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Gillette

ApplicationBoston, USAFounded 1901· One of 381 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.

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

Why this company matters

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.