Hot on the heels of its investment in Korean fragrance brand BORNTOSTANDOUT, which “explores provocative and non-conformist olfactory territories,” L’Oréal’s venture capital fund BOLD has now turned its sights to the ever-expanding Indian beauty market.
A Linkedin post from the company declared it was “expanding our beauty’s horizons in India.”
BOLD has invested in two new brands: science-driven skin care brand Deconstruct and clean hair care brand Arata.
BOLD said that Deconstruct has “built a powerful new niche in the Indian skin care landscape, with their remarkable 10x growth showing the appeal of their highly effective yet gentle products,”
It partnered alongside DSG Consumer Partners and V3 Ventures on the company’s Series A funding.
Deconstruct itself said it was “on a mission to place ‘information over impulse’.”
The brand focuses on gel-based sunscreens tailored for India’s hot and humid climate and aims to share information to help Indian skin care shoppers make the right choices for their skin type and condition.
“Our products deliver faster skin care results with the use of science-based actives, avoiding any short or long-term side effects,” it claims.
The firm, which was founded by Malini Adapureddy, said the new funds will be used for product innovation and to reinforce leadership in existing segments like sunscreen and serums. The capital will also used to expand into quick commerce and retail to enhance accessibility.
Arata offers India-specific hair care
Meanwhile L’Oréal’s VC arm has also participated in a Series A round that was led by Unilever Ventures to help fund the hair care brand Arata.
According to BOLD, this brand is “demonstrating how India-specific hair care solutions and ingredient transparency are speaking strongly to Indian consumers today.”
Unilever Ventures called Arata a “cutting-edge hair care brand tailored for Indian hair.”
“Arata has impressed us with its innovative products, impactful marketing strategies, and outstanding growth,” it said in a statement on Linkedin.
“We are thrilled to partner with Dhruv Madhok and Dhruv Bhasin as they lead Arata into its next phase of ambitious growth and success.”
The brand calls itself “specialists in beauty and care for Indian hair” and says it works with dermatologists and skin care experts to “craft scientifically advanced and sustainable products.”
Arata previously appeared on TV show Shark Tank India Season 3, where it won the hearts of some of the judges.
“We will continue to invest in innovation, consumer research, distribution across our website, quick commerce and marketplaces to build India’s most-loved brand,” said co-founders Dhruv Bhasin and Dhruv Madhok.
