Munich Startup: What does Judes do? What problem do you solve?
Nele Schellschmidt: Judes are washable diapers for modern, urban parents that are very easy to use and look stylish at the same time. After the birth of our son in 2020, we were shocked to realize how much waste is produced just by changing diapers with disposable diapers – on average, one ton of residual waste is produced per child during the changing period. Diapers are made of composite materials and are therefore not recyclable. When the diapers are disposed of, they are incinerated, which always leaves residues that are disposed of as hazardous waste. We want to change this – our diapers are washable and only the poo paper ends up in the trash.
Munich Startup: But that already exists!
Leon von Klitzing: The cloth diaper products on the market didn’t convince us: they were either complicated to handle, didn’t keep tight or weren’t really aesthetically pleasing. But we didn’t want to put up with that and finally came up with the idea of developing our own cloth diaper that met our criteria. Our diaper system is perfectly coordinated and works just like disposable diapers, without any folds or buttons. Judes consist of waterproof overpants, a soft inner diaper made of organic cotton and a poo paper. In addition, there are stylish, changing designs and a high level of convenience – this is how we want to get cloth diapers out of the niche.
Judes wants to offer the world’s simplest cloth diaper
Munich Startup: What is your founding story?
Nele Schellschmidt: I come from the fashion industry and Leon was already an entrepreneur. Because other cloth diapers didn’t convince us, after the birth of our son we set ourselves the goal of developing the simplest cloth diaper in the world ourselves. To do this, we looked at almost all the products that were available at the time, took inspiration from the best functions and finally founded Judes Family. Parallel to development, we launched a campaign in which parents could pre-order Judes at a fixed price and thus help us with the financing.
Munich Startup: What have been your biggest challenges so far?
Leon von Klitzing: Our inner diaper is made of a fabric developed especially for us that is thin, particularly soft and at the same time very absorbent. The first attempt cost a mid five-figure sum. Unfortunately, it turned out during processing that our manufacturer at the time was unable to produce the diapers to our quality standards. He demanded too high a sum to buy them out – so in the end we couldn’t use the fabric at all. That was a shock for us as a young startup. We therefore had to start looking again and finally found a new manufacturer who was able to realize our vision of Judes Family in the highest quality. In the end, everything went well and we learned a lot from the situation – including how important professional structures are.
Getting out of the niche
Munich Startup: Where would you like to be in one year, where would you like to be in five years?
Nele Schellschmidt: We want to successfully position cloth diapers as an attractive and everyday option for young families in the middle of society. To achieve this, we are constantly working to raise awareness of the benefits of cloth diapers: They are kinder to the skin, more environmentally friendly and more economical in the long term. We are also building a community in which parents can inform themselves and exchange ideas and in which Judes are a natural choice for modern parents. Our goal is that in five years’ time, cloth diapers will be as recognized and established as period underwear is today. Then we want to look back and be the pioneers who not only brought a product onto the market with Judes, but also led a movement.
Munich Startup: How have you experienced Munich as a startup location so far?
Leon von Klitzing: The location has advantages and disadvantages for us: Through networks such as Entrepeneurs’ Organization, we have met many other entrepreneurs in Munich with whom we regularly exchange ideas and from whom we learn a lot. As founders and parents, we also really appreciate the mix of city and nature in Munich. On the other hand, the issue of (flexible) childcare is a major bottleneck for us here – as parents, our working hours are very limited and we have not been able to find childcare in the conventional way, just like many other parents. The lack of childcare places is clearly noticeable for all parents.
Munich Startup: Public transportation or bicycle?
Nele Schellschmidt: Bicycle! We love cycling through the English Garden and to the Isar or to the workspace in our neighborhood.
