Index Ventures led a $52 million funding round for GetHarley, an online marketplace connecting consumers with clinicians and personalized skincare products.
WHO: Charmaine Chow left her job in investment banking to found GetHarley in 2019. Positioned as an affordable and bespoke solution, the online marketplace, named after London's Harley Street, connects consumers with qualified skincare professionals, including dermatologists and plastic surgeons, and offers personalized skincare products.
GetHarley enables customers to speak to top clinicians virtually for a small fee and receive professional guidance on what skincare or treatment they should get. The platform also offers concierge services to help beauty clinics deliver personalized products to customers. Online consultations cost £40 ($50) for 30 minutes, though where more complex medical histories are involved, patients can pay £150 ($186) for a more senior-level consultant dermatologist.
WHY: With the fresh capital injection, the company is looking to double its team to include 140 people in the next 12 months and eventually expand its services globally.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS: "The skincare industry is overflowing with false claims, celebrity marketing and thousands upon thousands of choices about how to care for your skin," says Charmaine Chow, CEO and founder of GetHarley. "You end up wasting huge amounts of time, money and energy trying to figure out what works for you. I should know—I looked everywhere for solutions for my challenging skin. And while consumers are being pulled in multiple directions, clinicians are time-poor and overstretched and you can never quite get hold of them. GetHarley solves all this, giving experts a one-stop platform, and helping global consumers get access to the best advice in a crowded marketplace."
"GetHarley is a quality champion and partner for both the clinics and the consumer," says Danny Rimer, Board Member and Partner of Index Ventures. "People are now incredibly savvy about what they're buying—especially at a time of economic scarcity, when they want their money to be channeled into meaningful purchases. They rightly want brands and experiences that are transparent, authentic and can deliver a tailored service. GetHarley meets all these criteria and more, and we're incredibly excited to partner with them."
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