Roholm, the Tauranga company behind the Inverse Hair Conditioning System, has launched a Snowball Effect capital offer of up to $1.5 million to support its push into international markets.
The company has also set up a European office in the Netherlands and concluded distribution agreements in Brazil, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Canada, with minimum volumes totalling 100,000 units in their first 12 months, said acting chief executive Daryl French.
Inverse is a patented hand-held system, manufactured in New Zealand, which uses sub-zero temperature instead of heat and chemicals to improve the condition and appearance of hair.
The new product has created positive interest in the global hair care industry, says Wilhelm Hertig, Inverse's international business manager, who set up Inverse Hair Europe BV. Based in the Netherlands, Mr Hertig has more than 15 years international experience as a global distributor in hair care and cosmetic niche markets.
"I was really sceptical at first," Mr Hertig said during a recent visit to Tauranga. "But I became very positive about the design and the idea behind it. There is nothing like this in the market using sub-zero technology - it's all heat treatments."