10127966Otti's Botti - Creative GrowthClosedCollaborative R&DInnovate UKStrateva Group, founded by award-winning innovator and dedicated mum Zoe Robson, was inspired by a deeply personal experience: Just before our daughter’s first birthday, she fell ill with an infection that required antibiotics. The antibiotics led to diarrhoea, and soon after, she developed a severe nappy rash. Her skin became blistered, red raw, and even started bleeding. We were prescribed steroid cream, but each time she had a bowel movement, the faeces would aggravate the broken skin further. Nappy changes, which should have been a simple task, turned into a traumatic ordeal for both of us. She would scream in pain every time we tried to clean her, and I felt like a terrible parent. It was heartbreaking and incredibly stressful, and we endured weeks of this cycle. It made me question why nappies are designed the way they are. Why, when we go to such lengths to sterilise everything else and protect our babies' health, do we accept that our children sit in their own waste? The design seemed flawed, and I realised it was time for a change. Our research confirmed that we were not alone. In their first year, 9% of children suffer from severe nappy rash—around 61,000 infants at any given time. In 65% of cases, prolonged contact with faeces breaks down the skin, leading to blisters, open sores, and secondary infections. On top of that, the risk of faecal-oral contamination from cleaning skin and surfaces during faecal-changes is significant, causing 90% of infant rotavirus infections. Each year, around 14% of infants in the UK contract rotavirus, leading to 91,000 GP visits and 3,800 hospital admissions. Globally, rotavirus claims the life of 70 million infants (Contemporary-Paediatrics, 2021; NICE, 2022; UN, 2022). Aside from health risks, nappies also create significant financial and environmental burdens. Each GP visit and prescription costs taxpayers approximately £60, while hospitalising a child for rotavirus can cost up to £4,500. In total, the NHS spends an estimated £26 million every year on nappy-related illnesses (Go-Compare-News, 2023; HSE, 2024). For families, the financial toll is substantial—averaging £2,000 (£13/week) per child on essential items like nappies, wet-wipes, and rash creams over the nappy-wearing years. With first-child benefits set at just £24 per week, this places a disproportionate burden on low-income families (House of Lords, 2024; GOV.UK, 2019). The environmental impact is equally alarming. In the UK alone, 3.6 billion disposable nappies are either landfilled or incinerated each year, creating 257,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions and costing taxpayers £140 million in waste management (Nappy-Alliance, 2023). Even reusable nappies, though producing no direct waste, are not without their drawbacks—laundering them generates an estimated 101,000 metric tons of CO2 annually (UN Population, 2023; Grand View Research, 2024; UK-Gov-GCH Conversion Factors, 2023). **Our Solution: Otti's Botti®** Otti’s Botti is a new kind of reusable eco-nappy designed to address health, convenience and sustainability challenges. Our nappy reduces nappy rash by 65% and rotavirus risks by 90%. It saves caregivers 57% of the time spent on changes and laundering, while offering 61% savings on wet-wipes and rash creams. Priced at just £18/month through a subscription model, Otti’s Botti will be the most affordable, health-focused, and convenient nappy available. **It's a nappy without all the mess: love a good change®.**