Evolvetogether Raises Seed Investment
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Personal care brand Evolvetogether, launched by Cynthia Sakai during the pandemic with masks that were worn by the likes of Justin Bieber and Vice President Kamala Harris, has secured funding from some well-known names in the beauty industry.
The seed round was led by True Beauty Ventures, with participation from G9 Ventures and Gregg Renfrew, the founder of Beautycounter, which was acquired by The Carlyle Group in 2021 in a deal that valued it at $1 billion.
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Terms of the investment were not disclosed, but sources told WWD Evolvetogether is on track to hit $10 million in sales.
Rich Gersten, cofounder and managing partner of True Beauty Ventures, said he spent more than a year getting to know Sakai and is impressed with her ability to understand and respond to consumer needs, “whether that was with fashionable and more comfortable masks during COVID-19 and now with luxury, sustainable daily essentials in personal care.”
Sakai, a CFDA designer, ran jewelry line Vita Fede, but when the pandemic hit, she started creating medical-grade masks and those ended up being worn by the likes of Bieber, Angelina Jolie, Ariana Grande and Harris and her family at the inauguration of President Joe Biden.
Since then, Evolveotgether has expanded its offering to personal care in general, focusing on everyday essentials, which include Monaco Hydrating Body Cream, $48; Havana Natural Deodorant, $22; Malibu Hand Sanitizer Starter Set, $22, and Anguilla Hydrating Lip Balm, $26. Masks also are still available.
Sakai told WWD that the funds will be used to scale the business, including talent and marketing. “Especially for us, because none of our formulas are off the shelf, there’s definitely a lot of R&D time from our fragrance to our formula, even our packaging. Everything is custom.”
Indeed, packaging is biodegradable, reusable, forever-recyclable or dissolvable.
Renfrew, who exited Beautycounter at the beginning of the year, said: “From Day One in the midst of the pandemic, Cynthia focused on all the right things to build Evolvetogether into a brand that matters. I am proud to support her and have every confidence in her vision.”
Griffin, who also has investments in Supergoop and Westman Atelier, added: “When we tried the EvolveTogether personal care products over a year ago, we knew we had to get involved. The formulations are simple, yet unique and highly efficacious.”
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