Gisou closed a Series B funding round led by Eurazeo through its Brands team, taking a minority stake in the business alongside Vaultier 7.
WHO: Negin Mirsalehi co-founded Gisou (ghee-zoo) with former PricewaterhouseCoopers consultant Maurits Stibbe in 2015. The honey-fused haircare brand based in Almere, Netherlands, launched with its hero Honey Infused Hair Oil direct-to-consumer and with a handful of retailers. The business has since expanded with Sephora in North America and the Middle East, Mecca in Australia, and Selfridges in the UK.
WHY: Gisou has been expanding rapidly with 2020 investment from Vaultier7, and plans to use the fresh capital to reinforce its wholesale and direct-to-consumer businesses, expand its digital capabilities, and develop a North American team.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS: "We weren't searching for just a fund, we were searching for the right partner," Mirsalehi told WWD. "We are very protective of everything we build; it's our heritage story. We needed also to find the right partner that was aligned on the way we brand Gisou, the love we put into it and the long term—when it comes to our vision, sustainability and bees. We found the right partner for that."
"Eurazeo allows us to have a long-term vision," agreed Stibbe. "What we also like is the global presence and the deep expertise with their supporting teams. For example, we are really going deep on building a stand-alone US team, and because Eurazeo has a good presence in North America, it allows us to [do that]."
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