Kiwi period care brand AWWA acquired by North American giant

One of New Zealand’s largest period care brands has been acquired by a North American giant in a deal set to see significant expansion for a Māori values-driven business.

AWWA Periodcare, the New Zealand-based company specialising in reusable, absorbent period underwear, was co-founded in 2018 by Michele Wilson (Tainui, Ngāti Paoa) and Kylie Matthews with a mission to create a sustainable alternative to single-use menstrual products.

The business has been acquired for an undisclosed sum by Somedays, a leader in the North American market in natural period pain relief. It will join the Somedays portfolio alongside the leakproof underwear brand Aisle.

For Wilson and Matthews, the partnership was the start of a promising future for the AWWA brand.

“In light of the challenges faced by many New Zealand businesses right now, I’m proud of this new direction, which represents not just a business transaction but a testament to the power of collaborative, purpose-driven entrepreneurship,” Wilson said.

“Building AWWA has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life, empowering wāhine and creating products that make a difference for individuals and Papatūānuku.

“Somedays feels like a natural partner for AWWA as they truly understand the heart of our kaupapa and values, giving me confidence that AWWA’s mission will not only continue, but thrive.”

AWWA co-founders Michele Wilson (left) and Kylie Matthews.

Somedays was founded in 2021 by Lux Perry, who was motivated by her personal struggles with endometriosis and a lack of effective solutions.

Under her leadership, Somedays gained global recognition with its Period Pain Simulator, which went viral – amassing over three billion views online and raising awareness about endometriosis and the gender pain gap.

Perry said AWWA’s strong commitment to its core values and unique connection to indigeneity was what drew her in.

“I first learned about AWWA about a year ago when it started to make more of a splash in the US and noticed some of our brand advocates at Somedays supporting this very cool Māori-owned brand,” Perry said.

“I loved being able to see exactly what matters built into every aspect of the business, from their online community, to their give-back initiatives, to their supply chain transparency and B Corp certification.”

Lux Perry, founder of North American period care giant Somedays, said AWWA’s strong commitment to its core values and unique connection to indigeneity was what drew her in.

She said AWWA is leading the conversation that no matter where you come from, your ancestors had rituals, practices and beliefs relating to menstruation.

As part of the wider Somedays business portfolio, Perry said the next steps for AWWA would be to focus on purposeful growth and expanding its mission and legacy globally.

Expansion into the Australian market is going to be key, with the move representing “a chance to honour AWWA’s roots as a homegrown South Pacific brand”.

“This partnership goes beyond scaling – it’s a purpose-driven collaboration rooted in the belief that business should be a force for good,” Perry said.

“I want to reassure people that AWWA will stay true to its founding principles and will continue operating as a New Zealand-based company with deep ties to its Māori origins, central to its identity and story.”

Perry said she understands the responsibility of her position in the growing industry, and intends to focus on driving menstrual equity in sustainable, reusable products globally to expand the market.

“It’s actually relatively new, it feels like a long time for us who are working in it, but we’re still building a category and we’re really focused on being a large part of that.”

While AWWA and Aisle have similar products, Perry loves that they have unique identities, and believes that because they are located in different parts of the world they can serve different purposes.

Kiwi kickstart

AWWA founders Wilson and Matthews are no strangers to acquisitions, with Wilson founding and selling Frankie Apothecary back in 2019, while Matthews did the same with her business Kai Carrier.

Originally named I Am Eva, AWWA grew from a Kickstarter campaign that received more than $73,000 from almost a thousand backers.

AWWA has since gone from strength to strength and was named a Fast 50 Company in Deloitte’s 2022 index, at number 32.

The business is also a Certified B Corporation and donates 2% of its revenue through product contributions to combat period poverty in Aotearoa.

Michele Wilson, co-founder of AWWA alongside Kylie Matthews, said the partnership with Somedays was the start of a promising future for the AWWA brand.

Wilson and Matthews intend to remain involved with AWWA as minority shareholders, with Wilson serving as cultural adviser and Matthews consulting on sustainability strategies for both AWWA and Aisle.

With Perry now in charge of AWWA, Wilson said she plans to continue promoting mātauranga Māori through her work with Ehoa, the first indigenous period-tracking app to integrate maramataka, the Māori lunar calendar, with menstrual cycle optimisation.

She is currently working on MBA-funded research into women’s energy and emotional patterns and how they relate to a woman’s menstrual cycle and maramataka.

Wilson has also taken on a new role as Aotearoa manager with B Lab, expanding her impact and passion for business as a force for good.

Meanwhile, Matthews is working towards a Master of Sustainability and will now lead sustainability for both Aisle and AWWA. She will also continue to manage operations for AWWA’s Blenheim warehouse.

Wilson and Matthews said they were confident the brand’s new international platform would extend its global reach while also ensuring its founding values were maintained.

“Somedays has created a model allowing smaller, purpose-driven brands like AWWA to grow without compromising those principles,” Wilson said.

“AWWA customers can expect to see the same quality and integrity they’ve come to trust, now with the opportunity to make an even bigger impact on the world stage.”

Tom Raynel is a multimedia business journalist for the Herald, covering small business and retail.