Nail Care Startups 💅

Just when we needed them most, self-care rituals like haircuts, facials, and massages all went out the window when the pandemic hit. Cue the at-home fades, pimple-popping tools, Hypervolts, and Theraguns. One self-care item I particularly missed was the occasional manicure. A professional would devote 30 min to cajoling my cuticles, massaging the claw-like muscle memory out of my typing hands, and give me a fun color or design to add some flavor to my style.

For the average person with a mani-pedi habit, the annual bill reaches about $1,345 a year. For nail artists who create intricate designs using micro brushes and numerous colors, that number is a low estimate. When a popular manicurist was getting frequent DMs for her services early in the pandemic, her solution was to paint press-on nails and mail them to her clients. And just like that, Nails of LA was born.

   
                                             Sundays nail salon Photo Cred: NY Times 

All of these companies now have an easier time making a case for investment given the explosive growth of nail wraps (stickers for nails) and press-ons due in large part to social media helping to educate consumers about the superiority of current products over previous iterations.

Here are a few others painting their way to #maniselfie fame:

Static Nails is constantly advertising its products to me on Instagram. Makes sense for an Instagram-worthy press-on nail kit founded out of a college dorm room by a former model and makeup artist. Beauty brand incubator Kendo incubated the company and generated $500k within six months through partnerships with Sephora and HSN.

Sundays is a nail care brand that has weathered the storm, maintaining two storefronts in NYC. Self-care is baked into the brand and its formulations, making the product not only safe for the consumer but the manicurist who has the most exposure. The company provides headsets for relaxation (and no small-talk!). MiniLuxe also sells non-toxic products and books clients through one of its 20 locations; the company has raised over $40MM so far from its HQ in Boston.

Lastly, in the age of digital outsourcing, robotic manicurists are in development. Nimble raised nearly $2MM via Kickstarter for its technology. The company has since raised a $10MM seed round.

For more on nail care startups that have already raised some funding, search the keyword "nail care" here.