Shower the People

Since 2015, Nebia has rocked the shower world when they introduced a showerhead that leverages atomization, a disruptive technology featuring water droplets that decrease volume but increase surface area, leading to 70% in water savings. And the Nebia team is showing no signs of slowing down. What initially began as a Kickstarter campaign got tremendous traction ($3 million backed by 8,000 people). Today, Nebia’s products are in more than 100,000 homes, and in 2020 the team received orders internationally.

According to Co-Founder, CMO and President, Philip Winter, a crucial part of Nebia’s mission is building products that are first and foremost exceptional in quality, with the eventual goal of making them accessible to all. The core technology was really expensive when the company began, driving the retail price for their first showerhead to $650. However, through years of tireless effort, they have been able to re-engineer the core technology to make the economics of the unit far more favorable. This has allowed the company to democratize the price for consumers: Their newest showerhead retails for $120.

When Nebia first started out in 2013, most consumers weren’t interested in sustainable home technology — let alone at a higher price. This was especially true in Mexico City, where Nebia was founded. The team quickly realized that in California, which was experiencing a severe drought, there was a greater willingness to pay for water-efficient products. That prompted Nebia to move its headquarters to San Francisco, while still retaining a strong base in Mexico. Nearly 10 years later, they’re seeing more global interest, spurred by consumer desire to be more sustainable and eco-friendly. “We’re seeing more hotels and businesses reach out not only because of water savings, but also because it’s what customers want,” says co-founder and CEO Gabriel Parisi-Amon.

In 10 years, the founders anticipate that everything in your home that touches on water use will have a Nebia component. Parisi-Amon can’t wait to redesign conventional systems such as water heaters. “There’s a lot of space within the home for consumers to really move the needle in terms of resources,” he says.

To budding entrepreneurs who hope to make a difference in climate, Parisi-Amon suggests taking a balanced approach of realistic optimism. “Everything takes twice as long and costs twice as much as you’d expect,” he notes. “All entrepreneurship is a marathon.” The commitment he demonstrates is abundantly evident in the broader Nebia team, and we are grateful to be a part of their journey to help both the planet and its people.