05.23.22
L’Oréal’s venture capital fund has taken a minority stake in Sparty Inc., a Japanese beauty startup focused on personalized beauty. Tokyo-based Sparty has built a direct-to-consumer business model based on personalized beauty. Its brands include Medulla hair care and Hotaru skin care.
It is the first time that the VC fund, called Business Opportunities for L’Oréal Development, or BOLD, invested in a Japanese business.
“Japan is one of the most sophisticated and influential beauty markets. In Japan, personalized consumer experience is highly valued, and we are seeing new trends and innovations when it comes to personalization, especially in beauty. We are thrilled to be partnering with Sparty, a pioneer in personalized beauty as well as a game changer within Japan’s growing D2C market,” said Jean-Pierre Charriton, chief executive officer of L’Oréal Japan.
“With Sparty’s proven track record in personalization and L’Oréal’s leadership in the worldwide beauty market, we are confident that we will be able to embark on the next chapter of our growth journey and scale our business even further, both in Japan and overseas, to the fullest potential,” said Yosuke Miyama, founder and CEO of Sparty Inc.
Founded in 2018, BOLD's mission is to invest in innovative companies with high growth potential. The fund says it supports visionary entrepreneurs with L’Oréal’s expertise, networking and mentorship while preserving their autonomy. BOLD's strategic interest lies in new business models in marketing, R&D, digital, retail, communication, supply chain and packaging. BOLD is also keen to support innovative sustainable solutions on major issues like plastic pollution, water savings or energy consumption.
It is the first time that the VC fund, called Business Opportunities for L’Oréal Development, or BOLD, invested in a Japanese business.
“Japan is one of the most sophisticated and influential beauty markets. In Japan, personalized consumer experience is highly valued, and we are seeing new trends and innovations when it comes to personalization, especially in beauty. We are thrilled to be partnering with Sparty, a pioneer in personalized beauty as well as a game changer within Japan’s growing D2C market,” said Jean-Pierre Charriton, chief executive officer of L’Oréal Japan.
“With Sparty’s proven track record in personalization and L’Oréal’s leadership in the worldwide beauty market, we are confident that we will be able to embark on the next chapter of our growth journey and scale our business even further, both in Japan and overseas, to the fullest potential,” said Yosuke Miyama, founder and CEO of Sparty Inc.
Founded in 2018, BOLD's mission is to invest in innovative companies with high growth potential. The fund says it supports visionary entrepreneurs with L’Oréal’s expertise, networking and mentorship while preserving their autonomy. BOLD's strategic interest lies in new business models in marketing, R&D, digital, retail, communication, supply chain and packaging. BOLD is also keen to support innovative sustainable solutions on major issues like plastic pollution, water savings or energy consumption.