Nontoxic beauty brand True Botanicals just closed off its Series A Round. The company raised $8 million, led by Sonoma Brands and including prior investors Unilever Ventures and Cue Ball Capital.
WHO: Mill Valley, California-based True Botanicals was founded in 2014 by Hillary Peterson. Previously a marketing executive at Levi Strauss & Co., Peterson switched career paths after a thyroid cancer diagnosis caused her to evaluate all the beauty products she was using. True Botanicals has become a voice in the clean beauty category and is the first personal care brand to have its entire product line approved by the stringent Made Safe labelling certification. The business is built primarily on a direct-to-consumer distribution strategy but does sell to select retailers.
WHY: This financing round will help the company realize its goal of proving that consumers can experience incredible results without risking exposure to toxins.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS: “We are thrilled to have Sonoma Brands lead this raise because they share our passion for quality and innovation and support our mission to transform the beauty industry into a wellness industry,” said Hillary Peterson, founder of True Botanicals. “It’s meaningful to have the continued support of our prior investors, Unilever Ventures and Cue Ball Capital, who have constantly supported our strict standards and aggressive goals and helped us reach this important milestone. Our entire team is honored to have such an outstanding group of investors supporting our efforts.”
Christina Mace-Turner, CEO of True Botanicals, said “Many people refer to True Botanicals as a beauty brand, but I see it as much more than that. Our mission is far greater than just helping give people the results they are looking for. We are equally committed to the well being of our customers and the planet, and making nontoxic products that actually work is at the core of how we support both. We are grateful for the support of our investors and this additional funding, which will allow us to continue to grow the business in the years to come.”
Jon Sebastiani, Founder of Sonoma Brands, said “Hillary and Christina have built an incredible brand defined by authenticity, a relentless focus on quality and innovation, and a deep demand for efficacy. While our roots are in the culinary arena, this investment represents exactly the type of business and entrepreneurs that Sonoma Brands was created to partner with. We look forward to helping the True Botanicals team execute on their vision of building one of the world’s top 100 beauty brands.”
Anna Ohlsson-Baskerville, Director at Unilever Ventures, said “Unilever Ventures is delighted to continue backing Hillary, Christina and the team for True Botanicals’ next phase of growth. Their vision and innovation for a digitally-led approach to prestige skin care combined with the outstanding quality of the True Botanicals beauty line clearly resonates with consumers. We are thrilled to be part of this journey with them.”
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