A Leonardo DiCaprio-backed startup is bringing mattress innovation to the UK
Prepare for your sleep to be disrupted – but in a good way.
A US startup with celebrity backing has launched in the UK and is hoping to shake up how Brits buy mattresses and the way we sleep.
Casper, a two-year-old startup with multi-million dollar investment from Leonardo DiCaprio as well as venture capital investors, has reinvented the traditional mattress and wants to turn it into a lifestyle brand – making shopping for one as exciting as buying a spiraliser for healthy eating or workout gear for fitness.
The UK launch comes just weeks after its first expansion outside its home territory, entering the market in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Casper sells only online and keeps choice simple, with one highly engineered design in several sizes, and delivery in a surprisingly small cardboard box.
Buyers can also test out the mattress for 100 days and return it if they're unhappy, which Casper claims is better than bricks and mortar retailers where buyers simply lie on one for two minutes to test them out.
"Now more than ever, consumers are waking up to the idea that buying online is the best approach to a better night’s sleep, and we’re excited about the opportunity to bring our award-winning customer experience and thoughtful design to the UK," said co-founder and chief executive Philip Krim.
The firm, which claims sales of $100m (£80m) in 2015, will have a small team based in London, largely looking after marketing, but the mattresses will be manufactured in the UK.
Several mattress startups have sprung up in recent years – in the UK, rivals Eve and Simba Sleep, which have similar models, have launched recently. Simba Sleep is backed by $5m in venture funding with ad agency boss Sir John Hegarty among investors, while Eve has landed $13m from Octopus Ventures.
Casper, which has $71m equity investment, believes its competition is more bricks and mortar retailers, however.