50% revenue growth in a yr emboldened this M’sian biz to debut a new product at 2x the price
Brudee is a Malaysian oral care startup producing sonic toothbrushes that are powerful, long-lasting, have a smart timer and 3 brushing modes.
Fransebas
Less than two years ago, Vulcan Post spoke to Brudee about its sonic toothbrush. At the time, the company’s target market was mainly made up of millennials as it believed they were more health conscious and open to improving oral hygiene with modern innovations.
Today, Brudee has changed its tactics to target a wider audience. Since then, the startup has grown its 2,000 users to over 10,000. In 2021, the company also grew by over 50% in terms of revenue.
Another significant change comes in the form of an upgraded sonic toothbrush by the name of Brudee Sonic ONE.
Shop Brudee’s sonic toothbrushes on VP Label at an exclusive price now:
Slimmer silhouette
I personally haven’t seen an electric or sonic toothbrush that has as slim of a build as Brudee Sonic ONE. The new toothbrush could easily pass as a regular toothbrush with its frame, but don’t be fooled. It still packs just as much (if not more) power as its predecessor.
This toothbrush is capable of rotating 32,000 times per minute and comes in three modes: Sensitive, clean, and whitening.
“With different modes, the toothbrush will produce different vibrations so that the bristles move in different wave patterns,” said Jeremy Liew, founder and CEO of Brudee.
Since its base is so slim, a holder helps keep it upright when not in useA blue light appears when using clean mode, while green is for whitening, and pink for sensitive.
The old Brudee toothbrush actually featured a fourth mode known as massage mode, but it was ultimately removed for the Sonic ONE.
“After several studies from the R&D we found that massage model is not particularly required, so instead we focused on the brushing modes that significantly improves user’s oral hygiene,” Jeremy explained.
Like its predecessor, this toothbrush features a smart timer that ends the brushing session after two minutes, and Quad-Interval technology which pauses the toothbrush every 30 seconds to signal when users should switch to the next quadrant of the mouth.
Co-founders Jeremy Liew (left) and Sam Tam / Image Credit: BrudeeThe sonic toothbrush is now made out of DuPont nylon bristles, which are 100% recyclable. This is an upgrade from the less environmentally-friendly charcoal-infused bristles they previously used. The new sonic toothbrush also has a longer battery life now, lasting up to 60 days per full charge.
Quite a few of us at Vulcan Post are avid users of Brudee’s older model, but only our boss has made the switch to the newer model.
“The biggest difference between Brudee’s older model and the new one is the weight of it. The older toothbrush was bulky and heavy. I feel like my wrist got tired more quickly,” she described to us.
The R&D for Brudee Sonic ONE took about six to eight months, according to Jeremy. The time frame includes functionality testing as well as production of the accessories.
Upgraded prices
When Vulcan Post last spoke to Brudee, their toothbrush was RM139 for a one-time purchase. The new model has an RM289 price tag. The company justified this pricing by pointing out the accessories that come with the toothbrush.
Brudee and the included accessories“On top of the enhancements in quality of the build, Brudee Sonic ONE comes in a more complete package including an induction charger and minimalist travel case,” Jeremy said.
However, Brudee isn’t the only sonic toothbrush brand that has upped its prices. In the previous article, we compared Brudee to brands such as Zenyum and Phillips.
Zenyum’s sonic toothbrush used to cost RM50 more than Brudee’s, but now it’s RM10 less. However, the refills are more expensive, as a three-pack costs RM87, while Brudee has kept each brush head refill at RM25 each.
Phillips’ sonic electric toothbrush is also much more expensive, sitting at RM338. Not to mention, it only comes with one cleaning mode and the three-pack brush heads cost RM105.
Brudee’s older model is no longer for sale, which is a testament to the team’s belief in the Sonic ONE. Users of the older model are encouraged to upgrade to the new model. The company even offers an exclusive 50% discount if they choose to make the upgrade.
A more streamlined look and packed with more power More than toothbrushes
Brudee can be purchased online, from dental associates, or through VP Label for an exclusive discount. The team does have plans to put the products on market shelves in the future to reach a wider audience.
“R&D is always ongoing for us in terms of other oral care products and services we can offer as we are aiming to become an oral care company,” Jeremy shared. “However, nothing that we can share for now as our plans are not concrete at the moment.”
