DERMATOLOGIST-DEVELOPED HAIR CARE BRAND SEEN CLOSES $9 MILLION SERIES A

Leader of "skinification" of hair care continues to invest in product innovation, retail, and expanding its network of dermatology partners

NEW YORK, Sept. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- SEEN, the award-winning haircare brand developed by Harvard-trained Dermatologist Dr. Iris Rubin, has closed a $9 million Series A funding. This investment will accelerate SEEN's growth as the premier science-backed, clinically-proven beauty brand, which sits at the intersection of multiple billion-dollar markets, including haircare, sensitive skin, acne, eczema, dry scalp, and hair thinning.

The round was fully subscribed, including a strong uptake from existing and new strategic investors. Participants include Mitch Rales, Co-Founder of Danaher Corporation; Somerville SPV, led by acclaimed investor Feroz Dewan; Sator Grove Holdings, a permanent capital investor; and George Mrkonic, a Board Director of Ulta Beauty, Inc. SEEN also received early funding support from renowned Harvard dermatologists and scientists, including Dr. Rox Anderson at Harvard/Massachusetts General Hospital. 

"This marks another transformative milestone for SEEN," said Dr. Iris Rubin, Co-Founder of SEEN. "A majority of adults in the U.S. have self-described sensitive skin and over 100 million people in the U.S. suffer from acne, eczema, dry scalp, and hair shedding, which can be exacerbated by irritating, allergenic, and/or pore-clogging ingredients in hair products. Our mission is to help people feel confident being seen by providing them salon-quality hair formulations clinically proven to also be skin friendly." 

"Our Series A funding will allow us to focus on innovation, further scale our professional sampling to 10,000 dermatology practices in 2025, and expand our retail footprint," said Greg Maged, Co-Founder of SEEN. "We've had 100% compounded annual growth since our launch and consistently exceed Ulta's sales projections for the brand."

Pioneering the "skinification" of hair care, SEEN is bridging the gap between luxury haircare and skincare. The brand's success stems from Dr. Rubin's groundbreaking insight that hair products can clog pores and irritate the skin, causing acne, eczema, and other issues. After struggling for years with breakouts, Dr. Rubin identified her haircare products as the cause. Following four years of development, SEEN launched in 2019 with three core hair products and has since grown into a complete line of haircare and styling products.

"I am delighted to become an investor in SEEN and believe they are setting a new standard for performance hair care," said investor George Mrkonic, who currently serves on the Board of Ulta Beauty, Inc. "SEEN is applying skin science to haircare, which is exactly the kind of category-defining innovation that gets Ulta excited."

"When we invest in a brand, we look for companies with large market potential, strong margins, and a platform that creates unique consumer benefits. We also want to invest in leadership that is smart, agile, and driven by a passion for excellence," says Mitch Rales, SEEN investor. "SEEN embodies all these qualities." 

Widely embraced in the dermatology community, SEEN applies rigorous skin science and testing to its formulations. SEEN's Epidermal Rebalancing Technology uses efficacious skin-friendly ingredients to develop hair and body products that deliver stronger, smoother, healthier hair and healthy-looking skin. SEEN has been issued five patents, over 7,000 5-star reviews, and over a dozen beauty awards, and holds the National Eczema Association's Seal of Acceptance for its fragrance-free line. SEEN is available nationwide at HelloSeen.com, ULTA, Amazon, Dermstore, and SkinStore. 

About SEEN
Harvard-trained Dermatologist Dr. Iris Rubin created SEEN after repeatedly breaking out from hair products. A scientist at heart, she knew there had to be a better way to deliver beautiful hair while respecting the skin. Prior to launching SEEN, Dr. Iris Rubin was Medical Director of the Dermatologic and Vascular Laser Surgery Program at Children's National Medical Center in Washington DC and Maryland, where she treated children with disfiguring vascular birthmarks and scars. SEEN provides financial support to laser clinics in Armenia and Vietnam, which treat children with disfiguring birthmarks and scars. SEEN is proud to be clean, vegan, cruelty-free, and formulated without clogging oils, silicones, phthalates, parabens, dyes, gluten, or formaldehyde-releasing preservatives. 

For more information, visit https://helloseen.com/

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SOURCE SEEN