Beauty Rolodex: U.S. Beauty Investors

Beauty has been a hotbed of M&A activity for years now, with strategic buyers vying to take over companies and capabilities, and paying top dollar to do so. Before that, though, come the early-stage investors. That group seems to grow by the year, as more firms hope to realize outsized exits with major returns. Here, a rolodex of key U.S. venture capital and private equity investors in the beauty sphere, in alphabetical order.

 

Advent International

Headquarters: Boston

Current Beauty Investments: Olaplex

Deal Size: Invests $100M to $2B in companies with $50M-plus in sales.

Key Player: Tricia Glynn, managing director

 

Alliance Consumer Growth

Headquarters: New York and Los Angeles

Current Beauty Investments: Harry’s, Milk Makeup, Ouai, Nudestix, Pacifica, Tata Harper

Deal Size: Invests $5M to $30M in companies with $5M to $50M in sales.

Key Player: Julian Steinberg, cofounder and managing partner

 

Ancora Investment Holdings

Headquarters: Chicago

Current Beauty Investments: Indie Lee, Vapour Beauty, Taos Aer Clean Deodorant

Deal Size: Invests varying amounts in companies with up to $10 million in sales.

Key Players: Nicky Kinnaird, Lori Perella Krebs, co-founders

 

Bain Capital

Headquarters: Boston

Current Beauty Investments: Maesa, WWP Inc.

Deal Size: Invests $150M-plus in companies with $100M to $5B in sales.

Key Players: Ryan Cotton, managing director; Miray Topay, principal

 

Beechwood Capital

Headquarters: Wellesley, Mass.

Current Beauty Investments: Kosas, Shani Darden Skin Care, Violet Grey

Deal Size: Invests $2M to $5M in companies with $5M to $20M in sales.

Key Player: Larry Kahn, founder and managing partner

 

Bertram Capital Partners

Headquarters: San Mateo, Calif.

Current Beauty Investments: Paula’s Choice

Deal Size: Invests $25M to $100M in companies with between $30M to $250M in sales.

Key Player: Jeff Drazan, managing director

 

The Carlyle Group

Headquarters: Washington, D.C.

Current Beauty Investments: Perfect Diary, Tokiwa

Deal Size: Invests $50M to several billion dollars per company, in companies with at least $75M in sales.

Key Player: Jay Sammons, managing director

 

Clerisy

Headquarters: Miami

Current Beauty Investments: N/A

Deal Size: Invests $5M to $20M in companies with$10M-plus in sales.

Key Players: Alexandra Wilkis Wilson; Lisa Myers, cofounders

 

Cornell Capital

Headquarters: New York

Current Beauty Investments: Knowlton Development Corp., Blue Mistral

Deal Size: Invests $25M to $100M in companies with between $10M to $500M in sales.

Key Player: Justine Cheng, partner

 

Cult Capital

Headquarters: New York

Current Beauty Investments: Supergoop, Lawless Beauty

Deal Size: Invests up to $10M in companies with at least $2M in sales.

Key Player: Christine Holcomb, brand associate

 

DGNL Ventures

Headquarters: New York

Current Beauty Investments: N/A

Deal Size: Invests between $250,000 to $1M in companies with at least $2M in sales.

Key Player: Desiree Gruber, Nir Liberboim, co-founders

 

Encore Consumer Capital

Headquarters: San Francisco

Current Beauty Investments: Supergoop, Butter London

Deal Size: Invests $5M to $40M in companies with between $10M to $100M in sales.

Key Players: Robert Brown, managing director, Nichole Novak Ferrara, vice president

 

Fenwick Brands

Headquarters: Birmingham, Ala.

Current Beauty Investments: Madison Reed, Ursa Major

Deal Size: Invests $3M to $12M in companies with $5M-plus in sales.

Key Player: Elizabeth Stewart, partner

 

Finn Capital Partners

Headquarters: San Francisco

Current Beauty Investments: Starface, Crown Affair, Winky Lux, Kjaer Weis, Ursa Major, Needed, Cake, Plus, Vacation

Deal Size: Invests $100,000 to $1.5M in companies with up to $10M in sales.

Key Player: Pat Finn, managing partner and cofounder

 

Forerunner Ventures

Headquarters: San Francisco

Current Beauty Investments: Glossier, Curology, Prose, Necessaire

Deal Size: Invests $1M to $10M in companies with $1M to $10M-plus in sales.

