Member Article

Shampooheads lands £100k investment to continue international rollout

Shampooheads, the UK’s first professional hair care range specifically aimed at ‘tweenagers’, has closed a second investment deal from the Finance For Business North East Growth Fund.

After being successfully trialled in one of the UK’s leading hair salon chains, the Shampooheads Professional range of shampoos, conditioners and detanglers went on sale at the start of the year.

Since then, it has successfully found its way onto salon shelves around the UK, as well as going overseas through distribution deals in nine countries, including Spain, South Africa, Kenya, the Baltic states and, more recently, Germany.

The range was originally launched with the help of a £200k Growth Fund investment, which Shampooheads secured from regional fund management firm NEL Fund Managers.

And the management team has now gone back to NEL for a second, planned Growth Fund investment of £100k, which will help their continuing drive to establish the brand as a market leader right around the world, as well as support the development of a new range of swim-friendly hair and bodywash products.

Having just exhibited at the hair industry’s leading global trade show, Salon International, the Shampooheads management team is now also following up on potential new distribution deals in ten countries, ranging from Croatia and Poland through to Canada, Australia and Pakistan.

A trial project with Aston & Fincher, the UK’s leading distributor of hair and beauty products, is also set to start which will further extend the brand’s presence around the country.

Geoff Bell, who previously held senior positions with hair care industry leaders including L’Oreal Professionel and Toni & Guy Group, said: “Until Shampooheads came along, tweenagers had to use either kids’ or adult products, and the terrific feedback that we’ve had from both customers and salons this year has shown just how much demand there is for products that this age group can call their own.

“We had a huge amount of interest at Salon International from distributors right around the world, and we’re confident that we’ll be securing deals in the coming months that will see the Shampooheads making inroads into a wide range of new markets.

“The NEL team has been very supportive in helping to facilitate the growth of the brand, and it was a natural move to extend our working relationship through this second Growth Fund investment.”

Lindsey Grieves, portfolio executive at NEL Fund Managers, added: “Shampooheads has tapped very successfully into a lucrative sector of the hair and beauty market where specific competition is scarce, and is establishing a brand that clearly has a great deal of appeal to its target audience.”