A bidet company raised over $36,000 to make water-powered toilet seats with night lights and slow-closing lids

BioBidet

• Bio Bidet wants to mass produce a water-powered toilet seat with night lights and bidet functionality.
• The company has raised more than $36,000 since Monday to start making the toilet seats.
• Bio Bidet's smart toilets have heated seats and warm water, but previous products have all required electricity to run.
• Next, Bio Bidet will consider creating a round version of its newest product, as the toilet seat is only available in an elongated shape.

An Illinois-based bidet company raised enough money this week to begin mass producing water-powered toilet seats featuring night lights, bidet functionality, and a slow-closing lid.

Bio Bidet - which sells products such as electronic bidet seats and toilets with bidet functions - launched an Indiegogo campaign on Monday with the goal of raising $10,000. The 10-year-old company reached the goal overnight, and it has raised more than $36,000 as of Wednesday afternoon.

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The company's products are available in about 20 countries, including the United Kingdom, Mexico, Poland, Australia, and India.

James Amburgey, the company's marketing director, told Business Insider that Bio Bidet's electric smart toilets have heated seats, warm water, and air dryers.

The mechanical seat featured in Monday's fundraising campaign, however, is powered by water. Each one comes with a hose and adapter that connect to an existing water line, and the seat includes a valve that can be used to control the bidet feature's water pressure.

This "Slim Zero" toilet seat comes with multiple features normally found on electronic seats, such as the night light and slow-closing option, but it uses a battery compartment instead, Amburgey said. The toilet seat is on sale for $59 as an early bird special.

Amburgey said Bio Bidet decided to create Slim Zero after receiving feedback about its previous Indiegogo campaign, which raised money for a smart toilet that requires electricity to run. Some of the people who supported the first fundraiser said they wanted an alternative that did not require an outlet.

Americans use about 36 billion rolls of toilet paper each year, which requires about 15 million trees, 100 billion gallons of water, and other resources. To reduce the use of toilet paper, Amburgey said Bio Bidet is focusing on raising awareness of bidets as viable alternatives.

"Our whole thing is we believe water does it better," Amburgey said.