From Water Safety to Brand Success How Clearco Supported SimpleLab’s Growth

Most people don’t think twice about what’s in their water, air, or food until a crisis hits. The truth is, small communities and individual households often get left behind while big labs chase big contracts. At the same time, more individuals are paying closer attention to personal health and looking for ways to take control of it. 

Approximately 70% of Americans say they are concerned with the quality of their unfiltered tap water, a number that has risen sharply in recent years. High-profile crises like Flint, Michigan have only deepened this distrust, leaving many households searching for answers. SimpleLab, a father and son company, decided this wasn’t good enough.

They built a marketplace that connects you to over 250 certified labs and thousands of test options, all wrapped in clear reports and real human support. As a growing DTC brand, SimpleLab makes lab testing approachable in a way that was never available to consumers before. No chemistry degree required, no gatekeeping. Just answers you can understand and act on.

The Father and Son Story Behind SimpleLab’s Mission

John Pujol, CEO of SimpleLab, saw the problem firsthand in California’s Central Valley. Small towns were living with arsenic in local water while major testing firms only paid attention to million-dollar contracts. Families who needed clarity had no realistic way to get it, creating a gap that put health at risk.

When John’s father, Juan, joined as Chairman and CFO, the two decided to change course. Instead of building solutions meant only for large utilities, they created a marketplace where anyone could order tests. John brought the product vision, Juan brought financial discipline, and together they built a company designed to put everyday people first.

How SimpleLab Delivers At-Home Environmental Testing Kits

Today, you can order a kit for anything from metals and PFAS to asbestos, mold, or microplastics, send in your sample, and get results without the hassle of chasing down a lab yourself.

The process is built to remove barriers. Logistics run through a single platform, reports come back fast, and the science is explained in plain language. Whether it is a family worried about lead in their tap water or a government agency checking environmental standards, SimpleLab makes professional testing easy to access and easier to understand.

“We want to make it easy for anyone, regardless of their background, to feel comfortable ordering a lab test at a good price, getting a reasonable experience, and taking the next steps.”

SimpleLab’s Funding Journey with Clearco

SimpleLab raised $4.5 million in equity early on, but John and Juan knew they didn’t want to keep trading ownership just to fund growth. They shifted to non-dilutive partners who could back their marketing and working capital without cutting into control of the business.

Clearco has provided over $1M to date, mostly fueling Google advertising and covering cash flow dips. The team treats liquidity like insurance, keeping a strong buffer and tapping Clearco only when needed. What makes the partnership work is speed and transparency. Instead of waiting weeks for answers, SimpleLab gets funding fast, which keeps momentum steady and ownership intact. Clearco’s ecommerce funding model has been a perfect fit for a growing DTC brand like SimpleLab.

The Future of SimpleLab and Environmental Testing

SimpleLab is not stopping at water. The company is building a platform where anyone can test almost anything, from mold in the basement to contaminants in food. With each new kit added to their network of labs, they move closer to becoming the place people trust when they want reliable answers about the world around them.

What sets them apart is the mix of scientific rigor and human support. Reports are clear, results are transparent, and help is always available. The vision is simple testing that leads to healthier choices and stronger trust in the environments where we live and work. 

As CFO Juan Pujol explained, “Clearco has been very quick and always polite. Having a reliable partner we can turn to when we need to keep our liquidity strong has made a big difference.”