AJ Bell founder backs period care start-up Here We Flo

The businessman who built AJ Bell into one of Britain's leading retail investment platforms is investing millions of pounds in Here We Flo, a period care brand which aims to remove the stigma from women's menstrual cycles.

Sky News understands that Andy Bell, who still holds a big stake in London-listed AJ Bell, injected £2m into Here We Flo as part of a recently concluded follow-on funding round. Fergus Lyons, a regular co-investor with Mr Bell, ploughed a further £1m into the business, which was founded by Susan Allen and Tara Chandra.

Money blog: cost of visiting popular tourist destination rising The co-founders own a significant interest in Here We Flo. The brand gained national media attention earlier this month when Chelsea Football Club's women's team wore shorts marked with simulated blood, as part of a new partnership with the Women's Super League outfit.

It also launched a co-branded product line with the Netflix series Sex Education. Here We Flo's products, which use plant-based materials, are sold by retailers including Boots, Holland & Barrett, Sainsbury's, Superdrug and Tesco.

A further partnership is expected to be announced next month. "We operate in a $50bn global market traditionally called 'sanitary protection' or 'sanitary hygiene', and that alone tells you how ripe it is for disruption, both in product innovation and consumer education," Ms Allen and Ms Chandra said in a joint statement.

"We're here to be that change: creating products that are better for our bodies and better for the planet, while supporting people through life's messy moments - from menstrual flows and bladder leaks to sexual wellness." The £3m injection from Mr Bell and Mr Lyons is to be used to fund marketing and working capital, they added. Last year, Here We Flo became the second-biggest selling intimate hygiene brand on Amazon, behind Procter & Gamble's Always range..