Unilever Ventures

Unilever Ventures, established in 2002, is the venture capital and private equity arm of Unilever plc. Based in London with additional offices in Mumbai and San Francisco, it invests in early to late-stage companies and funds, primarily in Europe and the United States, with a focus on consumer-related sectors. These include home and personal care, digital media, e-commerce, consumer products, healthcare, and technology. The firm seeks minority stakes, typically investing between $0.5 million to $15 million, and may take a board seat or observer role in portfolio companies. Unilever Ventures provides access to Unilever's global ecosystem, assets, and expertise, aiming to accelerate the growth of promising startups in the consumer and digital spaces.

Gunita Bhasin

Investor

Pawan Chaturvedi

Partner-Asia

Olivier Garel

Managing Partner and Member of Investment Committee

Rachel Harris

Partner

Isabelle Hemington

Principal

Isabelle Hemington

Principal

Andrew Lane

Co-Founder and Director

Anna Ohlsson

Partner

Devesh Papney

Principal

Clementine Provost

Investor

Priyanka Thakkar

Investor

Stephen Willson

Managing Partner

Jelena Zec

Investor

Past deals in FMCG

Arata

Series A in 2024
Arata is a manufacturer of high-performance, plant-based hair care and personal care products based in New Delhi, India. Founded in 2017 by Dhruv Madhok and Dhruv Bhasin, the company focuses on creating vegan and cruelty-free products that are free from harmful chemicals such as SLS and parabens. Arata's product line includes a range of unisex offerings, including hair gel, shampoo, face and body wash, and hair cream, all designed to be non-toxic and skin-friendly. Through its commitment to sustainability and plant-powered science, Arata aims to improve the overall skincare experience for consumers seeking natural alternatives.

STRAAND

Seed Round in 2023
STRAAND operates in the retail health and personal care products sector, specializing in the manufacture of prebiotic haircare products focused on scalp care. The company offers a range of chemical-free and cruelty-free hair care solutions designed to enhance the scalp microbiome. STRAAND aims to provide customers with comprehensive hair care options at affordable prices, ensuring both effectiveness and ethical production standards.

STRAAND

Pre Seed Round in 2023
STRAAND operates in the retail health and personal care products sector, specializing in the manufacture of prebiotic haircare products focused on scalp care. The company offers a range of chemical-free and cruelty-free hair care solutions designed to enhance the scalp microbiome. STRAAND aims to provide customers with comprehensive hair care options at affordable prices, ensuring both effectiveness and ethical production standards.

Plum

Series C in 2022
Plum is a skincare and beauty company that focuses on providing chemical-free and vegan products designed for personal wellness. The company's offerings include a range of skincare items such as night gels, face washes, moisturizing creams, and face oils. Plum emphasizes the importance of safety and environmental responsibility by ensuring its products are free from harmful chemicals, including sodium lauryl sulfate, parabens, and phytates. Additionally, Plum's haircare line is specifically formulated to be silicone-free and sulfate-free, catering to individuals with damaged hair or dandruff concerns. Overall, Plum aims to deliver effective beauty solutions that prioritize health and sustainability.

Minimalist

Series A in 2021
Minimalist is a rapidly growing skincare brand known for its commitment to transparency and clean beauty. The company offers a diverse range of affordable products designed to cater to various skin types, including anti-acne treatments, toners, serums, and hair care solutions. By focusing on key ingredients such as niacinamide, salicylic acid, alpha arbutin, and AHA PHA BHA peels, Minimalist has established itself as a trusted name in skincare. The brand emphasizes the importance of honest labeling and ingredient clarity, ensuring customers are well-informed about the products they use.

