Universal Beauty Group Expands Its Capital to Finance Development
9.12.2021 21:15:00 EET | Business Wire | Press release
The French natural cosmetics company, known for its Végétalement Provence brand, announces a €6m capital raise from a group of investors led by Connect Pro, an investment fund based in Marseille.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211209005914/en/
(Photo: Végétalement Provence)
New shareholders
The arrival of new investors to develop Végétalement Provence, is led by Connect Pro alongside the private equity funds BNP Paribas Développement and Etoile Capital, whose membership of leading banking groups, will ensure the sustainability of the support. The financing is completed by the Région Sud Investissement fund.
« We were won over by the commitment and geographic proximity of Connect Pro and its co-investors, to help companies of our region to grow in France and internationally».
Vincent Faraco,
Co-Founder of Universal Beauty Group
Following the transaction, the founders, Vincent Faraco and Jean-Marc Delabre, will remain reference shareholders and will continue to lead the group.
« We are proud to invest in Universal Beauty Group, which will be the first investment of our new Sud Rebound fund launched in June this year. This venture in the heart of the local economic ecosystem is fully in line with our strategy to support the development of key business in our region».
Franck Paoli,
President and Founder of Connect Pro
Partners in growth
The investors’ entry into the company’s capital will allow the business to accelerate its development in the rapidly expanding natural beauty sector, a market expected to show annual growth of 6-9% over the period 2021-2027.
This transaction follows the first investment in the company’s capital in 2017 made by the private-equity fund Audacia, whose support has made it possible to double the number of product references and open 3 own-brand concept salons alongside about twenty independent concept salons under the Végétalement Provence brand, including the most recent salon opened in Lyon in October.
Végétalement Provence – a committed beauty brand
In 2008, Universal Beauty Group started as a distributor of haircare brands before launching its own brand Végétalement Provence in 2011 to offer hairdressing professionals a technical product that was kinder to the environment and customers’ health. In the space of a few years, Végétalement Provence has become a premium beauty brand recognized as much by professionals as by a general public in search of wellness.
With 170,000 products sold in 2020, Universal Beauty Group forecasts sales of €4m in 2021, with an EBITDA margin of around 20%. 70% of sales are made in mainland France, 15% in the French island of Reunion, and 15% internationally. Its eco-responsible products have been rewarded with numerous prizes for their innovation, and are acclaimed by international colourists and hair stylists in search of natural and high-performance products. The brand is distributed via more than 500 points of sale and through its own e-shop.
Established in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence in the South of France since 2014, Universal Beauty Group, with the support of its teams, training academy, and logistics base, is ready to become a major player in alternative cosmetics and beauty.
« We are delighted to welcome our new partners who will bring their vision and support to the growth of Végétalement Provence whose potential is limitless ».
Jean-Marc Delabre,
Co-Founder of Universal Beauty Group
Among the projects for Végétalement Provence
The product range, designed and developed in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence will be further expanded. With the support of its new investor base focused on the region, Universal Beauty will place a particular emphasis on innovation
The company also plans to open a concept store in Paris in Spring 2022, a new base for Végétalement Provence. A significant investment will be dedicated to the digital development of the brand and to support e-commerce. Previously centred more on its domestic market, the new round of financing will allow the company to consolidate its international expansion.
"We are delighted to accompany the leaders of Végétalement Provence in this great adventure. With its unique products, Végétalement Provence responds to a fundamental trend. The increase in the number of people looking for natural products continues to grow and will offer significant development opportunities."
Rémy Garello,
Managing Director of Connect Pro
Fundraising process
The transaction is the conclusion of a competitive process launched in May 2021 to search for an investor. The process attracted very strong interest both in France and abroad from haircare and beauty companies, as well as private equity and family offices.
Universal Beauty Group was advised by Richard Morgan Advisory (Richard Morgan) and the law firm Volt Associés (Stéphane Letranchant, Lucas d'Orgeval). The investors were advised by the law firm Nova Partners (Olivier Nett, Julien Immoff), with the financial audit carried out by Deloitte Finance (Thomas Gorguis).
