedin and went through The Distiller Incubator in 2021, then on to Ministry of Awesome’s Electrify, before launching at the end of 2021.
Their genesis was not without it’s challenges, though, in typical startup style. The team’s first round of manufacturing equipment self-destructed after its initial run, leaving Coralcone at risk of running out of stock. That is when Coralcone teamed up with fellow Dunedin-born startup and crowdfunding platform PledgeMe, to successfully raise funds for the next product run.
Even with these challenges, Coralcone has already made its mark. It won gold in the feminine hygiene category at the 2023 Clean and Conscious Awards in Australia, and also picked up awards from the Best of Natural Awards and The Grand Business South Awards for innovation and sustainability.
Each Coralcone sale contributes directly to marine conservation, with $2 going to Live Ocean to support ocean restoration efforts. It’s a way to make sure every purchase not only protects your body but gives back to the planet too. Yvette is a great example of a Dunedin founder making her mark on not just the local startup ecosystem, but the wider world too.