blow, LTD., the self-described “Uber of Beauty,” has successfully secured over £1.3 million through its Seedrs initiative, which was launched last month.
The company, which was co-founded by Fiona McIntosh (ex-Editor-in-Chief of Grazia and ELLE) and Dharmash Mistry, has delivered over 70,000 services with a consumer satisfaction score of 90% and is available from 7 a.m. to late evening hours through its app. Its stylists are vetted and tested at its beauty bar hubs, and all “on demand” professions are insured, CRB/identity checked and registered as self-employed. Customers can order the products through the app or go to Blow’s flagship beauty bars (Covent Garden or Canary Wharf).
Mistry previously stated:
“Our decision to raise ‘insider’ money and top up with crowdfunding was made partly by weighing up the options, speaking to friends about the challenging terms in the market, our need for speed (limited distraction) and a large part serendipity. We were looking for an unconventional ‘in between’ round with minimal dilution, while we build more proof points before raising more capital to scale (at a higher price).”
The company has received £500,000 from Unilever Venture and reportedly £250,000 from Nick Robertson, founder and former CEO of online fashion retailer ASOS. Tennis pro, Andy Murray has also offered up some funds towards the campaign. During a recent interview with Seedrs, Stephen Willson, investment director at Unilever Ventures, revealed:
“blow LTD is a leading player in Beauty Services on Demand in Europe, with a unique multi-channel model, comprehensive operational processes focused on quality of service delivery and innovative two-way marketplace technology. Dharmash and Fiona are reinventing the service experience and ultimately creating a new route for product distribution. We are excited to partner with them and provide access to Unilever’s assets, ecosystem and expertise.”
Funds from the campaign will go towards the delivery of the company’s product roadmap; recruiting, onboarding, quality control, and customer services process. blow will continue to test a range of organic and paid marketing channels while adding senior management talent and build operations.
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