The urinals are 2.7 times faster to use than conventional portable toilets

A British startup has secured nearly £1 million in investment, paving the way for its women's urinals to expand across Europe, the US, and Australia.

The funding for Bristol-based Peequal comes in response to surging demand from event organisers worldwide.

The capital injection will facilitate the production of the company's next-generation urinals, designed to be flatpacked for efficient global export.

The new units boast several patent-pending advancements and a stackable form factor, allowing nearly three times as many to be transported on lorries compared to traditional portable toilets.

That not only reduces road congestion but also significantly lowers events' carbon footprints.

Peequal's queue-busting urinals are reportedly 2.7 times faster to use than conventional portable facilities. They have already been deployed at 25 events this year, including major gatherings such as Glastonbury and the London Marathon.

Co-founders Amber Probyn, 27, and Hazel McShane, 29, estimate their urinals have been used 1.25 million times since their first event in 2022.

Users have described them as "amazing", "innovative" and "game-changing".

Ms McShane said: "We've heard from events and toilet suppliers around the world keen to use our women's urinals.

"Like us, they want women spending less time in queues and more time enjoying the events they love.

"This funding means we can export this British innovation and give the gift of shorter queues to women across the world."

The new design allows the urinals to be flatpacked and stacked.

The founders estimate that 56 urinals can fit on each lorry, compared to around 21 for traditional portable toilets.

Feedback from women sparked other engineering improvements, such as flippable occupied signs and an improved splashback.

Ready for the 2026 season, they will also be easier to drain and move around event sites.

Ms Probyn said Peequal would work with events, festivals and toilet suppliers overseas to reduce queuing time.

She added: "We knew women would welcome any innovation that meant they didn't have to queue for hours.

"What we didn't expect was how much love the urinals would receive, and we've been blown away by the support women give us at events.

"We are really proud to be a female-led startup and we are honoured that so many amazing female investors have chosen to back us."

This time the Peequal founders have raised £925,000 to bring the total raised during three funding rounds to £1.4 million.

This third and most recent round was mostly funded by businesswomen with a passion for equality and an eye for success stories.

Julie Davies, impact investor at We Have The Power, said: "It's always satisfying to invest in a service you've used and admired.

"I first came across Peequal when running the London Marathon and it was great to jump the queues in the tense wait to start the run.

"But what I really love is its potential for a huge sustainability impact by reducing toxic waste generation at events."

Music agent Emma Banks, another investor, said: "I saw a short TV clip about Hazel and Amber where they spoke about Peequal and it struck a chord with me.

"I am very happy to help support these two inspiring women tackle an inequality that has been so obvious for a long time, and now has a really great solution."

Women's urinals to be at more UK events after £1m funding boost