Key Player: Kirsten Green, founder and managing partner

 

General Atlantic

Headquarters: New York

Current Beauty Investments: Forma Brands, Grove Collaborative

Deal Size: Invests $25M to $500M in companies of varying sizes.

Key Player: Andrew Ferrer, managing director

 

Gryphon Investors

Headquarters: San Francisco

Current Beauty Investments: RoC Skincare, Milani Cosmetics

Deal Size: Invests $50M to $500M in companies with $50M to $250M in sales.

Key Player: Matt Farron, partner

 

Grace Beauty Capital

Headquarters: New York

Current Beauty Investments: Pause Well Aging, Supergoop, Pinrose, Glamsquad, Birchbox, Harry’s

Deal Size: Invests $500,000 to $5M in companies with less than $20M in sales.

Key Player: Frank Fazzinga, president

 

Highlander Partners

Headquarters: Dallas

Current Beauty Investments: N/A

Deal Size: Varying amounts in businesses with sales between $10M and $100M

Key Player: David Olsen, managing director

 

Imaginary Ventures

Headquarters: New York

Current Beauty Investments: Bread Beauty Supply, Hum Nutrition, Nécessaire, Hawthorne, Kosas, Glossier

Deal Size: Invests $1M to $10M in companies prelaunch to $50M in sales.

Key Player: Kelly Dill, principal

 

Kainos Capital

Headquarters: Dallas

Current Beauty Investments: Beautybio

Deal Size: Invests $30M to $150M in companies with $20M to $100M in sales.

Key Player: Jay Desai, partner

 

KarpReilly

Headquarters: Greenwich, Conn.

Current Beauty Investments: BoxyCharm, Freck Beauty, Clean Skin Club

Deal Size: invests $500,000 to $25M in companies with up to $50M in sales.

Key Player: Will Mooney, vice president

 

L Catterton

Headquarters: Greenwich, Conn.

Current Beauty Investments: Bliss, Ideal Image, One Spa World, StriVectin, The Honest Co., Intercos, CoverFX, Il Makiage, Kopari, Nutrafol, Public Goods, Tula, Etvos, Marubi, Pibiplast, Espacolaser.

Deal Size: Invests $10M to $1B in companies with $5M to $1.5B-plus in sales.

Key Player: Nik Thukral, managing partner

 

Main Post Partners

Headquarters: San Francisco

Current Beauty Investments: Dr. Dennis Gross Skin Care, Sugared + Bronzed, Not Your Mother’s, Milk Makeup

Deal Size: Invests $25M to $150M+ in companies with between $25M and $250M-plus in sales.

Key Player: Jeff Mills, managing partner

 

MidOcean Partners

Headquarters: New York

Current Beauty Investments: BH Cosmetics, Image Skincare

Deal Size: Invests $30M to $50M in companies with $20M to $250M in sales.

Key Players: Sara Parker, principal; Matt Rubel, chairman

 

New Theory Ventures

Headquarters: Houston and Los Angeles

Current Beauty Investments: Owa Hair, Selfish, Scotch Porter

Deal Size: Invests $1M-$20M in companies with up to $40M in sales.

Key Players: Nikki Eslami and Rob Sebastian, co-founders and partners

 

North Castle Partners

Headquarters: Greenwich, Conn.

Current Beauty Investments: N/A

Deal Size: Invests $10M to $50M in companies with more than $10M in sales.

Key Player: Rich Gersten, industry adviser

 

Point King Capital

Headquarters: San Francisco and Sydney

Current Beauty Investments: The Beauty Chef, Bybi, Esmi Skin Minerals

Deal Size: Invests $250,000 to $50M in companies of varying sizes.

Key Player: Sam McKay, founding partner

 

Prelude Growth Partners

Headquarters: New York

Current Beauty Investments: 8Greens, Sol de Janeiro, Summer Fridays, Westman Atelier

Deal Size: Invests $8M to $30M in companies with between $8M to $50M in sales.

Key Players: Neda Daneshzadeh, partner, Alicia Sontag, partner

 

San Francisco Equity Partners

Headquarters: San Francisco

Current Beauty Investments: Yes To, Jane Iredale

Deal Size: Invests $10M to $50M in companies with $10M to $75M in sales.

Key Player: Scott Potter, managing partner

 

Sandbridge Capital

Headquarters: New York

Current Beauty Investments: Ilia, Peach & Lily, Youth to the People

Deal Size: Invests $10M to $30M in companies of varying sizes.

