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Ari Care
Techstars '23Pärnu, EE · 5 employees on LinkedIn · 1 known investors
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Ari develops a powder-based, waterless manufacturing process for cosmetic products designed to reduce carbon emissions, plastic, and water consumption in the beauty supply chain. The company operates vertically integrated manufacturing units with proprietary production machinery and in-house laboratory formulation development.
Also known as Ari · ARI CARE
Founders & leadership
Investors · 1
How we know: the Techstars portfolio · open dataset · Top 3000 Accelerator Startups (no YC) 2026-08 · Not right? Tell us
Company profile
researched Sep 2026Ari Care develops powder-based, waterless formulas and manufacturing hardware for personal care and cosmetic products. The company's premise is that liquid hygiene products such as hand soaps, sanitisers and shower gels consist of up to 95% tap water, which is added during manufacturing and then shipped, driving packaging waste and transport emissions. Ari instead produces concentrated powder formulas to which the user adds water at the point of use; the company states that 6 grams of its powder formula makes 300 ml of hand wash.
The product range includes foaming and gel-based hand wash and body wash, with shampoo, conditioner, deodorant and perfume listed as forthcoming. Formulas are described as using COSMOS-certified organic ingredients, vegan, cruelty-free and SLS-free, developed with university scientists and in-house chemists; the foaming hand wash formula is stated to contain six ingredients. The company also positions itself as an online retailer of refillable hand wash supplied in an aluminium bottle.
Ari Care's stated model is vertical integration of manufacturing, R&D and formulation development, using its own manufacturing units and patentable production machinery, with work carried out in an in-house laboratory and university laboratories.
Founding story
Ari Care was founded by Kelly Antropov, an Estonian mother who, while stuck in traffic among freight trucks, questioned why water-heavy products are transported globally when only the active ingredients — roughly 5% of a product — are needed. She applied for a grant and began working with scientists from Tallinn University to develop a first powder-based foaming hand wash formula. Arvo Antropov subsequently joined to support operations and logistics, and Merilyn Kesküla joined about a year later as a creative lead and later took the CEO role, while Kelly Antropov focused on strategy, vision and development of new formulas and products. The name Ari means "water" in Songhay languages spoken in West Africa.
Business model
Ari Care combines white-label manufacturing, reverse engineering and B2B non-recurring engineering (NRE) services with technology licensing that helps cosmetics enterprises shift to powder-based supply chains, alongside direct sale of its own products such as refillable hand wash in aluminium bottles.
Multiple channels: white-label manufacturing for third-party brands, B2B non-recurring engineering projects, licensing of its waterless production technology, and online retail of its own personal care products.
Traction
Recognition includes the Prototron Green Batch win in 2022, a Startup of the Year 2022 certificate from Cleantech Estonia, and a win in the Next Big Thing category at the Climate Launchpad European finals. The company was selected for Techstars Sustainability Paris in 2023 and the Beamline Accelerator in 2023, and received an EAS grant in 2021. As of October 2023 it planned to open its first factory in Estonia in summer 2024.
Latest developments
Selected as a Techstars Sustainability Paris Accelerator investment announced in October 2023, with the first Estonian factory targeted for summer 2024 and additional product categories including shampoo, conditioner, deodorant and perfume announced as coming soon.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history, risks & controversies
Market position
Positions itself in waterless cosmetic technology, contrasting its approach with the industry's prevailing focus on substituting organic ingredients rather than redesigning formulas and manufacturing methods. It targets UN Sustainable Development Goals 9 and 12.
Rather than reformulating with organic ingredients alone, the company eliminates water from the manufacturing stage itself, shipping only active ingredients and using proprietary, patentable production machinery and minimal-ingredient formulas.
Technology
A patentable hardware and process technology that removes water from the production phase of personal care manufacturing, paired with powder-based formulations developed in-house and with university laboratories using COSMOS-certified organic ingredients. The company states the approach yields lower production, shipping and storage costs and 85% fewer emissions, and that technology licensing customers can reduce their CO2 footprint by more than 20 times. One manufacturing line is stated to have a capacity of 450 tons of powder formula per year; a 40 ft shipping container is said to fit 22,000 bottles of 300 ml liquid soap versus 5 million equivalent units of Ari products.
Go-to-market
Direct online retail of finished products combined with B2B routes: white-label production, engineering services and licensing aimed at becoming a contract manufacturer for sustainability-focused cosmetics and hospitality brands and a partner for public procurement.
Sustainability-focused cosmetics and hospitality brands and businesses, enterprise cosmetics manufacturers seeking to convert to powder-based supply chains, public procurement buyers, and consumers purchasing refillable hand wash.
Geography
Estonia-based, with a contact location in Kiviõli, Estonia and a directory listing citing Tallinn; participated in the Techstars Sustainability Paris accelerator in France.
History
Founded in 2021 in Estonia around a powder-based foaming hand wash formula developed with Tallinn University scientists, the company describes a non-linear path including pivots and restructuring as it built a hardware manufacturing business, followed by accelerator participation and plans to scale into own production capacity.
Risks & controversies
The production machinery is described as soon-to-be patented or patentable rather than granted, and the company notes it has come through pivots and restructuring while building a hardware manufacturing business.
Compiled by commissioned research from 6 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Related companies · 1
Companies working in the same space as Ari Care.
Timeline · 8
launches, deals, and filingsAs of October 2023 the company stated its first factory would open in Estonia in summer 2024.
Techstars announced Ari Care as one of the latest investments of its Sustainability Paris Accelerator; no amount stated.
Merilyn Kesküla joined about a year after founding as a creative lead and took the CEO role, while founder Kelly Antropov focused on strategy, vision and new formula and product development.
Listed on the company website as Beamline Accelerator 2023.
Awarded a Startup of the Year 2022 certificate by Cleantech Estonia.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
▸Research sources · 6
primary sources listed
- Ari Careari.shop · web
6 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Ari Care do?
- Estonian company developing powder-based, waterless manufacturing technology and formulas for personal care products.
- Who founded Ari Care?
- Ari Care was founded by Arvo Antropov, Kelly Antropov.
- Who are Ari Care's investors?
- Ari Care's investors include Techstars.
- Where is Ari Care headquartered?
- Ari Care is headquartered in Pärnu, EE.