Haircare business Umberto Giannini styled for growth with seven figure investment

Umberto Giannini, the Birmingham-based haircare business, has received a seven-figure finance package to help it enter new international markets.

Famous for its Curl Jelly product, selling one tube a minute globally, the business specialises in creating vegan, cruelty-free haircare products for online consumers and retailers including Boots, Next and Waitrose.

Last year alone, the business increased its invoiced sales by 35% year on year.

Almost two thirds of Umberto Giannini‘s customer base is in the UK with sales also in North America and the Middle East. The funding will be used to explore new markets in Ireland, the Netherlands and Australia, while the additional cash flow will give the business the ability to hold more stock to keep up with demand, protecting it from future supply chain disruption.

The business, which is run entirely by women, was co-founded in 1998 by the late celebrity hairstylist Umberto Giannini, and his partner Claire Shread, with an aim to help women of all hair textures, with a focus on curls, to love their hair.

In 2021 Umberto Giannini became the first British high street haircare brand to be certified as a B CORP, a recognition of its commitment to displaying high standards of social and environmental impact.

More than 90% of its packaging is made from recycled material or natural sugar cane and the business’ locations all operate on 100% renewable energy, with all 16 of its staff working from home to reduce travel emissions. At least 1% of annual profits are donated to charities including women’s refuges, environmental groups and animal charities.

The business is currently trialling jumbo pack formats to reduce its packaging and hopes to pilot refill stations via its retail partners.

Claire Shread, co-founder of Umberto Giannini, said: “As a manufacturer in the beauty industry, we are always mindful of the ethical impact we have on the wider planet, as well as ensuring that our brand is as inclusive as possible. Hair can be an important statement of who we are and it’s vital to us that everybody is celebrated for their own unique style and representation of themselves. We hope to widen the discussion in the curly hair community and promote inclusion within the wider industry.

“We’ve already achieved so many of our environmental goals, but a personal ambition of mine is to see our packaging become both 100% recyclable and recycled, while remaining affordable and accessible to our diverse customer base. The support we’ve received from Lloyds Bank is two-fold in that we’re able to invest in how our products are made, and where they will go. Exploring new markets will allow us to bring our unique values to even more of the world’s waves, curls and coils.”

Tony Hanley, relationship manager, SME banking at Lloyds Bank, said: “Umberto Giannini is an incredibly impressive Midlands-grown business which is growing rapidly despite current market and supply chain challenges. The business also remains committed to maintaining the highest ethical and environmental standards, an approach we not only support, but hope to see from more businesses.

“Whether it’s launching new products and services, or exploring new marketing, we will be by the side of businesses every step of the way.”