Grabango

Series B in 2021
Grabango is a technology company that specializes in checkout-free shopping solutions for the retail industry. Founded in 2016 and based in Berkeley, California, Grabango develops a system that utilizes computer vision and machine learning to enhance the shopping experience in existing grocery and convenience stores. By employing cameras and shelf sensors, the technology identifies items as customers pick them up and adds them to a virtual basket. After selecting their items, shoppers can simply scan a code in the Grabango app to pay via their registered payment method and exit the store without waiting in line. This innovative approach aims to streamline the shopping process, making it faster and more convenient for customers, while also ensuring privacy through anonymized data handling. Grabango partners with large-scale retailers to retrofit their stores, eliminating traditional checkout lines and setting a new standard in retail shopping.

Plum

Series B in 2020
Plum is a skincare and beauty company that focuses on providing chemical-free and vegan products designed for personal wellness. The company's offerings include a range of skincare items such as night gels, face washes, moisturizing creams, and face oils. Plum emphasizes the importance of safety and environmental responsibility by ensuring its products are free from harmful chemicals, including sodium lauryl sulfate, parabens, and phytates. Additionally, Plum's haircare line is specifically formulated to be silicone-free and sulfate-free, catering to individuals with damaged hair or dandruff concerns. Overall, Plum aims to deliver effective beauty solutions that prioritize health and sustainability.

Milkbasket

Series B in 2020
Milkbasket, launched in early 2015, is India's first and largest micro-delivery service for daily essentials. The company caters to the unique Indian habit of having fresh milk delivered at home each morning and has expanded its offerings to include over 6,000 products across 13 categories, fulfilling a household's complete grocery needs. Milkbasket has pioneered features such as flexi-ordering and contactless deliveries, allowing users to modify their orders until midnight and receive silent deliveries by 7 am the next morning. The platform provides a hassle-free experience, delivering items like milk, bread, eggs, and juices directly to customers' doorsteps. With a presence in more than 20 cities, including major urban centers like Delhi NCR, Bangalore, and Hyderabad, Milkbasket is actively expanding its reach into other Tier I and Tier II cities across India.

Peel-Works

Series C in 2019
Peel-Works is a technology and data analytics company focused on enhancing eCommerce for corner stores in India. Through its ISO-certified platform, Taikee, the company offers a B2B grocery eCommerce solution that simplifies the procurement process for traditional grocery retailers. By partnering with leading FMCG brands, Taikee enables corner stores to source a diverse range of products at competitive prices via a single application, eliminating the need for multiple supplier interactions. The platform addresses key challenges such as inventory management, stock shortages, and working capital constraints by ensuring next-day delivery, ultimately improving the shopping experience for consumers. Additionally, Peel-Works provides inventory analytics services that deliver real-time insights to help retailers optimize operations, reduce costs, and enhance customer loyalty, thereby driving sales and profitability for small retail businesses.

Peel-Works

Series B in 2019
Peel-Works is a technology and data analytics company focused on enhancing eCommerce for corner stores in India. Through its ISO-certified platform, Taikee, the company offers a B2B grocery eCommerce solution that simplifies the procurement process for traditional grocery retailers. By partnering with leading FMCG brands, Taikee enables corner stores to source a diverse range of products at competitive prices via a single application, eliminating the need for multiple supplier interactions. The platform addresses key challenges such as inventory management, stock shortages, and working capital constraints by ensuring next-day delivery, ultimately improving the shopping experience for consumers. Additionally, Peel-Works provides inventory analytics services that deliver real-time insights to help retailers optimize operations, reduce costs, and enhance customer loyalty, thereby driving sales and profitability for small retail businesses.

Frontier Markets

Seed Round in 2019
Frontier Markets operates a marketing and commerce platform dedicated to enhancing rural life in India by providing last-mile delivery services for essential products and services. Catering to 551 million rural customers who lack access to financial and durable goods, Frontier Markets addresses the infrastructure gaps that prevent product companies from reaching these communities. The organization recruits and trains women entrepreneurs, known as Saral Jeevan Sahelis, who leverage the Meri Saheli app to facilitate order coordination, delivery, and real-time data collection, allowing them to earn an average income while remaining in their villages. This innovative approach has enabled 700,000 rural customers to access over one million life-improving solutions, including clean energy, agricultural tools, and homecare products. In response to the challenges posed by COVID-19, Frontier Markets has partnered with fintech and FMCG companies to enhance financial services and essential goods delivery. With a focus on sustainable livelihoods for women and a strong emphasis on digital integration, the organization aims to connect 100 million rural customers with a network of digitally savvy entrepreneurs, ultimately transforming rural access to vital resources and services.

