附近上门

If you鈥檙e still buying cosmetics at a department store makeup counter, you鈥檙e missing out on experiencing one of the biggest IoT categories in the Valley.

In recent years, 鈥渂eauty startups鈥� have helped shape one of the fastest-growing areas in tech, with innovative boutique brands raising round after round thanks to hyper growth and bullish investors. Some of these disruptive companies that come to mind are admittedly ones folks over the age of 40 (30?) have probably 鈥� yet.

First up is Glossier鈥攁rguably the hottest cosmetic startup 鈥攚hich is said to be on the verge of an IPO thanks to its latest funding round. The brought Glossier鈥檚 total valuation to $400 million in March. Not bad for a three-year-old brand born out of a beauty blog and known for relying heavily on social media and a According to , 鈥淎verage monthly visits in Q4 2017 were three times higher than the same quarter in 2015.鈥�

Not far behind Glossier is cult favorite Deciem鈥攖he Toronto-based umbrella company responsible for breakout (pun) 鈥攚hich has attracted funding from . Deciem, which declined to comment on the round for this story, is experiencing successful trickle down to its other subsidiary brands despite a CEO Brandon Truaxe.

鈥淚 believe this is the coolest, most interesting category around right now,鈥� Ross Blankenship, a venture capitalist at Angel Kings, told 附近上门 News. 鈥淭he profit margins of beauty and cosmetics are so high, especially compared to perishables, which attracts investors to these fresh startups longterm.鈥� Considering the long shelf life of cleansers and lipstick, it鈥檚 no wonder this crop of e-commerce startups are faring better than the likes of Blue Apron or Juicero.

And it鈥檚 not just the 鈥渂ig names鈥� that are attracting millions in funding these days. Memebox, a former K-Beauty seller turned online product community, closed an impressive Series C round led by Formation Group, which brought the company’s The company鈥檚 aforementioned round came on the heels of its success using its online community to create cosmetic products that appeal to the coveted 18 to 34-year-old market, a spokesperson told 附近上门 News.

, an online marketplace that helps beauty and wellness professionals connect with clients, has found similar success. While its platform caters to beauty professionals鈥� needs, as opposed to consumers directly, there has been a massive transformation in this space, CEO Melody McCloskey told 附近上门 News. helps consumers find a customized service, such as booking a stylist for a certain type of braid, in 15,000 cities since its launch in 2011.

鈥淭he beauty industry is looking for a more personalized way to empower its independent entrepreneurs,鈥� McCloskey explained.

Cosmetics and grooming are naturally sticky categories. With the right strategy, these companies can use their massive funding to go to the next level, Blankenship explained.

Indeed, Glossier a flagship store in New York City and just opened a second in Los Angeles, implying on-the-ground expansion is on the horizon. Glossier could not be reached for comment for this story.

Even if taking the company public isn鈥檛 in the cards for those enduring in this category, exit prospects are still bright. Take, for example,聽, a San Francisco-based startup that allows consumers to scan their face to create a custom foundation for their exact skin shade. Matchco was by Tokyo-based Shiseido last year for an undisclosed sum.

For these 鈥渢ech beauty鈥� brands, appealing to millennials鈥� hunger for customizable, minimalist aesthetic is just the beginning, Blankenship explained. The trick is to quickly succumb to going public or a major liquidity event before someone like Amazon takes over the category. After all, with cosmetics being one of the categories more sensitive to consumer taste, it鈥檚 important to keep up with consumer needs in order to succeed long term.

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