🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

L’Oréal and Fireside worked together before CHOSEN

• L’Oréal’s BOLD fund, its corporate venture arm, began working with Fireside Ventures in 2019. That year, L’Oréal invested in Fireside Fund II, Fireside’s second fund, to back emerging Indian consumer brands and build ties with India’s startup scene 1.
• That earlier investment helps explain why both firms now back an Indian skincare company that leans on dermatologist recommendations instead of broad retail sales 1.

Indian skincare labels are aiming at a global skin of color market

• The investment fits a wider effort to build Indian consumer brands that can grow outside the country, which was part of L’Oréal’s 2019 bet on Fireside Fund II 1.
• One route involves products for melanin-rich skin, aimed at a wider skin of color market across places like Latin America and East Asia.
• If the expert-led model succeeds, other direct-to-consumer brands may follow it. Early professional credibility could build a sturdier business than heavy marketing alone.