Last Object

Last Object is a Danish manufacturing company and sustainability-focused consumer brand headquartered in Copenhagen. Established in 2016 by Isabel Aagaard, her brother Nicolas Aagaard, and Kåre Frandsen, the company develops reusable or recyclable alternatives to frequently discarded everyday products. Its business model combines product design, direct online sales, retail distribution, and crowdfunding-led launches, with campaigns conducted on platforms including Kickstarter and Indiegogo. The company emerged from research into ocean pollution and the environmental effect of disposable consumer goods. The founders identified cotton swabs as a particularly visible example of a small, inexpensive product that is often used briefly and then discarded. Their response was LastSwab, a reusable cotton-swab alternative introduced in 2019. LastSwab became the brand's best-known product and provided the platform for a broader range of reusable personal-care products. Last Object's product portfolio subsequently expanded to include LastTissue, a reusable handkerchief system; LastRound, reusable or recyclable facial rounds; and LastMask, a face-mask and spray kit developed during the COVID-19 period. The products are designed around repeated use, replaceable or washable components, compact storage, and reductions in single-use waste. The brand's proposition is not limited to selling a single durable object: it presents a coordinated system of alternatives for common bathroom, beauty, and hygiene routines. Crowdfunding has been central to the company's development and customer acquisition. The LastSwab campaign on Kickstarter in 2019 attracted more than 19,000 backers and raised over US$700,000 according to the referenced account. A subsequent Indiegogo campaign raised more than €1 million from over 30,000 backers. The company later used crowdfunding for additional products, including LastTissue and LastRound. This approach allowed the business to test demand, finance production, and build an international community before or alongside wider retail availability. Last Object also pursued external recognition and sustainability partnerships. LastSwab was selected for the Beazley Designs of the Year exhibition at London's Design Museum in 2020. In the same year, the company participated in the Green November initiative with Plastic Bank, a Canadian social enterprise focused on recycling ecosystems in developing communities. In 2021, the Danish Green Investment Fund provided the company with reported seed funding of 6 million Danish kroner, described in the reference material as approximately US$980,000 at the time. The company has also been active in protecting its product and brand identity. It reported pursuing trademark-infringement cases against third-party copies, and the Danish Patent and Trademark Office was cited as indicating that copies had been removed from more than 8,000 websites by December 2020. This enforcement activity reflects the commercial importance of distinctive product forms and names in a category where sustainability-focused designs can be readily imitated. Last Object's identity is closely associated with Danish design, environmental awareness, and the replacement of disposable habits with durable products. Its public profile has been driven especially by LastSwab, crowdfunding, design recognition, and the wider debate over plastic cotton buds and other single-use items. The brand operates across online and retail channels internationally, although detailed current ownership, executive structure, financial performance, and product availability are not established by the supplied reference material.

