Aunt Flow

Columbus, Ohio-based Aunt Flow is a B2B provider of free-vend menstrual product dispensers and 100% organic cotton tampons and pads for commercial and educational facilities. The company utilizes a subscription model to supply recurring bulk orders of period products to tens of thousands of public and private bathrooms across North America. Aunt Flow has raised an $8.5 million Series A funding round led by JLL Spark, with additional equity participation from Harlem Capital. The enterprise serves a diverse client base of corporate offices, universities, and stadiums, securing contracts with prominent organizations such as Google, Netflix, and Princeton University. Driven by recent state legislation mandating free period products in schools, the firm has expanded its educational footprint and donated over 7 million individual products since 2021. Aunt Flow was founded in 2016 by Claire Coder.

Aunt Flow is a mission-driven company that supplies free, sustainable period products and dispensing systems to businesses, schools, stadiums, and other public facilities while running a donation program to fight period poverty and stigma.[6][5]

High-Level Overview

Aunt Flow builds bathroom dispensers, refill cartridges, and retail/display solutions stocked with organic-cotton pads and tampons so organizations can offer period products free-to-user in restrooms and common areas.[5][6] The company serves facilities teams, employers, educational institutions, stadiums, and any organization that wants to provide inclusive menstrual care to employees, students, patrons, and guests; large customers have included Google, Netflix, Princeton University and multiple professional sports venues.[5][1] Aunt Flow’s core value proposition is removing stigma and barriers by treating period products like other free restroom necessities (toilet paper), while using sustainably made products (organic cotton, plastic- and BPA-free tampons) and a “people helping people” donation model—Aunt Flow donates products to people in need (their Impact Program has donated millions of items since launch).[5][1][2]

Origin Story

Aunt Flow was founded by Claire Coder when she was a teenager after an experience of being caught without period supplies in public motivated her to create an on‑site solution; she launched the company in 2016 and has positioned it as both a social enterprise and a facilities-product vendor.[6][5] Coder is a Forbes 30 Under 30 alum and a Thiel Fellow; her background includes prior entrepreneurial projects as a teen and public advocacy for menstrual equity.[6] Early traction came from selling dispensers and refills into schools, workplaces and high‑visibility customers, which helped the company scale nationwide and internationally and later extend into related facility products (including a PPE/facilities line during COVID-19 under “Work Flow”).[5][4]

Core Differentiators

• Product + sustainability: Offers 100% organic-cotton tampons and pads that are BPA- and plastic-free and OCS‑certified, reducing synthetic materials found in many conventional products.[5][3]
  - Free-vend dispenser model: Patent‑pending dispensers and refill cartridges are designed for *free* dispensing (no quarters), mirroring how toilet paper is provided in restrooms.[5]
  - Impact program: For every several products sold, Aunt Flow donates products to people in need; the company reports multimillion-unit donations as part of its mission-driven model.[1][5]
  - Facilities focus and operating ease: Designed for facilities teams with quick-loading refills and multiple form factors (wall, recessed, countertop) to simplify stocking and maintenance.[5]
  - Diversified facilities offerings: Leveraged manufacturing and supply-chain capabilities to deliver PPE and other facility supplies during COVID-19, demonstrating operational flexibility.[4]

Role in the Broader Tech / Facilities / Social Impact Landscape

• Riding the menstrual equity and ESG trend: Aunt Flow sits at the intersection of workplace inclusivity, public health access, and sustainability—areas that have gained corporate and institutional attention as DEI/ESG priorities grow.[6][5]
  - Timing and market forces: Increased awareness of period poverty, plus corporate commitments to employee wellness and inclusive facilities, create demand for turnkey solutions that remove stigma and operational friction.[1][2]
  - Influence on facilities standards: By treating period products as a standard free restroom amenity, Aunt Flow is helping normalize menstrual product availability in workplaces and schools, potentially influencing procurement and facilities best practices.[6][5]
  - Social-enterprise model impact: The donation program and activist partnerships position Aunt Flow as both vendor and advocate, amplifying the menstrual‑equity movement at corporate and institutional scales.[2][1]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

What’s next: Expect continued expansion into large enterprises, education systems, and venue partnerships, plus deeper integration with facilities procurement channels and potential new product lines in sustainable personal- and facilities-care.[5][4] Trends that will shape the journey include stronger corporate DEI/ESG reporting, municipal or institutional policies mandating free menstrual products, and ongoing demand for sustainable alternatives to conventional period products.[6][1] If Aunt Flow sustains product quality, supply-chain scale, and its impact narrative—while expanding distribution partnerships—it is well-positioned to further normalize free period-product access in public and private bathrooms and to increase its donation impact.[5][1]

Quick facts (selected)

• Founded: mid‑2010s (company launched publicly in 2016); founder Claire Coder created the company as a teenager.[6][5]
  - Notable customers: Google, Netflix, Princeton University, professional stadiums among others.[1][5]
  - Impact: Company reports millions of donated period products through its Impact Program since 2021.[5][1]

If you’d like, I can:

• Summarize Aunt Flow’s product SKUs and dispenser specs for facilities procurement.
  - Compile recent press or financial milestones (fundraising, revenue signals) if available.