Milkbasket

Series B in 2019
Milkbasket, launched in early 2015, is India's first and largest micro-delivery service for daily essentials. The company caters to the unique Indian habit of having fresh milk delivered at home each morning and has expanded its offerings to include over 6,000 products across 13 categories, fulfilling a household's complete grocery needs. Milkbasket has pioneered features such as flexi-ordering and contactless deliveries, allowing users to modify their orders until midnight and receive silent deliveries by 7 am the next morning. The platform provides a hassle-free experience, delivering items like milk, bread, eggs, and juices directly to customers' doorsteps. With a presence in more than 20 cities, including major urban centers like Delhi NCR, Bangalore, and Hyderabad, Milkbasket is actively expanding its reach into other Tier I and Tier II cities across India.

Peel-Works

Series B in 2019
Peel-Works is a technology and data analytics company focused on enhancing eCommerce for corner stores in India. Through its ISO-certified platform, Taikee, the company offers a B2B grocery eCommerce solution that simplifies the procurement process for traditional grocery retailers. By partnering with leading FMCG brands, Taikee enables corner stores to source a diverse range of products at competitive prices via a single application, eliminating the need for multiple supplier interactions. The platform addresses key challenges such as inventory management, stock shortages, and working capital constraints by ensuring next-day delivery, ultimately improving the shopping experience for consumers. Additionally, Peel-Works provides inventory analytics services that deliver real-time insights to help retailers optimize operations, reduce costs, and enhance customer loyalty, thereby driving sales and profitability for small retail businesses.

Milkbasket

Series A in 2018
Milkbasket, launched in early 2015, is India's first and largest micro-delivery service for daily essentials. The company caters to the unique Indian habit of having fresh milk delivered at home each morning and has expanded its offerings to include over 6,000 products across 13 categories, fulfilling a household's complete grocery needs. Milkbasket has pioneered features such as flexi-ordering and contactless deliveries, allowing users to modify their orders until midnight and receive silent deliveries by 7 am the next morning. The platform provides a hassle-free experience, delivering items like milk, bread, eggs, and juices directly to customers' doorsteps. With a presence in more than 20 cities, including major urban centers like Delhi NCR, Bangalore, and Hyderabad, Milkbasket is actively expanding its reach into other Tier I and Tier II cities across India.

Plum

Series A in 2018
Plum is a skincare and beauty company that focuses on providing chemical-free and vegan products designed for personal wellness. The company's offerings include a range of skincare items such as night gels, face washes, moisturizing creams, and face oils. Plum emphasizes the importance of safety and environmental responsibility by ensuring its products are free from harmful chemicals, including sodium lauryl sulfate, parabens, and phytates. Additionally, Plum's haircare line is specifically formulated to be silicone-free and sulfate-free, catering to individuals with damaged hair or dandruff concerns. Overall, Plum aims to deliver effective beauty solutions that prioritize health and sustainability.

Beauty Bakerie Cosmetics Brand

Series A in 2018
Beauty Bakerie Cosmetics Brand, Inc. is a cosmetics manufacturer based in San Diego, California, founded in 2011. The company offers a diverse range of products, including liquid lipsticks, metallic lipsticks, lip care items, setting powders, illuminators, glitter, face oils, eyebrow gels, eyeshadows, and eyeliners. Beauty Bakerie sells its products through its online platform and various retail locations, including major stores such as ULTA, Nordstrom, and Target, reaching over 1,000 locations globally. With a robust social media presence, the brand has garnered more than one million followers and raised over $8 million in venture capital. Beauty Bakerie has received recognition from numerous prominent publications, highlighting its impact in the beauty industry and affirming its status as a rapidly growing firm. The brand is led by its founder, who plays a crucial role in shaping its vision, branding, and product development, contributing significantly to its distinct aesthetic and market appeal.

