high-end water filters a tough sell

Manuel Desrochers and his sister, Noemie, one of the founders of aquavel, Montreal, Canada
A startup that designs unique water filters to reduce the environmental harm of billions of plastic bottles filled with landfill sites (
Read the original story here).
The Ovopur department they registered is a 23-
Ceramic egg-
11 liters (2. 9 gallons)
Water, and use a combination of gravity and glass filter cartridges to purify common tap water.
\"Our target market is actually 30. 50-year-
\"Young old professionals like its design very much and are happy to hear that it is actually functional,\" Noemie said . \" (
Look at her log here)
He added that they raised the price of the filter from $560 to $660 six months before opening.
\"We think this customer is willing to pay for quality, so they will buy Ovopur for about $700.
Desrochers said that despite Ovopur\'s high-priced labels, the unit actually saves household expenses compared to buying bottled water.
After the initial expenditure on the device, Desrochers said that the three glass filter cartridges cost consumers about $200 a year (
$50 per vehicle plus shipping)
There are four-month lifespan.
Desrochers added that families spend an average of less than $300
The price of bottled water is up 600 per year, and two years later Ovopur began saving money for families.
PITCHAccording of Beverage Marketing Company (BMC)
A consulting firm that monitors the global beverage industry, United States of AmericaS.
The bottled water market is an industry of $11 billion a year. In 2008 alone, Americans consumed 8 billion gallons of bottled water.
This represents nearly 40 billion plastic bottles, according to BMC data.
In addition, research by desrochers shows that about 90% of the purchased water bottles are eventually discarded in garbage or in nature, and 40% of the commercial bottled water is actually tap water.
Desrochers said the company\'s biggest challenge was sales growth in the lucrative U. S. market. S. market.
To achieve this, Desrochers is looking for an additional $250,000 from investors to fund new marketing campaigns and bring new products to market.
Later this year, Desrochers said aquavel will launch a high
Reusable glass bottles retail at $60-
80, including removable filter units suitable for any widthmouth bottle.
Bring it to EXPERTSKindra Tatarsky, managing director of the national angel investment group gold seed, impressed with the removal of des and their Ovopur filters, and thought the sowing would be temptingand early-
A stage investor like her
Tatarsky said: \"In a very difficult economy, they have done a very good job in launching products, growing sales and maintaining good momentum, \"who likes the founder to think about the problem by providing recyclable glass filter cartridges.
\"I think their design is cute and beautiful.
Tatarsky said the move to introduce a cheaper alternative, a form of portable glass bottles, is a \"very good business strategy \", it \"took advantage of the brand they built from this compelling product.
Tatarsky is a bit skeptical about Ovopur\'s larger price tag, but he believes aquavel can find a foothold in a growing green retail market.
\"It will certainly be higher --
\"Considering the price point of $650, the end consumer,\" Tatarsky said . \".
\"That\'s why they have a strategy for such a fork is that it\'s good to have a box-selection product and then have a product that is more accessible to a softer customer.
Arrun Kapoor, head of venture capital firm SJF Ventures, likes what aquavel is doing, but he classifies it more as a \"lifestyle\" business, he says, the business is unlikely to provide growth potential for significant return on investment.
\"Overall, I think it\'s a good idea,\" Kapoor said . \" But he added that he believes the customer base is too small to justify venture capital.
\"It may make them make some money, but it\'s hard for me to imagine how it will achieve the kind of rapid acceleration that risk investors may be excited about.
Aquavel can improve its chances of successfully developing its business through a wide range of marketing campaigns that will help to better engage the target audience and they will find their reusable, Kapoor said
\"I think their design is great and it does change the way people look at the water dispenser.
\"This makes them a part of your room design from devices with utilities,\" Kapoor said . \".
\"It\'s convincing that a small group of people with a sense of design might pay for it.
\"Rob Day, partner at clean technology venture Capital, agrees with Kapoor that aquavel is not suitable for venture Capital and should reach an agreement with angel investors.
No matter who they end up selling it to, Day says investors want to know two things: 1.
How aquavel is dedicated to highend consumers; and 2.
How close they are to the break-even of cash flow.
\"From a hard dollar-and-
\"From the point of view of cents, the aesthetic appeal of this product is obviously costly,\" Day said . \" He added that he could buy \"Brita-
Like the filter solution \", this will provide a better effect for the buck.
\"If you\'re talking about being able to go beyond the early days, $700 is hard to accept and then $200 a yearadopter niche.
Despite the challenges, Day believes Ovopur is still an attractive high-end product.
\"This is a good business idea,\" he said . \"
\"I think as people have problems with the quality of drinking water and
Plastic bottles continue to roll out, there will be a good niche
Ultimately, consumers are willing to pay for this aesthetic appeal.
Do you agree with our experts?
What do you think of aquavel\'s business model and Ovopur water filters?
Is this too high?
The end of being able to significantly expand?