Last Object was established in Copenhagen in 2016 by Isabel Aagaard, Nicolas Aagaard, and Kåre Frandsen. The Aagaards were connected to the family behind the Danish jewelry company Troldekugler, known for the Trollbeads collection. Rather than beginning as a conventional mass-market household-goods company, Last Object developed around a specific environmental problem: the volume of small disposable products entering waste streams and, in some cases, waterways and oceans. The founders' research into ocean pollution led them to focus on cotton swabs. These products are used for a short period but are commonly discarded after one use, and their plastic components can contribute to persistent waste. In 2018, the team developed a reusable cotton swab concept that became LastSwab. The product was launched in April 2019, followed by a Kickstarter campaign in May. The campaign reportedly raised more than US$700,000 from over 19,000 backers. The company subsequently used Indiegogo, where a later campaign reportedly raised more than €1 million from over 30,000 backers. Crowdfunding served several functions for Last Object. It provided early production finance, helped validate interest in a new category of reusable personal-care products, and created an international base of early adopters. The approach also became part of the company's recurring launch method. After LastSwab, the brand expanded from a single bathroom accessory into a portfolio covering tissues, facial-care products, and protective equipment. In January 2020, Last Object began crowdfunding campaigns for LastTissue, a reusable handkerchief system. In February of that year, Isabel Aagaard presented the project to investors on the Danish television program Løvens Hule, the Danish version of the Lions' Den investment format. She rejected the offer presented on the program. In September 2020, the company launched LastRound on Kickstarter. The product extended the brand's low-waste proposition into facial-care routines by offering an alternative to conventional disposable cotton pads. The COVID-19 period prompted another product response. In October 2020, Last Object introduced the LastMask kit, intended to help address waste associated with disposable face masks. The same month, LastSwab received design recognition through selection for the Beazley Designs of the Year exhibition at the Design Museum in London. This recognition helped associate the product with contemporary design as well as environmental consumption. The company also pursued partnerships and financing connected with sustainability. In November 2020, it worked with Plastic Bank during the Green November initiative. Plastic Bank is described in the reference material as a Canadian for-profit social enterprise that develops recycling ecosystems in under-developed communities. In April 2021, Last Object received 6 million Danish kroner in seed funding from the Danish Green Investment Fund, reported in the source material as approximately US$980,000. As the brand gained visibility, it faced the challenge of imitation. Last Object filed multiple trademark-infringement cases concerning copies of its products. The Danish Patent and Trademark Office was cited as reporting that copies had been removed from more than 8,000 websites by December 2020. This enforcement effort formed part of the company's attempt to defend its product names, designs, and commercial identity in an online market where sustainability-oriented products could be reproduced and sold by third parties. By early 2021, the documented portfolio consisted of LastSwab, LastTissue, LastRound, and LastMask. LastSwab remained the company's signature offering, receiving additional public attention in the context of restrictions on single-use plastic straws, cotton buds, and stirrers in the United Kingdom. Last Object's documented history therefore combines Danish design entrepreneurship, environmental product research, crowdfunding, retail and online expansion, public sustainability partnerships, and intellectual-property enforcement. Current ownership, detailed financial results, and the company's later corporate structure are not established in the supplied reference material.

• 2021

  Seed funding from the Danish Green Investment Fund

  [1]LastObjecten.wikipedia.org

  The company received reported seed funding of 6 million Danish kroner from the Danish Green Investment Fund.

• 2020

  LastTissue crowdfunding begins

  [1]LastObjecten.wikipedia.org

  The company began crowdfunding activity for its reusable tissue product.

• 2020

  LastRound introduced

  [1]LastObjecten.wikipedia.org

  LastRound launched on Kickstarter as a lower-waste facial-pad product.

• 2020

  LastMask introduced

  [1]LastObjecten.wikipedia.org

  Last Object introduced the LastMask kit during the COVID-19 period.

• 2020

  LastSwab receives design exhibition recognition

  [1]LastObjecten.wikipedia.org

  LastSwab was selected for the Beazley Designs of the Year exhibition at London's Design Museum.

• 2019

  LastSwab launched

  [1]LastObjecten.wikipedia.org

  LastSwab was introduced in April, followed by a Kickstarter campaign in May.

• 2018

  Reusable cotton-swab concept developed

  [1]LastObjecten.wikipedia.org

  The founders developed the concept that became LastSwab after researching ocean pollution and disposable cotton-swab waste.

• 2016

  Last Object established in Copenhagen

  [1]LastObjecten.wikipedia.org

  Isabel Aagaard, Nicolas Aagaard, and Kåre Frandsen established the Danish company in Copenhagen.

A Danish sustainable-design brand offering reusable or recyclable alternatives to disposable bathroom, beauty, hygiene, and personal-care products.

• Reusable personal-care accessory · 2019

  LastSwab

  LastSwab is a reusable alternative to conventional single-use cotton swabs and is the product most closely associated with the Last Object brand. It was developed in response to research into ocean pollution and the waste created by disposable cotton buds. Introduced in 2019, it became the focus of the company's first major crowdfunding campaigns on Kickstarter and Indiegogo. Its profile increased during debate about restrictions on single-use plastic cotton buds and other disposable plastic products.