Milkbasket

Series A in 2018
Milkbasket, launched in early 2015, is India's first and largest micro-delivery service for daily essentials. The company caters to the unique Indian habit of having fresh milk delivered at home each morning and has expanded its offerings to include over 6,000 products across 13 categories, fulfilling a household's complete grocery needs. Milkbasket has pioneered features such as flexi-ordering and contactless deliveries, allowing users to modify their orders until midnight and receive silent deliveries by 7 am the next morning. The platform provides a hassle-free experience, delivering items like milk, bread, eggs, and juices directly to customers' doorsteps. With a presence in more than 20 cities, including major urban centers like Delhi NCR, Bangalore, and Hyderabad, Milkbasket is actively expanding its reach into other Tier I and Tier II cities across India.

Trinny London

Venture Round in 2018
Trinny London Limited is a cosmetics brand founded by Trinny Woodall in 2017, based in Saffron Walden, United Kingdom. The company specializes in cream-based makeup products tailored for women, leveraging its unique online tool, Match2Me, which analyzes individual characteristics such as eye, hair, and skin color to recommend suitable products. Its diverse product range includes face items like BFF cream, foundation, contour, highlighter, and cheek products like Lip2cheek and blusher. Additionally, the brand offers a selection of lip products and eye shades. Trinny London operates primarily through its online platform, allowing customers to receive personalized makeup recommendations and products delivered to their homes. The brand is a subsidiary of Unilever N.V.

Milkbasket

Seed Round in 2018
Milkbasket, launched in early 2015, is India's first and largest micro-delivery service for daily essentials. The company caters to the unique Indian habit of having fresh milk delivered at home each morning and has expanded its offerings to include over 6,000 products across 13 categories, fulfilling a household's complete grocery needs. Milkbasket has pioneered features such as flexi-ordering and contactless deliveries, allowing users to modify their orders until midnight and receive silent deliveries by 7 am the next morning. The platform provides a hassle-free experience, delivering items like milk, bread, eggs, and juices directly to customers' doorsteps. With a presence in more than 20 cities, including major urban centers like Delhi NCR, Bangalore, and Hyderabad, Milkbasket is actively expanding its reach into other Tier I and Tier II cities across India.

Peel-Works

Series B in 2017
Peel-Works is a technology and data analytics company focused on enhancing eCommerce for corner stores in India. Through its ISO-certified platform, Taikee, the company offers a B2B grocery eCommerce solution that simplifies the procurement process for traditional grocery retailers. By partnering with leading FMCG brands, Taikee enables corner stores to source a diverse range of products at competitive prices via a single application, eliminating the need for multiple supplier interactions. The platform addresses key challenges such as inventory management, stock shortages, and working capital constraints by ensuring next-day delivery, ultimately improving the shopping experience for consumers. Additionally, Peel-Works provides inventory analytics services that deliver real-time insights to help retailers optimize operations, reduce costs, and enhance customer loyalty, thereby driving sales and profitability for small retail businesses.

Beauty Bakerie Cosmetics Brand

Seed Round in 2017
Beauty Bakerie Cosmetics Brand, Inc. is a cosmetics manufacturer based in San Diego, California, founded in 2011. The company offers a diverse range of products, including liquid lipsticks, metallic lipsticks, lip care items, setting powders, illuminators, glitter, face oils, eyebrow gels, eyeshadows, and eyeliners. Beauty Bakerie sells its products through its online platform and various retail locations, including major stores such as ULTA, Nordstrom, and Target, reaching over 1,000 locations globally. With a robust social media presence, the brand has garnered more than one million followers and raised over $8 million in venture capital. Beauty Bakerie has received recognition from numerous prominent publications, highlighting its impact in the beauty industry and affirming its status as a rapidly growing firm. The brand is led by its founder, who plays a crucial role in shaping its vision, branding, and product development, contributing significantly to its distinct aesthetic and market appeal.