Universal Beauty Group - Végétalement Provence
Since its launch in 2011, with its hair and skincare ranges, Végétalement Provence quickly established itself as a real alternative to major brands among hairdressers and beauty professionals.
Its efficient plant-based product ranges, with natural and organic sourcing, meet the needs of a demanding professional public looking for technical prowess with a philosophy of eco-responsibility. In addition to the attractiveness and performance of its products, Universal Beauty Group benefits from a network of professional customers whose resale rate of Végétalement Provence products is unparalleled. While the usual resale rate of the sector in France is around 5%, it exceeds 20% with Végétalement Provence.
Today the brand offers a range of over 275 different beauty product references including 140 in hair and skincare for the general public, covering all needs.
Its ranges combine not just beauty and health, but also wellness based on the foundation of innovation and commitment.
The development of creative styling products, and the introduction of a specific line for ethnic hair, complete the product range. The Essentiels collection, with its shampoos and conditioners, has become a must-have for lovers of the brand.
For its professional clientele, Végétalement Provence offers a range of more than 130 colouring references, with an offer by oxidation and an organic offer based on plant powder.
Végétalement Provence currently has about twenty employees in its Saint-Rémy-de-Provence headquarters.
Connect Pro
Since its creation in 2007, Connect Pro has been supporting small and midcap businesses in the South of France in their development and transmission needs with more than €70m in capital invested. Among the latest equity investments, Mariton designs, manufacturer and distributer of custom-made mosquito nets and interior blinds, EITP, a heating and air-conditioning company and Pharma Santé Développement, a group of independent pharmacies. With Sud Rebond, Connect Pro launched its third fund in June 2021 with a fundraising of more than €15m from institutional investors and entrepreneurs in the South-East of France. It will be completed by a second round of fundraising in the first half of 2022 to reach €25m.
BNP Paribas Développement
One of the private equity funds of the BNP Paribas banking group, BNP Paribas Développement, manages €1 billion of its own funds, investing directly to support the development of successful mid-sized companies. BNP Paribas Développement, whose mission is to support management teams in the realization of medium-term strategic projects, has a portfolio of more than 400 holdings.
www.bnpparibasdeveloppement.com
Etoile Capital
Etoile Capital, a subsidiary of the bank Crédit du Nord, is a shareholder of French small business in widely diversified sectors, with a portfolio currently of about twenty investments. It positions itself as a shareholder in the capital of corporate clients of the various regional banks that make up the Crédit du Nord group. The fund brings to the shareholders and managers of its invested companies its expertise in strategic thinking and the means to accelerate development.
www.corporatefinance.groupe-credit-du-nord.fr
Région Sud Investissement
Région Sud Investissement is the regional investment company created in 2010 by the Southern Region of France to support the emergence and development of high growth companies.
Région Sud Investissement, endowed with €134m, benefits from the support of the European Union through the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund), which contributes 42% of its funding. Région Sud Investissement is advised by Turenne Groupe in the management of its holdings.
