Unilever Ventures doubles down on Straand, the Australian start-up challenging the global haircare industry with prebiotic ingredients to improve the scalp microbiome. The brand secured an additional $2.62 million in funding.
WHO: Melbourne-headquartered Straand was founded in 2022 by Sarah Hamilton, Jeremy Hunt, Tim Brown, Nick Morris, and Meagan Pate, who is the General Manager. The founders saw an opportunity to address scalp concerns in mass-market distribution without harsh chemicals. The range currently comprises four prebiotic scalp care products leveraging Lucas Meyer Cosmetics' trademarked prebiotic ingredient Defenscalp, which balances the biome and helps combat dry, itchy skin, and common conditions including dandruff. The brand also has a premium range in development that will launch in the US through DTC and Amazon.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS: Straand co-founder Sarah Hamilton told Smart Company, "They were excited to secure the funding and to have such a strong, strategic group of investors who love the category, scalp care/dandruff, and the global view on growth with a focus on China and the US."
She continued, “We love that we have proven the concept in Australia but our sights are firmly on international growth, the recent launches in China, South East Asia, the US, and the UK have been carefully considered as we cater to every strand. Crown care and scalp issues are not geographically limited so we are playing to our strengths where the team has operated before when determining our market entry plan.”
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