Indu, a British beauty brand focused on teenagers, has successfully completed its first institutional funding round, raising £4 million to fuel its physical retail expansion across the UK.
This funding round was led by Unilever Ventures, the venture capital arm of Unilever, in partnership with V3 Ventures, a consumer-focused venture capital fund, and prominent industry angel investors.
Indu’s co-founder and executive chair, Aaron Chatterley, expressed excitement about the investment, stating: “Having Unilever Ventures and V3 on board—both with a strong track record in supporting and scaling iconic beauty and consumer brands—is truly a dream come true for us.
“Bringing in two incredible venture funds in Unilever Ventures and V3 with such strong experience in backing and scaling some iconic beauty and consumer brands was really the dream ticket for us.
“Raising money in the current economic climate is not easy, so closing this round is a testament to the very clear opportunity that Indu has to create a category-defining beauty brand for teens.”
Indu, co-founded by Aaron Chatterley, Reena Hammer, and Richard Schiessl, offers a skincare and cosmetics range designed to resonate with teen trends, lifestyles, and habits, providing a gateway for teenagers to explore beauty in a holistic, relatable, and healthy way.
The brand’s offerings include teen-approved, parent-trusted skincare products like cleansers, moisturizers, and masks, along with makeup for the eyes, lips, cheeks, and face. Their innovative, school-friendly ‘Colourless’ collection features invisible makeup such as lip oil, eyebrow gel, and lash gel.
All products are formulated to be microbiome-friendly and suitable for every teen skin tone and type. The packaging is recyclable and thoughtfully designed with teens in mind, offering refill options for moisturizers and cleansers.
Indu’s messaging is crafted to educate and appeal to both teens and their parents, with all new product development being community-led by a teen committee of over 250 diverse beauty enthusiasts. Additionally, Indu’s board includes 14 advisors who are influential voices in the beauty and fashion industries, ensuring the brand continually evolves.
Anna Ohlsson-Baskerville, partner at Unilever Ventures, said: “By creating a line that is for teens, by teens, Indu has found a way to bring them the aspirational products that they need and want while providing parents with the reassurance that they are designed specifically for teen skin.”
Jimmy Dietz, partner at V3 Ventures, added: ““We are incredibly impressed with the Indu team and their dedication to creating safe and appropriate products specifically tailored to teenage skin and lifestyles. Their commitment to addressing the unique needs of teenagers sets them apart in the beauty industry, and we’re very excited to support their mission.”
