Unilever Ventures

About Unilever Ventures

Unilever Ventures Limited is the corporate venture capital arm of Unilever PLC, the FTSE-100 and Euronext Amsterdam global consumer goods group. The firm is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, with a significant operational base in Mumbai, India, supporting its dual focus on Western and South Asian consumer markets. Founded in 2002, Unilever Ventures is one of Europe longest-running corporate VC platforms. Assets under management are estimated at approximately USD 1.0 billion (circa €950 million as of December 2024), deployed through Unilever evergreen corporate balance-sheet allocation and partner-fund vehicles. While Unilever Ventures does not raise external third-party limited-partner funds, it operates with the discipline of an institutional VC: dedicated investment committees, sector partners and an independent investment process. The team comprises roughly 15 professionals including seven partners across London and Mumbai. Since inception the platform has made cumulative investments in over 130 companies. Unilever Ventures is structurally distinct from the Unilever M&A and Prestige Beauty divisions, though successful portfolio companies can become candidates for strategic Unilever acquisitions.

Investment thesis

Unilever Ventures pursues a founder-first thesis investing in differentiated brands and technologies that craft brands for the modern consumer. Three pillars define the strategy. Beauty and Wellness is the largest and most active vertical, covering challenger skincare, hair, cosmetics, longevity, supplements and women health brands across direct-to-consumer and omni-channel models. Commerce covers consumer-enabling platforms in retail media, marketing technology, data analytics, marketplaces and supply-chain innovation. B2B Enterprise historically funded data and ad-tech platforms supporting CPG ecosystems. The fund deploys at Seed through Series B with typical ticket sizes between USD 2 million and USD 15 million, often leading or co-leading rounds and reserving capital for follow-on participation through Series C and D. Geography is global with focus markets in the UK, continental Europe, the United States and India. The Mumbai office is one of the most active corporate venture platforms in South Asia. Unilever Ventures sole capital source is Unilever PLC, which funds the platform from its balance sheet on an evergreen basis. Value creation centres on the strategic Unilever asset, with portfolio companies gaining access to Unilever R&D, manufacturing scale, retailer relationships, regulatory and supply-chain expertise and marketing know-how. Across its 24-year track record the platform has generated six unicorns, five IPOs and 33 trade-sale acquisitions.

Recent activity

Recent investments include NOVOS in wellness and longevity (2024), Perelel in wellness and women health (2024, follow-on USD 27 million round 2025), Hung Vanngo in consumer and beauty (2025 brand launch), Secret Alchemist in consumer and fragrance (2025 India) and RAS Luxury Skincare in consumer and beauty (2025 India). Recent exits include Blis in commerce and adtech (2025 trade sale), Instacart in commerce and marketplace (2023 IPO Nasdaq), Beauty Bakerie in consumer and beauty (2024 divestiture) and Big Sync Music in commerce and media. The platform continues to deploy across global Beauty and Wellness, Commerce and B2B Enterprise verticals at the Seed through Series B stages. Detailed buyer names and multiple data available on Pro at €29/month.