Shani Darden has received a seed investment from BAM Ventures, the fund of serial entrepreneur Brian Lee leading the round, with participation from Beechwood Capital.

WHO: The namesake brand of Hollywood esthetician Shani Darden launched in 2013 and consists of five products—Daily Cleansing Serum, Daily Toning Essence, Daily Oil-Free Moisturizer, Texture Reform, and Retinol Reform. The brand’s sales are primarily generated from the web site but are also sold with Cult Beauty and Net-A-Porter. Darden opened her first flagship studio with three treatment rooms in Beverly Hills in June.

WHY: The funding will fuel the company’s growth and continued investment in developing future product.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS: “It’s rare to have somebody who is both an influencer, but first and foremost, she’s a skin-care expert and a practitioner to all the A-list celebrities in Hollywood,” Jessica Goldin, the new CEO of Shani Darden, said to WWD. Beyond her celebrity clients, Darden has 187,000 followers on Instagram.

DETAILS:

• Shani Darden has received a seed investment. BAM Ventures, founded by serial entrepreneur Brian Lee, led the capital raise with Beechwood Capital participating.
• Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
• Industry sources said Darden’s brand is on track to do $5 million in sales for the year.
• She has also hired a CEO, Jessica Goldin, previously the Senior Vice President of marketing for Beautycounter.
• Darden is tasked with overseeing business development, which will include building out the product line, expanding distribution, and making key hires to build up the team—which right now has four people.