Unilever continues to shake up its stable of brands by signing an agreement to acquire the premium biotech haircare brand K18, marking another step in the optimization of Unilever’s portfolio towards higher-growth areas. Earlier this week, the consumer giant announced Yellow Wood Partners would acquire the Elida Beauty group after two years of looking for a buyer. They also sold off the Dollar Shave Club business in October.
WHO: Founded in 2020 by Suveen Sahib and Britta Cox, K18 is a biology-first haircare brand, powered by biotech that sits at the intersection of consumer and professional. Its first novel molecule, K18Peptide, mimics the human keratin structure to reverse chemical damage on all hair types in minutes, helping to replace complex hair treatment routines with immediate results. Created with over a decade of bioscience research, K18's range of six purposeful products are simple, effective, and biocompatible. K18 is distributed through professional salons, retail, and e-commerce, primarily in North America, the UK, and Australia.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS: Vasiliki Petrou, Unilever Prestige CEO, said, “We are thrilled to continue to grow our Unilever Prestige portfolio in high growth premium spaces with the addition of K18. This acquisition complements our fast-growing portfolio of premium, culturally-relevant consumer brands. What Suveen, Britta and the team have created is a testament to the importance of brands built on unparalleled science, product efficacy and community love.”
Suveen Sahib, co-founder and CEO of K18, said, “Nature is the best designer, and we’ve found that by understanding the biology of hair you can achieve true hair health and hair expression with less product, less time, and less frustration. We are elated to join forces with Unilever, who sees the value in our unique biology-first and biotech approach that is more sustainable and efficacious. Our team is proud to join its Prestige beauty business of future forward brands that deliver true impact.”
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