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Gillette

Brand

ApplicationBoston, USAFounded 1901· One of 686 Application companies tracked by AMPulse

Gillette is a global leader in the personal care market, specializing in safety razors and other grooming products. The company has a long history of innovation, including its Razor Maker™ project, which utilized 3D printing to create customized razor handles for consumers.

CEO / Founder
Gary Coombe
Team Size
10000+
Stage
Acquired
Total Funding
Undisclosed
Key Investors
Berkshire Hathaway

Technology & Products

Key Products

Razors and blades (e.g., Fusion, Mach3, Venus), Customized 3D-printed razor handles (Razor Maker™), Shaving gels, foams, and creams, Aftershave products, Deodorants and antiperspirants, Body wash

Technological Advantage

Gillette's core advantages are its powerful brand recognition, a vast portfolio of patents in shaving technology, and access to P&G's extensive global distribution and marketing infrastructure. Their commitment to R&D enables continuous product innovation that maintains a premium market position.

Patent position

Gillette filed 17 patent families across all years, with 47% filed in the US. AMPulse analysis

Filing momentum
1 families filed 2022–2024, 2 in 2019–2021
Filed in
US 47%CN 18%JP 18%EP 18%WO 12%

17 AM patent families in total. Recent years are still being published, so read a filing change against the same-office figure.

Differentiation

Value Proposition

Providing a superior and comfortable shaving experience through technologically advanced and innovative grooming products.

How They Differentiate

Gillette differentiates through its focus on high-performance, technologically advanced products backed by extensive R&D, a premium brand image, and widespread retail availability. While newer competitors often compete on price and subscription models, Gillette emphasizes its legacy of innovation and superior quality.

Market & Competition

Target Customers

Global consumers seeking high-quality, reliable grooming and personal care products.

Industry Verticals

Consumer Goods

Competitors

Schick (Edgewell Personal Care); Harry's; Dollar Shave Club (Unilever)

Growth & Milestones

Growth Metrics

As of 2023, Gillette's brand value was estimated to be approximately $10.5 billion. P&G's grooming segment, led by Gillette, consistently generates over $6 billion in annual net sales.

Major Milestones

1901: Company founded by King C. Gillette., 1903: First safety razor and disposable blades sold., 2005: Acquired by Procter & Gamble for $57 billion., 2018: Launched the Razor Maker™ project, using 3D printing for customized razor handles.

https://gillette.com

AM patents

AM-relevant patents linked to this company.

Patents
19
Granted
8
Families
17

Leading domains: process (19), material (3), equipment (1)

Filings by year: 2025: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2020: 2 · 2016: 12 · 2013: 1 · 2009: 2

  1. CUTTING EDGE STRUCTURES AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING POLYMERIC CUTTING EDGE STRUCTURES109414877 · CN
  2. Method to manufacture a razor handle10391704 · US
  3. POLYMERIC CUTTING EDGE STRUCTURES AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING POLYMERIC CUTTING EDGE STRUCTURES109414876 · CN
  4. CUTTING EDGE STRUCTURES AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING POLYMERIC CUTTING EDGE STRUCTURES2018005399 · WO
  5. Method for manufacturing polymer cut edge structure and polymer cut edge structure2019520235 · JP

Funding rounds

  • Convertible Preferred$600M1989-07Lead: Berkshire Hathaway · Source: Berkshire Hathaway, UPI Archives, LA Times
  • Angel$60K1902-10Lead: John Joyce · Source: Wikipedia, Gillette Company Timeline
  • Seed$5K1901-09Source: Wikipedia, Company Histories

Why this company matters

AMPulse analysis, not a company disclosure

Gillette, a subsidiary of Procter & Gamble, is the dominant incumbent in the global shaving market. Its Razor Maker project, launched in 2018, represented a notable experiment in applying polymer additive manufacturing to mass customization, allowing consumers to design and order personalized razor handles. This initiative placed Gillette among a small group of consumer goods giants exploring 3D printing for direct-to-consumer products rather than prototyping or tooling.

The core technology behind Razor Maker was stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing, executed in partnership with Formlabs. Consumers used an online interface to customize handle geometry and select colors, with each handle produced on demand. The project demonstrated how additive manufacturing could enable individualized design at a scale previously unfeasible with injection molding, though it remained a limited-time offering rather than a permanent product line.

Gillette's primary market remains mass-market consumers of shaving hardware and consumables, including the Fusion, Mach3, and Venus blade lines. The Razor Maker project targeted early adopters and enthusiasts willing to pay a premium for personalization. The company's distribution strength through P&G's retail network and its brand recognition provide a formidable moat against direct-to-consumer rivals like Harry's and Dollar Shave Club, which compete on price and subscription models rather than customization.

A key open question is whether Gillette will revive or expand its additive manufacturing initiative. The Razor Maker project was a proof of concept rather than a sustained business line, and the company has not publicly indicated plans to scale customized 3D-printed products. Meanwhile, Gillette's core competitive advantage remains its patent portfolio in blade and razor design, extensive R&D spending, and marketing partnerships with major sports leagues, not its additive manufacturing capabilities.