We turned a tragedy into innovation. After losing a loved one who had simply rolled over in their sleep and was found unresponsive, we knew we needed to change not how babies sleep, but what they sleep on. The U.S., alone, loses over 4,500 seemingly healthy infants to sleep related deaths. Many of these infants are found face down on conventional fiber filled crib mattresses.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and other safe infant sleep organizations have no answer for what parents should do when their baby begins to roll over in the middle of the night. Safe Sleep Technologies, LLC is on a mission to keep sleeping babies safe. We created a crib mattress that allows an infant who is face straight down to breathe normally through their mattress. Prototypes have also been developed for a pack n’ play version, a.k.a. travel crib. Our objective is to position the
SafeSleep® Breathe-Through Crib Mattress to be for the crib what the car seat is for the automobile -
the standard in safety.
Safe Sleep Technologies, LLC’s safe, patented, eco-friendly, and
innovative products will become the preferred choice of parents and guardians globally. At Safe Sleep Technologies, LLC, we believe in providing high quality, safe, sanitary, and easy to use products to parents. We also realize the importance of providing a fast, accurate, and hassle-free shopping experience. Consequently, our new product line is foldable and completely packaged by our suppliers to facilitate a great “out of the box experience” by end users. The design and packaging significantly reduce shipping and distribution costs.
Our Goal
· $25 million annual revenues by the end of 2026
· 3% market share position for crib mattresses in the US (70K/2.4 M)
· International distribution
· Recognition as the industry leader in safe infant sleep products
Background
The first breathable crib mattress was invented in 2010 in response to the
inventors' loss of loved ones to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).The breathable crib mattress gave parents the ability to have their baby sleep safely in any position in their crib. One of the original inventors of the breathable crib mattress, Julie Andreae, departed the Company and in 2018 launched Safe Sleep Technologies, LLC, DBA “SafeSleep®.” She significantly improved upon the original breathable technology and launched the SafeSleep® Breathe-Through Crib Mattress, a completely “breath-through” crib mattress. SafeSleep® stands alone in the breathable mattress market as the only scientifically tested
breath-through crib mattress. A utility patent has been filed on this new design. The original Company has proven interest in the product.
Sales jumped from $128,000.00 in 2014 to over $1.7M in 2016.
Principals
Julie Andreae, B.B.A., M.S.F. is pioneer in the market development of “breathable” crib mattress technologies. Julie is a seasoned entrepreneur with finance and marketing experience who has spent the last 12 years in the industry as the co-executive of the company that launched in 2010 the first “breath-through” crib mattress.
Today, she is a national expert for safe sleep advocacy and has launched Safe Sleep Technologies, LLC to bring new and improved “breathe-through” technology to the baby sleep products market.
Margie Andreae, M.D., F.A.A.P., As a Professor of Pediatrics, Dr. Andreae brings significant expertise as both a practicing pediatrician and a scholar. Dr. Andreae is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and has served on national committees and authored many peer-reviewed publications to advance the health of children. She has been named one of Michigan’s Top Five Pediatricians by Detroit’s HOUR Magazine.
She is currently a member of her local Safe Sleep Task Force.
Highlights of the Investment Opportunity
- The former company Julie helped launch, was a pioneer in building the market for breathable crib mattresses, and now, Safe Sleep Technologies, LLC with new partners and significantly more capitalization, seeks to aggressively build up sales of this new, breathe-through crib mattress product line which leverages the breath-through technology. Future products include a SafeSleep® mattress for mini-cribs, as well as a breathe-through play-yard/travel crib commonly referred to as a “pack n’ play”. SafeSleep® products will also be produced for childcare centers and hospitals.
- Safe Sleep Technologies, LLC is currently generating sales of its legacy (first edition) Breathable Crib Mattress and the spare topper (the sleep surface) through its website (safesleeptech.com). Sales continue to grow with a trajectory of up and to the right.
- The company has established relationships with multiple wholesale accounts which include medical supply companies and pediatric offices.
- SafeSleep® has and continues to receive endorsements from leading Medical Professionals, Safety Advocates, and Epidemiologists.
- The Company's products have been scientifically tested to eliminate both suffocation, rebreathing, and overheating risks associated with conventionally designed crib mattresses. They are also 100% washable and require no additional bedding such as sheets or mattress pads.
- Safe Sleep Technologies, LLC has very little debt - $5,663.00
Key Strengths
- Only 100% Breathe-Through Crib Mattress. A baby can breathe normally when its face is straight down. Tested showing 100% oxygen rich air while a baby is breathing through the mattress.
- No Fill or Core - Making Washing Quick and Easy - Other "breathable" crib mattresses require bathtub, shower, or garden hose to wash.
- After industry standards testing, Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) certified laboratories scientifically concluded that the SafeSleep® Breathe-Through Crib Mattress is a safer alternative to conventional and organic mattresses with fiber fill.
- Healthy per unit profit margins:
- Retail: $299 - direct sale profit margin via website: 69.5%
- Wholesale: $179; profit margin: 49%
- Big box stores that once carried the first generation of this product, are familiar with its attributes and are wanting to sell it again.
- Unit pricing is comparable to conventional quality mattresses. Considered a good value because no additional bedding is required, and the mattress is completely washable and can be reused.
