The haircare brand inspired by bees, Gisou by Negin Mirsalehi, has landed its first outside investor in Vaultier7 with the goal of generating $100 million in revenue in the next three years.

WHO: Negin Mirsalehi cofounded Gisou (ghee-zoo) with former PricewaterhouseCoopers consultant Maurits Stibbe in 2015. The brand offers 11 products, including the hero Honey Infused Hair Oil that was the brand’s first launch. The fashion and beauty influencer has more than six million followers on Instagram and YouTube with ongoing relationships with Valentino, Dior, and Gucci. Gisou is primarily a direct-to-consumer brand with a handful of retailers including Revolve and Galeries Lafayette on the Champs-Élysées.

Vaultier7 is a specialist fund based in London led by Anna Sweeting & Montse Suarez that looks to invest in challenger brands in beauty and personal care, health and wellness, and lifestyle. They target companies with revenues between 3 million pounds and 15 million pounds, and aim to provide growth capital between 2 million pounds and 10 million pounds.

WHY: The capital will fuel growth with a focus on North America and accelerate “high-potential” areas such as the Middle East.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS: Mirsalehi said to WWD of V7’s founders, Montse Suarez and Anna Sweeting, “They’re female-led, they understood our business, our mission. They didn’t want to take over. They really trust us in everything we do, they’re really proud of our heritage and story. And we really believe in what they are doing, so it was just a good match.”

Stibbe added that V7 “uniquely understands exactly who we are as a brand and the values of our international customer.”

Suarez and Sweeting said they were “invigorated from the outset by Negin’s passion and commitment to her community, as well as her family values, which have made the brand so special.” The investors plan to build on the sustained, rapid growth of the brand, “and prepare Gisou for significant global expansion, supported by exciting new product launches and ‘bee-based’ initiatives.”

DETAILS:

• The terms of the deal were not disclosed, although according to WWD it is understood that Vaultier7’s minority investment is in the multimillions of dollars.
• The business has been self-funded by Mirsalehi and Stibbe, who have invested $1 million since launch.
• Europe comprises 60% of Gisou’s customer base, with 40% coming from North America.
• Although principals declined to confirm Gisou’s annual revenue, WWD said it is thought to be in excess of $10 million.