Killa Brush, a hair and scalp health startup, has raised £2.7 million in growth capital from Arete Capital Partners. The brand is rethinking the everyday hairbrush, bringing together product performance, design, hygiene and scalp health.
Co-founders Penelope Cheshire and Matt Lumb saw room for innovation in a category that has changed comparatively little, debuting Killa Brush as the base for a wider product platform across hair and scalp health. Early commercial traction includes a listing with LOOKFANTASTIC. The brand is also working with Rochelle Humes and her beauty and wellness brand, My Little Coco, as part of a strategy of building awareness through partnerships that fit its target audience and beauty positioning.
Cheshire, now CEO, started Beauty Works from her home and grew it into a globally recognised hair brand with international distribution and £50m in turnover, before private equity firm L Catterton acquired it in 2021. Lumb, now COO, previously ran Tangle Teezer as CEO. Between them, the pair have more than 25 years' combined experience in professional hair and beauty, covering brand development, retail, international distribution and scaling category-leading consumer businesses.
Fund will go towards building out management and operational capabilities, speeding up growth in the UK and overseas, and developing a broader product pipeline across the hair and scalp health category. As part of the deal, Mike Fletcher, managing partner at Arete Capital Partners, joins the board as a director.
What I've always liked about Arete is that they provide more than just the capital. They bring 'real world' experience, relationships, know-how and practical support to the entrepreneurs and businesses they back. I've known and invested alongside the team for a number of years, so when the opportunity came for them to invest in our business, I already knew the people and the way they worked. This investment gives us the platform to accelerate our plans for Killa Brush, both in the UK and internationally, while continuing to develop products that bring genuine innovation to the category.
A major part of our investment approach is backing high-quality entrepreneurs who have already demonstrated their ability to build successful businesses in markets they understand exceptionally well. Penny and Matt have exactly that experience we look for, and it was a significant part of what attracted us to Killa Brush. Hair and beauty has evolved enormously in recent years, yet the traditional hairbrush has seen relatively little meaningful innovation. The Killa Brush team has approached the category differently, bringing together product performance, scalp health and a strong consumer brand proposition. We are investing at an exciting stage in the company's development. There is a clear ambition to build the business domestically and internationally, supported by an extensive product development pipeline, and we look forward to working closely with Penny, Matt and the wider team as they deliver that plan.
