The founder of a $100 million ethical beauty brand in New Zealand is now eyeing the $1.44 trillion beverage market in what she says is the world’s first effervescent drink tab in compostable packaging.

And if that wasn’t enough, she's bootstrapping it.

Ethique founder Brianne West’s next enterprise is called Incrediballs and she believes strong export potential has it placed to become a $30m business within the next five years.

West and her Ethique business partner, Tristan Roberts, will completely fund the launch of Incrediballs.

'A privileged financial position'

She said she wanted to ensure a market before using other people’s money.

“We are lucky enough to be in a privileged financial position now with the success of previous ventures, but we will need investment at some point, for sure.”

Equity crowdfunding, she said, is something she is contemplating.

“I loved equity crowdfunding last time and would love to bring all the early supporters we already have on the journey and hopefully pay off more mortgages,” West said.

The product, West said, uses new technology.

The standard effervescent tablet contains high levels of sodium, and her creation uses much less of it. 

But the big one – she’s created a product that doesn’t react with water in the air. 

“This is why effervescent tablets are packaged in plastic or other impervious materials as they need to be absolutely protected from the water in the environment.”

This means, she said, the product can be placed in cardboard packaging. 

She wouldn’t have made the product if she had to put it in plastic, she said.

“They are shelf stable. I searched long and hard and worked with several companies.”

Finalising flavours

When BusinessDesk asked about the lab that West had been working with and the specific technology used, she kept her cards close to her chest – but she did say the lab was in the United Kingdom.

“We are working on the tablets with a lab in the UK who developed the new tech – in fact, I'm headed there on Friday to finalise flavours,” she said.

Although Incrediballs are manufactured overseas, she is exploring the possibility of local manufacturing.

Industry feedback from the market has been positive, she said. 

She has been approached by local supermarkets keen to stock the product when it hits the shelves in five months.

“Our international distribution channels will be online to begin with as we soft launch the product and get a read on how consumers are responding."

From there, she expects to expand quickly into fast-moving consumer goods channels in North America, Australia and NZ.