05.23.23
r.e.m. beauty, founded by Ariana Grande, is setting its sights on global growth. Grande has already conquered the music world—and soon may dominate beauty industry as she receives a major investment.
Sandbridge Capital is leading a strategic investment round for r.e.m. beauty. Partners include Strand Equity along with long-term Grande collaborators HYBE America, Live Nation Entertainment, and Universal Music Group.
Sandbridge is a private investment firm that exclusively partners with high-growth global brands.
This partnership represents an opportunity to optimize r.e.m. beauty's global potential through continued product innovation, talent acquisition, and geographic expansion to support the brand's surging global demand.
Note: Other indie beauty brands have received investments this year—DIBS Beauty partnered with L Catterton, Michelle Pfeiffer’s Henry Rose received its first external investment for the clean fragrance brand, and Makeup by Mario completed a $40 million minority growth investment.
About r.e.m beauty
Founded in 2021, r.e.m. beauty creates clean cosmetics that empower “self-expression, creativity, and confidence.” From color cosmetics to treatment and complexion products, the clean, vegan, and cruelty-free brand offers an inclusive range of shades and products accessible to all and is newly PETA certified.The brand has earned many accolades to date, including Allure's "Best Mascara" within its annual Best of Beauty Awards, Allure's Reader's Choice for "Best New Brand," and "Best Liquid Eyeliner" within Cosmopolitan's 2023 Holy Grail Beauty Awards.
r.e.m. beauty had a licensing deal with Forma Brands until earlier this year. After Forma Brands filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, Ariana Grande reached an agreement in February to purchase assets tied to r.e.m. beauty in a deal that was valued at approximately $15 million.
r.e.m. beauty is available online and currently distributed exclusively at Ulta Beauty in the United States, Sephora across Europe, and Selfridges in the UK. The brand will continue to focus on its core markets, with further expansion plans to be announced.
Looking Forward to the Next Chapter
“I'm thrilled to have these amazing partners join us at this time, supporting our vision and expansion so that fans worldwide can continue to grow with us and enjoy our products. This next chapter could not be more exciting, and I can't wait for everyone to see what is yet to come," said Ariana Grande.Michelle Shigemasa, recently appointed CEO of r.e.m. beauty, said, "This bespoke partnership with Ken Suslow and the Sandbridge team opens a world of opportunities for r.e.m. beauty to supercharge our growth through focused investment and further scale r.e.m. beauty's already highly engaged audience of beauty enthusiasts. The best is yet to come!"
“We are thrilled to come together with Ariana and her stellar r.e.m. team in support of the brand's strong growth trajectory through our global industry network and brand building expertise,” added Ken Suslow, Sandbridge Capital Founder and Managing Partner.