MachineVantage

Venture Round in 2017
machineVantage is a Berkeley, California-based company that specializes in developing artificial intelligence algorithms and machine learning software to aid marketing professionals, branding and advertising agencies, and product innovators. Founded in 2016, the company focuses on extracting insights related to product innovations, brand semiotics, creative inspirations, and messaging at digital and retail points of sale. machineVantage serves a diverse range of industries, including packaged goods, retail, financial services, health and beauty, food and beverages, and automotive. Through its proprietary technologies, machineVantage aims to enhance the effectiveness of marketing strategies and product development efforts across these sectors.

Instacart

Series C in 2015
Instacart is a prominent grocery delivery service operating in the United States and Canada, facilitating rapid deliveries of groceries and home essentials, often within an hour. The company partners with a variety of local and national grocers, including well-known brands such as Safeway, Whole Foods, and Costco, allowing customers to select from over 500,000 items and combine orders from multiple stores. Instacart employs a network of approximately 600,000 independent contractors who pick and deliver items directly to customers' homes. In addition to its delivery services, Instacart generates revenue by charging fees based on order value and by offering advertising opportunities primarily to consumer-packaged goods companies. With nearly 8 million monthly active users, Instacart has established itself as a leading platform in the grocery delivery market.

Hangyo

Venture Round in 2013
Hangyo Ice Creams Private Ltd. is a company based in Mangalore, India, specializing in the production of ice creams, milk, and milk products. Established in 2002, it offers a diverse range of ice cream products, including cones, candies, sundaes, and cups in various flavors, alongside milk products such as buttermilk, curd, lassi, cold coffee, and mango lassi. The company distributes its products through retail stores located in regions including Bengaluru, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttar Kannada, Hubli, and Kerala, as well as through a network of dealers. Hangyo operates as a subsidiary of Srikrishna Milks Pvt. Ltd.

Snog

Venture Round in 2012
Snog specializes in producing healthy frozen yogurt desserts that are fat-free and made from organic ingredients. Their proprietary formula includes organic yogurt, organic milk, and is sweetened with organic agave nectar, a natural sweetener known for its low glycemic index. Snog offers a diverse range of toppings, allowing customers to customize their yogurt with options such as freshly cut fruits, seeds, nuts, jumbo chocolate chip cookies, gluten-free brownies, and crunchy granola. This variety enables consumers to enjoy flavorful yogurts that are not only delicious but also rich in probiotics and other nutritional benefits, making it a refreshing choice for health-conscious individuals.

Clavis Insight

Series A in 2009
Clavis Insight is a leader in online store analytics, providing data and analysis to help consumer goods brands enhance their digital presence and performance. Based in Dublin, Ireland, the company offers services that analyze consumer visibility within online retail environments, enabling brands to identify actionable strategies for achieving profitable eCommerce growth, safeguarding their brand reputation, and outperforming competitors. Many of the world's top Consumer Packaged Goods companies, including prominent names like Unilever and Procter & Gamble, rely on Clavis Insight's expertise to optimize their online sales channels.

Dreamerz Foods

Series B in 2007
Dreamerz Foods, Inc. provides various natural sleep products. It offers natural sleep beverage, a dietary supplement in the form of an all-natural, creamy, and dairy-based functional sleep beverage. The company also provides chocolate pillows, soothing dairy products, and herbal fruit-flavored mix. It offers its products through stores and online shops. Dreamerz Foods, Inc. was founded in 2006 and is based in San Francisco, California.

Dreamerz Foods

Series A in 2006
Dreamerz Foods, Inc. provides various natural sleep products. It offers natural sleep beverage, a dietary supplement in the form of an all-natural, creamy, and dairy-based functional sleep beverage. The company also provides chocolate pillows, soothing dairy products, and herbal fruit-flavored mix. It offers its products through stores and online shops. Dreamerz Foods, Inc. was founded in 2006 and is based in San Francisco, California.
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