Entrepreneur in focus

Ocean Bottle

Home - Entrepreneur in focus - Nick Doman – Ocean Bottle

I really wanted to set up a proper impact company, one that made a difference first and profit second; I saw many “impact” companies around that were 1% for the planet or their product or service had a positive externality and this didn’t really sit well with me. So, I wanted to create a business model that showed that impact and profit are not mutually exclusive. Sustainability will be the defining feature of successful companies in the new economy – the competition for brands in the future will be who is truly making the most positive impact on society but also who is doing it in a transparent and trustworthy way.

I then met Co-Founder, Will when we were put in seats next to each other while studying at London Business School. We ended up talking about what we wanted to do after our degree and we just made an instant connection between my desire to create a new impact business model that put the mission first and Will’s interest in starting something to help solve the ocean plastic crisis. Enter Ocean Bottle!

How did you start Ocean Bottle?

At Ocean Bottle, we’re enabling anyone that gives a damn about this planet the opportunity to turn the tap off ocean plastic pollution at the source. Each of our smart chip-activated reusable bottles funds the collection of 1,000 plastic bottles in weight at purchase and stops them from entering the ocean. Plastic collectors living in coastal communities such as Indonesia, the Philippines, Haiti, Brazil, and Egypt can exchange plastic for the things they need, such as healthcare, microfinance, tech goods, and groceries. We launched back in 2018, and since then, we have funded the collection of 1,498,030kgs of ocean-bound plastic, equivalent to 131 million plastic bottles.

What made you want to become an entrepreneur?

What would you say are the key elements for starting a business?

One of the key elements for starting a successful business is to be absolutely sure that the company they want to launch is the right one. Being excited about it, to begin with, and the potential impact you could create makes the journey all the more worth it! I would also say that finding the right people to do it with and to bring on amazing partners, as you can’t do it all yourself. Also if you’re going to start a company, make sure you start it for the planet – we have no time to waste and we need everyone to get involved!

How did you finance your business?

We got a small amount of funding from Katapult Ocean, an accelerator in Norway, and we launched Ocean Bottle on Indiegogo a presale crowdfunding platform. The Crowdfund campaign was a perfect launch as it gave us market validation and the funds to make a significant first batch of bottles!

Did the pandemic impact your business?

Whilst co-branding partnerships were hit early last year, we’re fortunate to have stayed more than afloat. The biggest challenge we faced was the plastic collectors who were no longer able to go out to collect plastic and earn a living. Our partner, Plastic Bank was quick to launch a Community relief fund for these collectors. To support the collectors, we then launched a limited edition Obsidian Black bottle and donated 25% of the proceeds to the Plastic Bank Community relief fund. The overall fortune we’ve had and support from our community has only spurred us on in our impact mission. So far, we have funded the collection of 1,498,030 kgs of ocean-bound plastic, equivalent to 131,776,000 plastic bottles in weight.

If you’re going to start a company, make sure you start it for the planet – we have no time to waste and we need everyone to get involved!

Nick Doman

Founder - Ocean Bottle

What is the experience of growing a business in the UK?

It’s been a roller-coaster, but definitely the best two years of my life. When you’re founding a startup, you’re always on the brink of either being overjoyed with success or feeling like everything’s crumbling beneath you – even though it might not be. That adrenaline is the driving force that pushes you towards the next step. From the very beginning, I think the mission and product has resonated with people from all over the world. Since launching, we’ve managed to get our bottles out into 88 different countries and collaborate with brands such as AirBnB, Corona, EY and Ed Sheeran for his autumn tour back in 2019.

Whenever we get a good review or someone sends a supportive email it still lifts everyone as it reinforces our belief that we are doing something right! What’s really incredible is that we get a disproportionate amount of emails of support from marine biologists and climate scientists, which is incredible as it is their research that we have been reading and following this whole time in search of a solution.

What's next for Ocean Bottle?

We’ve got some big goals to reach this year, one of them being to fund the collection of 3 million kgs of ocean-bound plastic and further support the livelihoods of collectors in coastal communities. This summer, we’ll be launching a new product and developing the world’s first impact platform and app for ocean health. This will mean that individuals will be able to grow their impact from collecting 1000 bottles at purchase to 10,000. We’ve also got some exciting partnerships lined up.

By 2025, we aim to fund the collection of 80 million kgs of ocean-bound plastic, equivalent to 7 billion plastic bottles. Stay up to date with our latest progress by heading to oceanbottle.co or @oceanbottle on Instagram.

Entrepreneur in focus

Ocean Bottle

Nick Doman

Founder - Ocean Bottle

What made you want to become an entrepreneur?

How did you start Ocean Bottle?

What made you want to become an entrepreneur?

What would you say are the key elements for starting a business?

How did you finance your business?

Did the pandemic impact your business?

Nick Doman

Founder - Ocean Bottle

What is the experience of growing a business in the UK?

What's next for Ocean Bottle?

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