Key Player: Ken Suslow, founding managing partner

 

Silas Capital

Headquarters: New York

Current Beauty Investments: Ilia Beauty, Herbivore, Hatch Collection, Function of Beauty, Everden, Zitsticka

Deal Size: Invests $3M to $10M in companies with sales between $5M and $25M.

Key Player: Brian Thorne, partner

 

Sonoma Brands

Headquarters: Sonoma, Calif.

Current Beauty Investments: Hum Nutrition, True Botanicals, Versed, Merit

Deal Size: Invests $2M to $5M in companies with $3M to $30M in sales.

Key Player: Kevin Murphy, managing director

 

Stage1 Fund

Headquarters: Anaheim Hills, Calif.

Current Beauty Investments: Ellis Brooklyn, Freck Beauty, Hatch Collection, Herbivore Botanicals, Saie

Deal Size: Invests $100,000 to $2M in early-stage Stage1 clients.

Key Player: Lila Sharifian, chief financial officer, personal care and beauty

 

Stripes Group

Headquarters: New York

Current Beauty Investments: Kosas

Deal Size: Invests $10M-$100M+ in companies with $10M+ in sales.

Key Player: Christianne Molina, associate

 

Swander Pace

Headquarters: San Francisco

Current Beauty Investments: Glo Skin Beauty, J.R. Watkins

Deal Size: Invests $10M to $60M in companies with between $20M and $300M in sales.

Key Player: Mo Stout, managing director

 

TA Associates

Headquarters: Boston

Current Beauty Investments: Paula’s Choice, MAV Beauty Brands

Deal Size: Invests $50M to $500M in companies of varying sizes.

Key Player: Jeffrey Barber, managing director

 

Topspin Consumer Partners

Headquarters: Mamaroneck, N.Y.

Current Beauty Investments: Japonesque, reCommerce

Deal Size: Invests $10M to $35M in companies with $20M to 100M in sales.

Key Player: Leigh Randall, managing partner

 

TPG

Headquarters: San Francisco

Current Beauty Investments: Rodan + Fields, Anastasia Beverly Hills (TPG Capital), Beautycounter, Ipsy (TPG Growth).

Deal Size: TPG Capital invests $100M-plus in companies with $100M-plus in sales. TPG Growth invests $50M to $200M in companies with $30M-plus in sales.

Key Players: Paul Hackwell, partner, TPG Capital / Heather Smith Thorne, partner, TPG Growth

 

Traub Capital

Headquarters: New York

Current Beauty Investments: Mana Products, EverPro GreyAway

Deal Size: Invests $15M to $50M per acquisition in companies with $50M to $250M in sales.

Key Player: Mortimer Singer, managing partner

 

True Beauty Capital

Headquarters: New York

Current Beauty Investments: Aquis, K18

Deal Size: Invests $1M to $3M in companies with more than $2M in sales.

Key Player: Rich Gersten, founder and managing partner

 

TSG Consumer Partners

Headquarters: San Francisco

Current Beauty Investments: Huda Beauty, Hempz, Zoeva, Makeup Revolution

Deal Size: Invests $200M to $800M in companies with between $100M and $1B in sales.

Key Players: Hadley Mullin, senior managing director, Colin Welch, managing director

 

VMG Partners

Headquarters: San Francisco

Current Beauty Investments: Briogeo, Necessaire, Perfect Diary, Musely, Hello Bello

Deal Size: Invests $10M to $150M in companies with $10M to 500M in sales.

Key Players: Robin Tsai, general partner, Alisa Williams, partner

 

Waldencast

Headquarters: New York and London

Current Beauty Investments: C16 Biosciences, Costa Brazil, Manual.co, Kjaer Weis, Salve, Stealth Beauty Company

Deal Size: Invests $1M to $20M in companies with between $2M and $40M in sales.

Key Player: Michel Brousset, founder and ceo

Windsong Capital Partners/Windsong Brands

Headquarters: Westport, Conn.

Current Beauty Investments: Lilah B.

Deal Size: Invests $3M to $30M in companies with sales between $3M and $10M.

Key Player: William Sweedler, ceo

 

Yellow Wood Partners

Headquarters: Boston

Current Beauty Investments: PPI Beauty: Freeman Beauty, Real Techniques, EcoTools, Isle of Paradise, Tan Luxe, Tanologist.

Deal Size: Invests $10M to $300M in companies with $20M and $250M in sales.

Key Player: Tad Yanagi, partner

 

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