From Golfing to Gaming, Carpe Prevents Sweaty Hands, Feet, & Underarms
A Duke I&E supported project puts a product on the market
Ever held a golf club with sweaty hands or passed a wet game controller over to your friend? More than 15 million people suffer from the medical condition known as hyperhidrosis.
To combat this problem, Kasper Kubica (Duke’17) and David Spratte (UNC ’17) have invented a solution for excessive sweating. Carpe Lotion is an antiperspirant treatment for those who struggle with sweaty hands, feet and underarms.
With support from Duke’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiative (I&E) and the Durham investment firm, Bootstrap Advisors, Kubica and Spratte, both former Robertson Scholars, researched many prototypes and secured enough funding to launch Carpe in 2014 during their sophomore year.
Kubica is also a former Melissa & Doug Entrepreneurs Program award recipient. “Being part of Melissa & Doug Entrepreneurs helped me legitimize that I was going to focus all my effort into the company above everything else because I had a reputable program standing behind me in that decision,” he said.
Kubica cited the informal support given to him by his former classmates and Selected Living Group (The Cube) members who shared his entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to innovation. Since then, Carpe Lotion has been featured on platforms such as CNBC, BuzzFeed and Men’s Health.
Unlike other competitors on the market, Carpe is unusual because of its non-greasy formula that allows users to apply the product with no irritation or residue. “The sweat glands on our hands and feet are the same as those under our arms,” Kubica said, “yet—before Carpe—there was no over-the-counter solution for hyperactive sweat glands.”
Carpe Lotion is currently a top-selling brand on Amazon and has reached millions of Americans with its nationwide presence at CVS drugstores. The skincare startup announced in April 2018 that they raised $2.3 million in seed funding. When asked about where he envisions the brand in 10-15 years, Kubica said, “Carpe is going to keep helping people address sweating all over their bodies, and I believe that one day, we’re going to be a household name on the level of Old Spice and Dove.”
Kubica, along with seven other Duke innovators, will be featured at this year’s Invented at Duke celebration on Nov. 8. This celebration is an opportunity to connect with Duke researchers, alumni, students, entrepreneurs, CEOs, investors and members of the local community.