Los Angeles, CA – Unilever NV (“Unilever”) has announced the acquisition of Kate Somerville Skincare LLC (“Kate Somerville Skincare” or the “Company”) for an undisclosed amount. FocalPoint acted as Financial Advisor to Kate Somerville Skincare.
Founded by Los Angeles-based Kate Somerville, the brand is one of the most trusted names in the premium US skincare market. Featuring unique Active Balance Technology™ that combines advanced active ingredients with natural botanicals, Kate Somerville’s products are known for their innovation and performance. The brand is distributed through prestige retailers in the United States, and has a growing footprint in Asia.
FocalPoint has advised Kate Somerville for a number of years since its most recent investment by JH Partners, a private investment firm based out of San Francisco. Nishen Radia, Managing Partner at FocalPoint, commented, “This transaction represents another successful closing for our Personal Care group and the culmination of many years of working with the Company as both financial advisor and board member. We are thrilled to have worked on this transaction and look forward to watching Katie and the Company enjoy even greater success as part of Unilever.”
Vasiliki Petrou, Unilever SVP Prestige Brands, said, “We are excited to be adding Kate Somerville to the Unilever Prestige personal care portfolio. The most photographed faces in Hollywood trust Kate Somerville Skincare for its high quality ingredients, proven results, and touch of glamour. It is a highly differentiated brand that is well placed in the dermocosmetic segment of the skin care category.”
“In recent years Kate Somerville Skincare has also made inroads into the fast growing Asian market, with successful launches in several countries across the region. We believe it has exciting growth potential and look forward to bringing its breakthrough products to new markets. Its premium positioning effectively complements our existing portfolio,” explained Petrou.
Kate Somerville, Founder, added: “I’m extremely proud of everything we’ve accomplished to make Kate Somerville Skincare into the company it is today. Our treatments such as Exfolikate and Dermal Quench have become tried-and-true customer favourites. Unilever shares our commitment to quality, innovation and bringing consumers the best possible products. Its scale and long history building iconic brands makes Unilever the perfect partner in the next stage of our journey and I’m confident it will take Kate Somerville Skincare to even greater heights.”
About FocalPoint Partners
FocalPoint is an independent investment bank, specializing in mergers and acquisitions, private placements (both debt and equity), financial restructurings and special situation transactions. With offices in Los Angeles and Chicago, the firm serves middle-market clients throughout the U.S. and has a dedicated consumer products team with a sub-specialty in Personal Care and Cosmetics. For more information about FocalPoint, visit focalpointllc.com.
Please contact Nishen Radia at 310-405-7040 with any questions about this transaction.