This article was published on April 5, 2013

Southeast Asian online cosmetics store Luxola lands Series A round from GREE Ventures


Southeast Asian online cosmetics store Luxola lands Series A round from GREE Ventures

Luxola, a Singapore-based startup that sells cosmetics and skincare products online, has raised an undisclosed Series A round from GREE Ventures — the VC arm of Japanese games giant GREE — that will enable it to expand its offerings in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines.

Luxola — which competes with Rocket Internet-backed Glossybox and Singapore’s Vanitytrove, among others — was founded in September 2011 by Colorado-born Alexis Horowitz-Burdick who has lived in Asia for five years. The startup previously raised a SG$740,000 (around US$600,000) seed-stage round with participation from Singaporeʼs National Research Foundation, Wavemaker Labs and private angel investors.

In conjunction with news of the investment, the company is also revealing that it has made two prominent hires. Christine Ng, formerly of eBay and French cosmetics firm Sephora, will become Chief Marketing and Product Officer, while Adrien Barthel has been appointed GM of Indonesia, joining from global retailer Carrefour.

As you might expect from its description, Luxola sells a range of makeup, skincare, nailcare and bath/body products for women. It features products and information from more than 40 brands, and includes an affiliate marketing program to help get word out online. Horowitz-Burdick says the funding will help increase its presence in the four neighboring countries, while also maintaining its focus on customer service and brand.

luxola

Luxola’s site is available in seven countries: Brunei Darussalam, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Products are delivered in 1-3 days in Singapore, and 2-8 days in all other locations.

GREE Ventures continues to hold an interest in online commerce startups across Southeast Asia. It previously invested in Indonesian duo Berrybenka, an online fashion shop, and product finder PriceArea.

Related: You can learn more about the story behind Luxola in this interview with Tech In Asia.

Headline image via BestPhotoStudio / Shutterstock

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