Audrey Hutchinson, the 20-year-old founder and CEO of Sweet Peach Probiotics, has come forward to say that she's actually the person behind Sweet Peach, NOT Heinz and Gome. In an interview with Inc., she said she had no prior knowledge that the two, who are founders of the start up Petomics, were going to speak about her company, and said that "If I'd known Austen was going in to discuss these two different startups in his talk, I definitely would have advised him against it." And, she said, the two completely mischaracterized the company, adding that it does not create a peach scent for women's vaginas.
For her part, said Hutchinson, who describes herself as an ultrafeminist, "I don't think women should have vaginas that smell like peaches or anything like that." In fact, she said, the name refers to the way that peaches have been used as a symbol of women's sexuality for years. "I'm obviously sort of appalled that it's been misconstrued like this because it was never the point of my company," she said. "I don't want to apologize for [Austen], but at the same time I want to apologize to every woman in the world who's heard about this and wants my head on a stake."
Today in science news, two startup dudes have created a supplement to make your vagina smell like peaches.
Startup founders Austen Heinz and Gilad Gome have made it their mission to take on vaginal health, including, er, odors.
The duo invented Sweet Peach, a "personalized probiotic supplement" so vaginas can smell... like fruit.
The guys, who said they were inspired when their family members kept getting UTI's, describe Sweet Peach as a way to help prevent yeast infections and other health problems caused by microorganisms. It apparently gives off a fruity scent to let you know the product is working.
"The idea is personal empowerment," Heinz claims.
After getting booted off of Kickstarter for being too controversial, the founders are now trying to crowdfund their product on Tilt and pitched it briefly at the DEMO conference in San Jose, California on Wednesday.
Heinz, who previously founded Cambrian Genomics, told BuzzFeed Life the company isn't only trying to make lady parts smell like fruit, and said most of the coverage has been "sexist."
"The idea we're pushing is to do sequencing and synthesis as a way of restoring it to natural health. The company is being seen as wanting to smell like peach. But the vagina produces smells like any other micro-biome," he explained. "We think people should have control over their microbes and code, so if they want to add that function [fragrance] to any of their microbes, then that should be up to them."
But as reported by Inc, Heinz offers "little insight" on why they set their sights on altering feminine odors.
"It's a better idea than trying to hack the gut microbiome because it's less complicated and more stable," he told them. "It has only one interference per month."
Interference = periods. Yep.
And they're not stopping at vaginas: The guys are also working on probiotics for dogs and cats to make them have banana-scented poo, called Petomics.
Here's a visual Heinz sent BuzzFeed Life to describe what vaginas are like before using their product.
And after, naturally. Peachy!
So far, many vagina owners are not exactly thrilled at the prospect.
#SweetPeach startup bros. we don't need more products on the shelf telling women who they are & what they are is something to be fixed.
Dear startup bros: don't disrupt my body, please. The big stink behind "Sweet Peach" @mariaaspan http://t.co/HVIcfXlMxi
I believe both men and women should pursue all kind of startups. But can we draw the line at two dudes making a vagina startup? #SweetPeach