The hair salon industry in Benelux is vibrant and dynamic, reflecting changing beauty trends and consumer demands. It includes a mix of independent salons, luxury brands, and hair care product manufacturers. Services range from haircuts and coloring to specialized treatments and styling. The sector is increasingly focused on sustainability, with salons adopting eco-friendly products and practices. As digital platforms grow, online booking and product sales are becoming more essential. A shift towards personalized experiences signals a bright future, with increasing investment in technology and wellness solutions shaping the direction of the industry.

The investors listed here represent a wide span of venture capital, private equity, and corporate entities based in Benelux. With the majority headquartered in Amsterdam, Antwerp, and Brussels, these firms vary in size from small teams to large corporations. Established between 1904 and 2022, they have collectively made several investments in the hair salon industry, with 2024 bringing a total of 66 deals. This diverse array of investors showcases a growing interest in innovative beauty and personal care solutions, ensuring a competitive and robust marketplace for hair services.

Top 11 Hair Salon Investors in Benelux

1. Coty

• Website: coty.com
• Type: Corporate
• Headquarters: Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands
• Founded year: 1904
• Headcount: 10001+
• LinkedIn: coty

Coty Inc. is a global beauty company founded in 1904, headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It specializes in the development, manufacturing, and distribution of a diverse range of beauty products, including fragrances, cosmetics, and skincare. Coty serves both consumers and beauty professionals, emphasizing innovative solutions that celebrate diverse beauty. Notably, Coty has made significant acquisitions that enhance its presence in the hair salon industry, including the acquisition of ghd, a premium hairstyling brand, for £420 million in 2016. This move aimed to strengthen Coty's position in the professional hair category. Additionally, Coty's acquisition of OPI Products, which focuses on nail care through professional salons, further illustrates its engagement with beauty professionals. Coty operates with a strong commitment to sustainability and inclusivity, making it a notable player in the beauty and salon sectors.

2. Prosus Group

• Website: prosus.com
• Type: Venture Capital
• Headquarters: Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands
• Founded year: 2019
• Headcount: 10001+
• Number of deals in 2024: 21
• LinkedIn: prosus-group

Prosus Group is a global technology investor and operator based in Amsterdam, Netherlands, founded in 2019. The firm focuses on enhancing everyday life through technology and operates in diverse sectors including online classifieds, food delivery, payments, and education technology, serving over two billion customers worldwide. Prosus partners with local entrepreneurs to create valuable products and services, fostering community growth and sustainable business practices. In the beauty sector, Prosus has made significant investments, including a $10 million investment in Beauty Haul in September 2022 and participation in a funding round for Somethinc Beauty, which also raised $10 million around the same time. These transactions highlight Prosus's engagement in the beauty industry, which is relevant to hair salons and personal care services.

3. Vendis Capital

• Website: vendiscapital.com
• Type: Private Equity
• Headquarters: Machelen, Flanders, Belgium
• Founded year: 2009
• Headcount: 11-50
• Number of deals in 2024: 3
• LinkedIn: vendis-capital

Vendis Capital is a private equity investment firm based in Machelen, Flanders, Belgium, founded in 2009. The firm specializes in consumer scale-ups, providing capital and strategic support to businesses in the consumer sector to help them grow internationally and implement effective digitalization strategies. Vendis Capital focuses on collaboration with entrepreneurs to enhance market presence and achieve sustainable growth. Recently, they have made significant investments in the beauty and wellness sectors, including the acquisition of the Dutch medispa chains SOAP and BM Clinics, as well as a majority stake in Skins Cosmetics, a luxury niche beauty retailer with operations in the Netherlands, Belgium, and South Africa. These transactions highlight Vendis Capital's interest in the beauty market, which is closely related to the hair salon industry, making them a relevant investor in this space.

4. Verlinvest

• Website: verlinvest.com
• Type: Venture Capital
• Headquarters: Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
• Founded year: 1995
• Headcount: 11-50
• Number of deals in 2024: 5
• LinkedIn: verlinvest

Verlinvest is a venture capital firm based in Brussels, Belgium, founded in 1995. The firm specializes in high-growth consumer brands across various sectors, including food, beverage, health, and technology. They provide long-term capital and strategic advisory services to help brands scale and innovate. Notably, Verlinvest has invested in Juicy Chemistry, an organic skin and personal care brand, which raised $6.3 million in a Series A funding round to strengthen its position in the clean beauty segment. They also participated in the Seed II funding for Revea, a company focused on beauty technology, indicating their interest in innovative solutions within the beauty industry. These transactions highlight Verlinvest's commitment to consumer-centric brands, making them a potential investor in the hair salon sector as well.

5. VentureFriends

• Website: venturefriends.vc
• Type: Venture Capital
• Headquarters: Netherlands
• Founded year: 2016
• Headcount: 1-10
• Number of deals in 2024: 8
• LinkedIn: venturefriends

VentureFriends is a venture capital firm based in the Netherlands, founded in 2016. They specialize in early-stage investments in startups, providing both financial backing and strategic support to ambitious founders. The firm has a particular focus on sectors like FinTech and PropTech, but they have also shown interest in the beauty services industry through their investment in Funkmartini, a Greek startup that secured 510,000 euros in funding, with VentureFriends contributing 350,000 euros. This investment highlights their willingness to engage with businesses in the beauty and personal care sector, which includes hair salons. Additionally, they have participated in various other transactions, indicating a diverse investment portfolio.