- Significant functional, shipping, and washing advantages over the “breathable” crib mattress competition.
- SafeSleep® is a registered trademark owned by Safe Sleep Technologies, LLC.
- Social media presence is heavy – 89,000+ Facebook followers; 54,000 emails of young parents.
- Large database of approximately 2,000 prospective retailers of baby products.
- Pediatricians and respiratory therapists are prescribing this mattress to parents whose babies must sleep in the prone position due to health reasons (eg laryngomalacia). Medicaid has reimbursed previously at the retail price.
- The new breathe-through crib mattress design and future products will be completely packaged for the end user, making both shipping to distributors and use of distribution centers more cost effective and efficient. Packaging will also be improved to enhance the “customer experience."
Weaknesses
- Capital presently required to properly build product inventory and sales through a sizable marketing/advertising campaign.
- Product sales presently only through the Company’s website (safesleeptech.com) to conserve existing inventory until capital is raised.
- Lack of redundancy in the supply chain.
Opportunities
- Parents of 2 – 8-month-old babies are especially concerned about suffocation and positional asphyxiation as their babies begin to roll. Most pediatricians recommend to parents that they constantly check their sleeping babies to make sure they are not lying face down, and simply roll them over if they are. With multiple position changes nightly, parents are sleep deprived and are desperately seeking some relief, which is why the SafeSleep® Crib mattress is considered the next evolution in safe sleep.
- Increasing awareness amongst consumers about the harmful toxins used in mattresses (that make mattresses both flame retardant and waterproof) that have been linked to cancer and neurological disorders. It is for this reason that the organic, high-end crib mattress is one of the fastest growing segments in the crib mattress market. SafeSleep® products contain no flame retardants or waterproofing chemicals.
- The AAP updated their 2016 Technical Report regarding safe sleep policy to include “Air-permeable crib mattresses may be preferable to air-impermeable mattresses for the infant who rolls prone." Additional information is available in the 2022 AAP Technical Report.
- Market size: 4.1 million babies born annually in the U.S. alone; 380,000 in Canada, 5.5 million in Europe, China 17.2 million, and 360,000 in Australia/NZ.
- Presently no crib manufacturers in the U.S. are selling an integrated crib/mattress package or a breathe-through pack n' play (travel crib mattress).
- According to the AAP, approximately 4,500 infants die every year in the United States from sleep related infant deaths like accidental suffocation, rebreathing, and strangulation in bed.
Threats
- Breathable crib mattress competitors in the European markets (i.e. Amazon UK) could decide to penetrate the U.S. market.
- Competitors in the U.S. with similar products:
- HALO Innovations
- Nook Sleep
- Baby Trend Respiro Crib Mattress
- Newton Wovenaire Crib Mattress
- Health and safety reporters that continue to write on the lack of benefits of “breathable” crib mattresses, failing to make the distinction that SafeSleep® is a “Breathe-Through” technology. Possibly confusing to the consumer.
Target Demographics
- Parents of newborns to 2 years old's
- Grandparents of newborns
- Crib Manufacturers (Bundle with sale of crib)
- Toddler Bed Manufacturer (Bundle)
- Pediatricians/Family Physicians /Respiratory Therapists/Pediatric Medical Supply Companies
- Childcare Centers
Product Key Benefits
Air Permeability
- Top layer is firm, made from a medical grade 3D spacer mesh, air permeable fabric.
- No fill or core.
- Eliminates suffocation and the risk of rebreathing harmful CO2.
Temperature Control
- No fill or core means no fiber, foam or other fills to elevate a baby’s core body temperature.
- Overheating is disruptive to a baby's sleep and is linked to SIDS deaths.
Aseptic Environment
- Sleep surface has natural wicking properties and the base has no fiber fill to collect mites and other organisms.
- No need for fire barriers or waterproofing.
- Microorganisms can increase allergens and infections.
Ease of Use
- The sleep surface can be removed in seconds without lifting the mattress out of the crib, and the frame is simple to wipe clean.
- Surface is machine washable and dries in minutes.
- Saves time and reduces stress.
Key Messaging
- SafeSleep® challenged an industry standard to create the only crib mattress that is truly breathe-through—with no fill or core.
- Our revolutionary products address a full range of baby sleep problems by providing breathability, temperature stability, and relief from pressure points. Our design has no off-gassing or toxins.
- SafeSleep® mattresses are washable and easy to use. No bathtub, shower, or garden hose needed. You can remove the sleep surface in seconds without lifting the mattress out of the crib, and the frame is simple to wipe down and sanitize
Unique Value Position
SafeSleep®’s revolutionary design and scientifically tested 100% breathe-through crib mattress give babies a safer, better, longer sleep—while giving their parents peace of mind.
Elevator Pitch
SafeSleep® is reinventing traditional baby sleep surfaces so babies get a safer, better, longer sleep—and their parents get peace of mind.
Exit Strategy
With an anticipated market share in the breathable crib mattress segment of at least 3% by 2026 and gross sales topping $25 million with net sales topping $12 million, the investment exit strategy is through a sale of the company to a larger juvenile products company or a private equity firm. The timeframe for such a sale is projected to be 5-8 years and at a 4-7x multiple.
Breathable Sleep is a SafeSleep® - Join the SafeSleep® revolution and help us keep sleeping babies worldwide safe!
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