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Knix Wear has raised $59.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Key people at Knix Wear.
Knix Wear has raised $59.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Knix Wear, a Toronto, Ontario, Canada-based company, designs and sells innovative, size-inclusive women's intimates and apparel, initially focusing on leak-proof underwear for periods, postpartum, and exercise. The brand has since expanded its product line to include bras, sports bras, swimwear, and sleepwear, prioritizing customer feedback and inclusivity. Knix raised $53 million in March 2021 and, around 2020, maintained approximately 40 employees while serving over 300,000 new customers in 2018. Health-and-hygiene giant Essity later acquired an 80% stake in the company for US$320 million, building on Knix's direct-to-consumer model and its seven brick-and-mortar stores across Canada and California, alongside past partnerships with retailers like Hudson's Bay. Knix Wear was founded in 2013 by Joanna Griffiths. Its business model centers on direct-to-consumer via e-commerce, with wholesale partnerships like Hudson's Bay and brick-and-mortar stores, transitioned from wholesale via 2015 crowdfunding.
Key people at Knix Wear.
# Knix Wear: Clarification on Company Classification
Knix is not a technology company—it is a consumer goods and intimate apparel brand that uses technology as an operational tool.[1][2] The premise of your query requires correction before proceeding with the requested analysis.
Knix is a leakproof intimate apparel company founded in 2012 by Joanna Griffiths and headquartered in Toronto, Canada.[2][3] The brand designs and sells period underwear, incontinence wear, swimwear, shapewear, activewear, loungewear, and bras—with a core focus on solving the problem of menstrual and incontinence leakage through innovative fabric technology.[1][2][3]
The company serves women and people who menstruate, addressing a market historically neglected by major consumer companies.[3] Knix's mission centers on making periods "easier, more comfortable, and way less awkward" while building "a comprehensive intimate apparel company with the world's largest assortment of leakproof offerings."[1][4] The brand has achieved significant growth momentum: it was ranked the sixth fastest-growing company in Canada and completed a landmark acquisition in 2022 when Swedish hygiene company Essity purchased an 80% stake for USD $320 million.[6]
Joanna Griffiths founded Knix in 2012 (launched commercially in 2013) out of personal frustration with the lack of innovation in underwear, particularly for people dealing with leaks.[3][4] Griffiths, an MBA graduate, recognized an underserved market and invented leakproof underwear with patented multi-layered technology featuring moisture-wicking and odor-resistant properties.[3] This breakthrough product pioneered an entirely new category within intimate apparel.
The company's early success was driven by customer-centric design, inclusivity, and a commitment to breaking taboos around menstruation and incontinence.[4] By 2022, just under a decade after launch, Knix's growth trajectory and market leadership attracted Essity's acquisition offer—one of the largest exits by a female founder in Canadian history.[6]
Knix exemplifies a broader shift in consumer goods toward addressing previously taboo or neglected health categories. The company identified a gap that large, established consumer companies had ignored for decades—menstrual and incontinence care—and built a multi-hundred-million-dollar business by treating these needs with innovation, dignity, and transparency.
The brand's success demonstrates market demand for functional intimates over purely aesthetic ones, and shows how direct-to-consumer models combined with community engagement can disrupt traditional retail categories. Knix's acquisition by Essity signals that major global hygiene companies now recognize the strategic value of brands that authentically serve women's health needs.
Knix is positioned for continued expansion through its multi-pronged strategy: new fabric innovations (like the UV-protective sculpt collection for swimwear), geographic retail growth, and deeper integration of AI-driven personalization.[1] The company's ownership by Essity provides capital and distribution advantages while maintaining brand autonomy under Griffiths' leadership.
The intimate apparel category will likely see continued consolidation and innovation as large consumer companies recognize the market opportunity. Knix's competitive advantage rests not on being a technology company, but on being a consumer brand that leverages technology strategically—using AI for insights, patenting fabric innovations, and maintaining direct customer relationships at scale. The company's future depends on sustaining product innovation, expanding internationally, and deepening its position as the category leader in leakproof intimates.
Knix Wear has raised $59.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $53.0M Series B in May 2021.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1, 2021 | $53M Series B | — | Acton Capital Partners, Hoxton Ventures, Summit Partners, Uncork Capital, Alain Hanover, TOM Williams | Announced |
| Nov 1, 2019 | $6M Series U | — | Acton Capital Partners, Hoxton Ventures, Summit Partners, Uncork Capital, Alain Hanover, TOM Williams | Announced |
Knix Wear has raised $59.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Knix Wear's investors include Acton Capital Partners, Hoxton Ventures, Summit Partners, Uncork Capital, Alain Hanover, Tom Williams.
