What you need to know
- Tim Cook invested in eco-friendly shower Nebia after using one at his local gym.
- A Bloomberg interview with creator Philip Winter has revealed Cook was drawn to the environmental aspect of the shower, which uses 45% less water.
- Cook's invested a "significant" amount of his own money into the project.
A Bloomberg report has revealed how Apple CEO Tim Cook came to invest in the eco-friendly shower Nebia by Moen after using one at his local gym.
According to the report, Cook tried a prototype of the Nebia shower at his local gym in Palo Alto, California. Philip Winter had moved to San Francisco and convinced local gyms to run pilot tests, asking gym users for feedback on their experience:
Philip Winter, who helped create the Nebia shower head, recalls moving to San Francisco in 2014 to get his idea off the ground. The shower head sprays in a way that uses less water, but still keeps people warm. Crafted from materials including aluminum, the system looks like something Apple might design, if it made bathroom hardware. To develop the product, Winter persuaded gyms in Silicon Valley to run pilot tests. After installing the shower head early in the morning, he'd wait outside locker rooms to get feedback. That's when he met Cook, who happened to use an early version at the gym in Palo Alto, California, where the Apple chief executive officer worked out most mornings.
Apparently, Tim Cook was drawn to the environmental potential of Nebia, which uses significantly less water when showering thanks to atomization. Winter states that Tim Cook made a "significant" investment in the startup, five years ago and in later financing rounds.
Whilst Nebia hasn't received any formal help from Apple, Cook does send "very long, well crafted and detailed" emails to the company, sharing knowledge on suppliers and urging the company to focus on user experience, design, and sustainability. Cook also apparently advised them to partner with investors who believe in their product, not just those who want to make a quick buck.
Nebia has actually just launched a new version of its shower head on Kickstarter, which apparently gives 2x the coverage of a standard shower, at the cost of half the water. It's also considerably cheaper than the original, retailing at $199 (the old one was $499). According to Moen, the Nebia has helped saved 120 million gallons of water since its launch.
