09.06.23
The European fund of leading global investment firm L Catterton has acquired a significant minority stake in Swedish sustainable professional hair care brand Maria Nila. Marcus Wikström, the son of Maria Nila’s founders, will continue to lead the company and remain as CEO.
Maria Nila’s 100% vegan hair care products have expanded into Europe and the US in the past five years.
“Maria Nila represents a compelling opportunity to partner with a truly sustainable and vegan brand in the beauty space,” said Luigi Feola, a managing partner in L Catterton’s Europe Fund. “We look forward to partnering with the entire Maria Nila team to support the company’s growth and build on the brand’s authentic values, which strongly resonate with stylists and consumers alike.”
By partnering with L Catterton, Maria Nila says it aims to accelerate this growth further by expanding the brand, product portfolio and sales channels on a global level.
“At Maria Nila, we have always been driven by a single purpose – to provide the world with professional beauty in a friendly, curious, and honest way – and to do this responsibly and sustainably. As the second generation of a family-owned business, I am incredibly excited to partner with a firm who shares our commitment to these core values,” said Wikström. “This partnership will allow us to accelerate the development of our product portfolio and brand and expand even further across key European and US markets. With L Catterton’s successful track record of supporting founder-led and family businesses, we are confident that we’ve found the right partner.”
L Catterton has experience investing globally in beauty and fashion brands. Current and past investments in the space include, Ganni, Elemis, The Honest Company, Bliss, Etro, Beauty Industry Group and Tula, among many others. Its most recent partnership will allow Maria Nila to leverage L Catterton's investment expertise, category knowledge, consumer insights and strategic relationships in the beauty sector, officials said.