• Reusable tissue and handkerchief system · 2020

  LastTissue

  LastTissue is a reusable handkerchief product designed to reduce the consumption of disposable tissues. The product broadened Last Object's original cotton-swab proposition into everyday personal hygiene. Crowdfunding activity for LastTissue began in January 2020, making it one of the company's early extensions beyond LastSwab.

• Reusable or recyclable facial pads · 2020

  LastRound

  LastRound is a facial-care accessory positioned as an alternative to disposable cotton rounds and makeup-removal pads. It was launched on Kickstarter in September 2020 and represented Last Object's expansion into beauty and skincare routines. The product fits the brand's broader strategy of replacing frequently discarded bathroom consumables with a more durable or lower-waste option.

• Face mask and spray kit · 2020

  LastMask

  LastMask is a face-mask kit introduced in October 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was presented as a response to the waste associated with disposable masks and included spray-related equipment. The product extended Last Object's sustainability proposition into protective equipment at a time when mask use had become widespread.

• 2020Green November with Plastic Bank

  International

  Last Object partnered with Plastic Bank during the Green November initiative, connecting the brand with recycling and social-impact activity.

  Source
• 2019LastSwab Kickstarter campaign

  International

  Last Object used Kickstarter to fund and promote LastSwab, attracting more than 19,000 backers and raising over US$700,000 according to the referenced account.

  Outcome. The campaign helped establish LastSwab as the brand's signature product and supported subsequent international crowdfunding.

  Source
• 2019LastSwab Indiegogo campaign

  International

  A follow-on Indiegogo campaign sought additional support for LastSwab after the Kickstarter launch.

  Outcome. The campaign reportedly raised more than €1 million from over 30,000 backers.

  Source

• 2021

  Accept sustainability-focused seed fundingStrategy

  Background

  The company sought capital to support development and growth of its sustainable consumer-products business.

  Action taken

  Last Object received seed funding from the Danish Green Investment Fund.

  Aftermath

  The reported investment provided additional institutional support for the company's expansion.

  Seed funding. 6 million Danish kroner (April 2021)

  Source

• 2020

  Expand the portfolio beyond cotton swabsProduct launch

  Background

  After establishing LastSwab, the company sought to apply its reuse-oriented design proposition to other disposable personal-care and hygiene products.

  Action taken

  Last Object introduced or crowdfunded LastTissue, LastRound, and LastMask.

  Aftermath

  By early 2021, the documented portfolio included four products spanning cotton swabs, tissues, facial pads, and masks.

  Source

• 2020

  Defend trademarks against product copiesOther

  Background

  The company reported that third parties were selling copies of its products online.

  Action taken

  Last Object pursued multiple trademark-infringement cases and sought removal of copied products from online marketplaces and websites.

  Aftermath

  The Danish Patent and Trademark Office was cited as indicating that copies had been removed from more than 8,000 websites by December 2020.

  Source

• 2019

  Use crowdfunding to launch LastSwabProduct launch

  Background

  The company was developing a reusable alternative to disposable cotton swabs and needed to validate demand and finance production.

  Action taken

  Last Object launched LastSwab and used Kickstarter, followed by Indiegogo, to reach early customers and fund the product.

  Aftermath

  The campaigns attracted tens of thousands of backers and made LastSwab the company's best-known offering.

  Crowdfunding raised. More than US$700,000 on Kickstarter and more than €1 million on Indiegogo (2019)

  Source

• 2021.09.01

  Reported2021.09.01

  LastObject launches LastPad[2]LastObject推出LastPadprnewswire.com

  LastObject launched LastPad, a reusable sanitary pad, on Kickstarter; the product was funded in 22 minutes and backers could pre-order it.

Read more

1. 1LastObjecten.wikipedia.org
2. 2LastObject推出LastPadprnewswire.com