Tibbe Verschaffel, founder of Wondr
Not every startup begins in a garage, but this one did. It started with repairing bicycles at home and grew into a brand that wanted to reinvent the entire care industry. Tibbe Verschaffel (29) built one of Belgium's most striking sustainable FMCG brands with Wondr, Bambooze, and the recently renamed Powr. This is how it all began for him.
Where did it all start for you?
"It really did all start in my garage. I kid you not. I was busy repairing bicycles. I had a conversation with my uncle about the fact that they were making bamboo bikes in Vietnam in a very unhealthy way. That's when I started welding tubes together myself, we called these the smart connectors, to be able to join bamboo pieces in a fun way. And that's how I started researching the material bamboo. I had already been frustrated for a while by all the non-reusable plastic in our stores, and felt it was time for renewal."
Bamboo as an alternative sounds logical, but how do you convince your first customers of that?
"As a student I had little money. But some cash flow came in through the summer bars I ran. That's where I suddenly ran into the straw problem. Plastic straws were being banned across Europe, and the hospitality industry was left with a dilemma. I already had the answer in my head: where in nature does something grow that looks like a straw? That's of course bamboo. And that's how Bambooze was born. I often got the question: 'How is a bamboo straw going to save the world?' That question completely misses the point. Our buying behavior is a catalyst for change. People are realizing that more and more.
But a good idea doesn't sell itself. With a few students I went door to door along hospitality businesses. Until we rang the bell at Polé Polé, an event organization from Ghent, and suddenly sold 50,000 straws in one go. That was our first big win."
What major risk did you take back then, and how do you look back on it now?
"At one point I wanted to be at a hospitality trade fair to present personalized bamboo straws to a larger audience. Problem: a booth costs money, money I didn't have. So I broke in through the side door, waited until security was gone, and started selling in the hallway. And right there I ran into a scout from Colruyt. Colruyt was also looking for an alternative to plastic straws. My girlfriend and I then cut out boxes, as if they were real boxes to hang in the store. We then went to present those at the head office in Halle. Actually quite funny looking back on it. One thing led to another: with a lot of luck we were allowed to put Bambooze on all of Colruyt's shelves.
But even with that contract in hand, financing remained the biggest hurdle. I had the deal, but not yet the means to finance it. Eventually KBC lent me 50,000 euros, and that gave our company an enormous boost at a crucial moment."
How did Planet B grow from bamboo straws into a full-fledged care empire, and what do those brands stand for today?
"Through my experience in FMCG I saw increasingly clearly how many personal care and household products contain ingredients that aren't good for people or the planet. The industry focuses mainly on profit, while health and sustainability often remain an afterthought. We wanted to change that.
Wondr is our answer to that: plastic-free care products without harmful ingredients. From that same vision, Powr emerged, with sustainable cleaning products for the entire home. Where our earlier brands each served a niche, Powr brings everything together under one clear roof.
Wondr makes plastic-free, vegan personal care products spanning hair, body, and skin. The range includes shampoo bars and conditioner bars for different hair types, solid shower gels and scrub bars, deodorants, nourishing body butters, and lip balm, alongside a growing skincare line with cleansers, face masks, and day creams.
The brand also offers sustainable accessories such as safety razors, reusable cotton pads, and bamboo holders to store the bars. Powr, meanwhile, focuses on eco-friendly household care, making products like laundry strips and dishwasher tablets designed to clean effectively with a smaller environmental footprint.
Today we dare to dream big. The FMCG market is dominated by a handful of global players who put profit first. We want to prove that people and the planet can be at least as important as profit."
Tibbe Verschaffel is founder of Planet B, the parent company behind Wondr, Bambooze, and Powr. Planet B has already avoided more than 2.5 million plastic bottles, 45 million plastic straws, and is now featured on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Europe.