6. Azelis

• Website: azelis.com
• Type: Corporate
• Headquarters: Antwerp, Flanders, Belgium
• Founded year: 2001
• Headcount: 1001-5000
• Number of deals in 2024: 5
• LinkedIn: azelis

Azelis is a corporate investor based in Antwerp, Flanders, Belgium, specializing in the distribution of specialty chemicals and providing innovation services. Founded in 2001, Azelis serves over 63,000 customers across various sectors, including life sciences and industrial markets. Notably, Azelis has made strategic acquisitions to enhance its presence in the personal care market, which is relevant to hair salons. In 2017, they acquired Ross Organic, a specialty distributor focused on personal care, which bolstered their resources in this area. Additionally, their acquisition of Eurotrading in 2022 further strengthened their position in the personal care market in Italy. These transactions highlight Azelis's commitment to providing high-quality raw materials and innovative formulations that cater to the personal care industry, including hair salons.

7. V3 Ventures

• Website: v3.ventures
• Type: Venture Capital
• Headquarters: Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
• Founded year: 2022
• Headcount: 1-10
• Number of deals in 2024: 9
• LinkedIn: v3-venture

V3 Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Brussels, Belgium, founded in 2022. The firm specializes in investing in early-stage consumer businesses across various sectors, including wellness, food, and lifestyle. V3 Ventures aims to support founders by providing capital and strategic guidance to help them build strong brands and achieve growth. Notably, they participated in the funding round for Revea, which raised $6 million to enhance its mobile experience and expand its manufacturing capabilities. This involvement in a beauty-related company, particularly one associated with Ulta Beauty, highlights their interest in the beauty and wellness sectors, which are relevant to the hair salon industry. Additionally, their other investments, such as in Deconstruct and Indu, reflect their active engagement in innovative consumer businesses, further supporting their potential relevance to hair salon investments.

8. UL Invest

• Website: ulinvest.lu
• Type: Venture Capital
• Headquarters: Luxembourg
• Founded year: 2018
• Headcount: 1-10
• LinkedIn: ulinvest

UL Invest is a venture capital firm based in Luxembourg, founded in 2018. The firm specializes in venture capital, private equity, real estate, eco-friendly tourism, and debt financing. UL Invest supports entrepreneurs and businesses by providing financial backing and operational guidance to help them grow in competitive markets. Notably, UL Invest participated in a Series A funding round for LeCiseau, a platform that raised a total of 3.2 million euros. This investment highlights UL Invest's engagement in the hair salon industry, showcasing their willingness to support businesses within this sector.

9. Expon Capital

• Website: exponcapital.com
• Type: Venture Capital
• Headquarters: Luxembourg
• Founded year: 2015
• Headcount: 1-10
• Number of deals in 2024: 2
• LinkedIn: exponcapital

Expon Capital is a venture capital firm based in Luxembourg, founded in 2015. The firm specializes in seed and scale-up funding for technology-driven startups and growth companies, with a strong emphasis on social impact and the development of the Luxembourg startup ecosystem. Notably, Expon Capital has participated in several funding rounds for Salonkee, a Luxembourg-based salon management software company. They were involved in Salonkee's Seed Round in January 2019, a Series A round in July 2021, and a Series B round in June 2023, contributing to a total of over €35 million raised by the company. This involvement highlights Expon Capital's interest in the hair salon industry, particularly in innovative solutions that improve salon management and operations.

10. Fortino Capital

• Website: fortinocapital.com
• Type: Venture Capital
• Headquarters: Antwerp, Flanders, Belgium
• Founded year: 2013
• Headcount: 11-50
• Number of deals in 2024: 9
• LinkedIn: fortinocapitalpartners

Fortino Capital is a venture capital and growth equity firm based in Antwerp, Flanders, Belgium, founded in 2013. The firm specializes in investing in B2B software companies, providing both funding and strategic support to help these businesses grow and scale effectively. Notably, Fortino Capital has participated in funding rounds for Salonkee, a Luxembourg-based salon management software company, which raised €28 million in a Series B round in June 2023, and $7,298,334 in a Series A round in July 2021. These transactions highlight Fortino's engagement in the hair salon industry through technology that supports salon operations, demonstrating their capability and interest in this sector.

11. Newion

• Website: newion.com
• Type: Venture Capital
• Headquarters: Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands
• Founded year: 2000
• Headcount: 11-50
• Number of deals in 2024: 6
• LinkedIn: newion-investment-management-b-v

Newion Partners is a venture capital firm based in Amsterdam, Netherlands, founded in 2000. They specialize in investing in early-stage technology companies, particularly in the business software sector. Newion provides capital, expertise, and support to help these companies scale and achieve market leadership, focusing on businesses located in North/West Europe. Notably, Newion has participated in funding rounds for Salonkee, a Luxembourg-based salon management software company, contributing to both its Series A and Series B funding rounds. In the Series A round on July 23, 2021, Salonkee raised approximately $7.3 million, and in the Series B round on June 12, 2023, they raised €28 million. These investments highlight Newion's engagement in the hair salon industry through technology solutions that enhance salon management and operations.

Hair Salon Insights: Key Investors in Benelux

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