“The idea behind Moments started when my wife refused to buy condoms from the supermarket”
In this week’s edition of Founder Friday, we’re diving into the entrepreneurial journey of Nikhil Daftary, Founder and Managing Director of Moments. Nikhil shares the story behind the creation of his business, from his background in healthcare to his passion for addressing gaps in the sexual health and wellness market, particularly for women.
The spark for Moments
Nikhil shared, “Prior to founding Moments, I had spent a large proportion of my career working in the healthcare sector in Finance and Accounting. After two decades of working for large multinational companies, I decided to start something of my own.” He continued, reflecting on his experience, “Given I had experience and a lot of contacts in the healthcare sector, staying in that industry made sense.”
However, he soon noticed a gap in the market, particularly in sexual health and wellness products targeted at women. “Many of the big players marketed their products to males, but very few seemed to target females, which I found incredibly interesting,” he said. His personal life also influenced his decision to explore this industry. He recalled an instance with his wife, who refused to buy condoms from the supermarket due to personal embarrassment. “That incident prompted me to look into the sexual health and wellness space,” he reflected.
Following this experience, he conducted research to better understand consumer opinions on purchasing sexual health products. “The research highlighted that my wife was not alone, and that many females felt embarrassed when purchasing sexual health products,” he noted. This realization ultimately led to the creation of Moments, a brand dedicated to empowering women to protect their sexual health.
As the business grew, Nikhil described the strategies that played a role in Moments’ success. “When the business first launched in 2017, Moments relied heavily on social media for marketing, as research revealed that Aussie females aged between 18-45 were consuming social media more than any other type of content.” This strategy was pivotal in reaching the brand’s target audience.
As the business expanded, Nikhil recognized the importance of maintaining both a physical and online presence. “In 2022 we partnered with Coles to introduce our condoms into 600+ stores nationwide,” he shared. Reflecting on the significance of this partnership, he added, “At the time, we were one of the first Australian condom brands, marketed primarily at women, to be stocked by the supermarket, which was an incredible achievement.” Today, Moments has continued to grow, with products now available in 800 Coles stores nationwide.
Pioneering innovation in sexual health
When asked what sets his business apart, Nikhil explained, “As a brand, Moments aims to fill a gap in a market that has, like many other sectors, historically overlooked women. We are focused primarily on female pleasure, protection, and sexual wellbeing.” He emphasized how their approach differentiates them in the sexual health market.
Innovation has always been a core principle for Moments. Nikhil highlighted some of their latest advancements: “In 2024, we launched our thinnest condom yet and the only dual-lubricated condom in Australia.” He also discussed the company’s technological strides, sharing, “Our first AI Chatbot ‘BlissBOT’—powered by SpiderX AI technology—offers personalised and reliable information on female-focused sexual health and wellness topics. It is available for use via voice or text conversations through the Moments website and provides product recommendations tailored to each customer’s preferences.”
Additionally, Nikhil introduced the Moments loyalty program, noting, “Through BlissClub, customers can earn and redeem rewards on every sale made via the Moments website. Members of the loyalty club will receive exclusive deals and discounts as part of the program before anyone else.”
Navigating roadblocks and challenges
“The sexual health & wellbeing industry operates under strict advertising restrictions. This means marketing in this category can be particularly difficult.”
Nikhil also spoke about the obstacles his business faced along the way, especially in retail. “Getting into retail has been one of the biggest challenges we’ve faced. When pitching for inclusion into stores, we’ve found that we’re often up against much bigger brands with much bigger marketing budgets.”
As a smaller, challenger brand, Nikhil recognized the importance of creativity in overcoming these challenges. “We must be creative with our marketing as we don’t have the same budgets as the bigger global brands,” he explained. He emphasized the role social media played in their marketing strategy, noting, “Leveraging social media has been a key growth strategy for Moments as its budget-friendly and allows direct interaction with our target audience.” However, he acknowledged the difficulties of marketing in a heavily restricted industry: “The sexual health & wellbeing industry operates under strict advertising restrictions. This means marketing in this category can be particularly difficult.” He shared how some of their ads have been flagged despite adhering to guidelines. “A major social media platform claims to allow condom advertisements, however, our posts and ads are often flagged as inappropriate even though we abide by community guidelines.”
Reflecting on the lessons learned, Nikhil emphasized persistence and agility as keys to success. “Persistence is key,” he said, recalling how they pitched to Coles for four years before finally getting a ‘yes.’ “The majority of condom sales happen at a store level (77%) so getting a ‘no’ was never an option.” He also noted the importance of staying agile and innovative, stating, “You can’t rely on previous success—you have to be fresh, new, and agile on social media to keep your audience engaged with the brand.” He attributed Moments’ growth to product innovation and clever marketing, which helped them achieve “101% RSV (retail sales value) growth in Coles.”
Wisdom for aspiring entrepreneurs
When asked for advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, Nikhil shared valuable insights into what it takes to succeed. “You will have off-days where it seems like nothing is going to plan,” he admitted. “However, it’s important to acknowledge these and take each day as it comes.” Nikhil’s mindset on success is clear: “I’ve never had a Plan B, only Plan A as failure has never been an option.” He emphasized the qualities needed to thrive as a business owner: bravery, resilience, and the right team. “As a business owner, I believe you need to be brave, bold, resilient and have fantastic people around you to succeed.”
He concluded with a piece of advice that has always guided him: “I always believe in—’If you don’t build your dreams, someone will hire you to build theirs.'”
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