Indu’s teen-centered skin care brand pockets £4M from Unilever for UK retail expansion

15 Aug 2024 --- Indu, a British-founded entry-level skin care brand targeting teens, secures £4 million (US$5.1 million) in a seed funding round led by Unilever Ventures. The Sephora brand will direct the new capital injection toward expanding its brick-and-mortar retail presence in the UK.

The funding round attracted V3 Ventures, Verlinvest’s early-stage venture fund, along with family offices and existing investors. Co-founded by the creators of Feelunique, Aaron Chatterley, Richard Schiessel and Reena Hammer, the brand enters its next growth phase.

Since launching in 2023, Indu has gained traction with younger demographics with its iridescent packaging, “gentle but effective” formulas and ergonomic design. Some products within its range come with keychain rings attached to their caps for portability.

Indu markets its products as microbiome-friendly formulas developed specifically for teen skin. The range comprises skin care, makeup and “colorless” collections, which are labeled vegan, cruelty-free and dermatologically tested.

“Bringing in two incredible venture funds in Unilever Ventures and V3 with such strong experience in backing and scaling some iconic beauty and consumer brands was really the dream ticket for us,” comments Chatterley.

“Raising money in the current economic climate is not easy, so closing this round is a testament to the very clear opportunity that Indu has to create a category-defining beauty brand for teens.”

Indu markets its products as microbiome-friendly formulas developed specifically for teen skin.Indu’s R&D is uniquely guided by a teen committee, consisting of over 250 members, who help inform community-led product development and marketing activities. Indu also has an advisory board of 14 influential members in beauty and fashion.

Gap in the market for “teen-first” beauty
Previous backers include notable industry figures Noella Gabriel, a co-founder of the Elemis brand, Sarah Miles, a veteran in the beauty industry with roles at Hush and Sephora UK, Ian Marshall and Gail Bojarski, both with leadership experience at Benefit Cosmetics, Nick Beighton, formerly of Asos, Lopo Champalimaud, founder of Treatwell, and Michael Casey, who previously helmed Holland & Barrett.

A rise in popularity for beauty brands targeting younger demographics has led to discussions around the “Sephora kids” phenomenon, with some dermatologists worrying over-using certain intensive ingredients may aggravate allergies or eczema.

Noting this, Unilever Ventures partner Anna Ohlsson-Baskerville, observes a “gap in the market for premium, healthy teen-first beauty.”

“By creating a line that is for teens, by teens, Indu has found a way to bring them the aspirational products that they need and want while providing parents with the reassurance that they are designed specifically for teen skin,” she comments.

Jimmy Dietz, Partner at V3 Ventures, remarks: “We are incredibly impressed with the Indu team and its dedication to creating safe and appropriate products specifically tailored to teenage skin and lifestyles.”

“Its commitment to addressing the unique needs of teenagers sets them apart in the beauty industry, and we’re very excited to support its mission.”

In other activities, Unilever Ventures recently invested US$4 million in Indonesian skin care start-up Esqa and over £2 million (US$2.56 million) in intimate body care brand Luna Daily.

By Benjamin Ferrer