www.regionsudinvestissement.com
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211209005914/en/
Contact information
Press relations
Marijke ZIJLSTRA SAMB
+ 33 4 26 78 45 76 / +33 6 88 25 21 83
mzs@vegetalement.com
Financial communication
Stéphanie MILLAS
+ 33 4 26 78 45 70 / +33 6 77 85 02 38
sm@vegetalement.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Enry’s Island Unveils “Enry’s Island Adventures”: Venture Capital Becomes a Videogame and Launches the “Strap” Movement on Kickstarter3.4.2026 10:47:00 EEST | Press release
Enry’s Island SpA (WBAG: EIOS), the world’s first publicly traded Venture Builder, today announced the upcoming Kickstarter launch of Enry’s Island Adventures (EIA), developed by its New York-based portfolio company, Enry’s Island Adventures LLC. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260402548535/en/ The game is designed to make venture capital accessible to new generations, transforming startup creation into an engaging and social gaming experience. After three years of R&D, EIA introduces a "bleisure" model (business + leisure): players learn to launch and manage startups through gameplay that includes real business KPIs, a customizable and evolving personal island, synchronous and asynchronous multiplayer modes, social events, and community-driven seasonal missions. The “VC revolution”: teaching and democratizing through play "I agree with Elon Musk that the best way to teach is through a video game, and this is
SES Announces Results of the Annual General Meeting2.4.2026 17:49:00 EEST | Press release
SES (the “Company”) held the Annual General Meeting (“AGM”) of Shareholders today in Betzdorf, Luxembourg. Following the recommendations made by the Board of Directors of SES, the shareholders have voted in favor of all resolutions, including the Company’s 2025 annual accounts and the proposed annual dividend of EUR 0.50 per A-share (EUR 0.20 per B-share). The total dividend amount comprises the interim dividend of EUR 0.25 per A-share (EUR 0.10 per B-share), which has already been paid to shareholders on October 16, 2025. The final dividend of EUR 0.25 per A-share (EUR 0.10 per B-share) will be paid to shareholders on April 16, 2026. “I would like to sincerely thank our shareholders for their active engagement, visionary support and continued confidence in SES’ strategy,” said Adel Al-Saleh, CEO of SES. “The outcomes of today’s AGM underscore our shared commitment to a bold multi-orbit approach, with Medium Earth Orbit as the strategic backbone of a dynamically evolving global interco
Forrester: Three Years Into GenAI, Enterprises Are Still Chasing Its True Transformative Value2.4.2026 17:00:00 EEST | Press release
According to Forrester’s (Nasdaq: FORR) latest report, Accelerate Your AI Voyage, most enterprises are struggling to turn growing AI adoption and investment into measurable business impact. One of the key factors holding businesses back is low artificial intelligence quotient (AIQ) — Forrester’s measure of AI aptitude — with many employees lacking a clear understanding of how to use AI. Other barriers include an overemphasis on productivity-focused use cases, difficulty measuring impact, and siloed adoption within individual functions. While these challenges can leave firms frozen in doubt or indecision, the wait-and-see approach to AI adoption is no longer viable. To unlock AI’s full potential, organizations need to focus on four key areas: Define the business outcomes and success metrics for what they want AI to achieve; identify specific use cases for AI deployment aligned to those business outcomes; establish a structured runway to plan, test, and strategically time the deployment
Andersen Consulting Adds Multiplica2.4.2026 16:30:00 EEST | Press release
Andersen Consulting enters into a Collaboration Agreement with Multiplica, a digital consulting firm that helps organizations design, build, and scale impactful digital experiences. Founded in Spain with a presence in Latin America and the U.S., Multiplica focuses on user research and discovery, customer experience research, digital strategy, data modeling and analysis, report automation and data visualization, conversion rate optimization, product design, and user experience design. The firm helps organizations accelerate digital transformation by building digital capabilities, teams, and assets that advance expertise across digital products, consulting, and talent development. Multiplica enables clients to forecast emerging trends in digital experience and transform their businesses through enhanced digital channels and customer engagement. “Collaborating with Andersen Consulting represents an exciting opportunity to extend our reach and impact,” said David Boronat, CEO of Multiplica
Brightfin Unifies Brand Following Proven Optics Merger, Delivering a New Standard for Technology Cost Optimization2.4.2026 16:00:00 EEST | Press release
Brightfin today announced that, following its merger with Proven Optics, the combined company will operate under a single brand: Brightfin. The unified company brings together deep expertise in Technology Expense Management (TEM) and IT Financial Management (ITFM) to help organizations better understand, manage, and reduce total technology spend. Technology spending will exceed $6 Trillion this year, and for most organizations, it remains one of the least understood. CIOs can tell you what they’re spending. Far fewer can tell you whether it’s working. “Over the past several months, we’ve brought these two businesses together around a shared purpose: help enterprise businesses better understand and optimize their technology spend,” said Joel Martins, CEO of Brightfin. “What we are seeing now is a shift. Visibility alone isn’t enough. Teams need to be able to act, tied to real financial outcomes. See Clearly. Spend Better. That is our north star, and that is what our platform is built to
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom