The Anglo-Dutch consumer-goods giant continues its 2016 buying spree with the acquisition of Living Proof, Inc. for an undisclosed sum, adding to its portfolio a range of premium, problem-solving hair-care products based on “science and patented technology originating from MIT.” (Also see "Living Proof Takes An Outside Approach To Solving Everyday Hair Issues" - HBW Insight, 5 November, 2012.) Founded in 2005 by Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Robert Langer and Jon Flint of private-equity firm Polaris Venture Partners, Living Proof will join brands including Dermalogica, Kate Somerville, Murad and REN in Unilever’s prestige lineup. “The prestige hair retail market is very attractive and offers significant potential for growth,” says Unilever’s Personal Care President Alan Jope, touting Living Proof’s “compelling product result demonstrations and influencer-driven marketing.” The deal, expected to close in the first quarter of 2017, follows the firm’s purchase of Dollar Shave Club in July and Seventh Generation in September, among other pickups of late. The firm also was rumored to be in talks with The Honest Company prior to recent transactions that have made a bid for Honest less likely in analysts’ eyes. (Also see "They’re Just Like Us! Honest Celeb Brand’s Illusory Persona Fading" - HBW Insight, 30 November, 2016.)
Direct-to-consumer startup Memebox, with deep roots in Korean beauty, will use $60m of funding raised through a Series C extension...
