Vicky Sanderson Moen has long held a dominant position in the home improvement sector. It’s now a significant name in category juggernaut Fortune Brands Home & Security, which oversees a roster of bath brands that include Rohl, Riobel, Vicotoria + Albert, and has a presence in the security and cabinetry markets.
Like any successful player, though, the company look for ways to stay ahead of the curve and distinguish itself in a crowded field of kitchen and bath faucets, showerheads, and accessories.
A recent collaboration highlights not only its eagerness to develop new product, but a willingness to do so with start-ups using emerging technologies.
The partnership with the Silicon Valley-based Nebia resulted in the Moen Nebia Spa Shower 2.0, which atomizes water into millions of micro-drops to deliver the feeling of high pressure — while saving 65 per cent of water compared to a conventional shower. Nebia claims its customers have already saved an estimated 100 million gallons of water, and that it’s on track to saving a billion gallons in the next two years.
In February, the two companies launched the showerhead on Kickstarter. Nebia is available for pre-order and will be available through Moen channels beginning January 2020.
A bit of background: founded in San Francisco in 2014, Nebia creates water solutions for the home, using a team that says it wants to fundamentally change the way people interact with water, one of the earth’s most precious resource. Nebia is backed by some of Silicon Valley’s most prominent investors; Tim Cook (CEO of Apple), and Eric Schmidt (Chairman Emeritus of Alphabet)all saw the potential.
For more on changing water use in the home, and how Moen is responding, check out my Ottawa Citizen article.
