L’Occitane Group’s start-up incubator Obratori has taken a minority stake in Le Rouge Français, an organic and vegan lipstick brand.
WHO: Created by Elodie Carpentier and her husband, Salem Ghezaili, Le Rouge Français launched in the fall of 2018. Positioned as the first line of lipsticks made with plant pigments, the product formulations are natural, with organic and vegan certification that took 18 months of research and development. The “clean” lipsticks made in France were first introduced online before distribution in selective brick-and-mortar stores in France.
Obratori is the L’Occitane Group’s incubator located in Marseille, France. The start-up studio is for 12 beauty and well-being brands at a time with 108 workstations. The program is 23 months where the business can use the workspace and the internal resources of mentors and other experts. L’Occitane Group is the manufacturer and distributor of naturally positioned brands including L’Occitane en Provence, Melvita, and Erborian, distributed in 3,000 points of sale in 90 countries.
WHY: The undisclosed investment was made to help bolster Le Rouge Français’ growth and broaden its commercial reach into more key sales points.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS: “We support the development of cosmetics companies, wellness [companies] and retail-tech, which have proven efficacy in their products and solutions, as well as regulatory proof of so-called ‘clean’ products,” Amaury Godron, managing director of Obratori, said in a statement. “Le Rouge Français is based on strong innovations in the formulation and cosmetic packaging, made with a very high degree of naturalness, of eco-responsibility and according to good manufacturing practices—all to propose a new offer demanded by consumers wanting beauty without compromise either for their health, [products’] sensuality or desirability.”
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