Loyal customers bring eco-waste company back from the brink

Kate Purcell, owner of Obeo: ‘The margins made it impossible for us’

Obeo, the Dublin start-up selling biodegradable food waste boxes to homeowners, has relaunched with a new business model offering subscriptions online at ObeoLiving.com.

Obeo owner Kate Purcell decided to switch course last year after the National College of Art (NCAD) spin-off she launched in 2013 with co-founder Liz Fingleton ran into financial difficulties. By that stage, the start-up had secured listings with Dunnes Stores and SuperValu and raised €350,000 in seed funding.

“We ...