Leading sustainable beauty brand LOLI Beauty received a seed investment from Natura & Co.'s venture fund, Fable Investments.
WHO: Founded by beauty industry veteran Tina Hedges in 2016, Loli Beauty was launched to stir up a conscious change in beauty, with the world and its population in mind at each level of production. Products are 100% waterless and formulated to the Made Safe standard and packaged in reusable, food-grade, and certified bio-compostable packaging.
Fable Investments is described by Natura & Co. as a "purpose-driven corporate investment vehicle" that builds on the Brazilian company's experience of scaling premium brands. The group will make 10 to 15 minority investments in small brands that already have proof of concept and a strong direct-to-consumer offering, investing between a few hundred thousand dollars up to about $10 million, depending on the deal. Fable will consider holding on to investments longer than the traditional private equity three to five years.
WHY: The investment will aid in scaling sales at Ulta Beauty, building inventory, and ramping up marketing.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS: "We launched with a direct-to-consumer focus and between 2018 and 2019 we grew 1,000 percent," Hedges said. The brand pulled back in 2020 during the pandemic, but launched with Ulta earlier this year with plans to roll into about 350 stores and online.
"What really triggered our interest in LOLI is the fact that it really, really pushed the boundaries of upcycling and sustainability to a point that we have not witnessed, honestly," said Thomas Buisson, director at Fable Investments. He said he was also impressed with the products, which he said are well differentiated. "Potentially you will be a little bit surprised by some of the aromas or the textures," he said.
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