UNOMI Files IPO Prospectus: How a 95-Gen Founder Built a Science-Driven Oral Beauty Brand Backed by Cathay Capital and K2 Ventures
In 2019, Tmall Global and Tmall Super Category, in collaboration with CBNData (First Financial Commercial Data Center), released the “2019 Report on Consumption Trends in Oral Beauty Products” (hereinafter referred to as the “Report”). Based on CBNData’s big consumer data, the Report focuses primarily on online consumers of oral beauty supplements to analyze the characteristics of online consumption in the oral aesthetic medicine sector.
The report indicates that, from the perspective of buyer gender,Women are the primary consumers of oral beauty products, with those born in the 1990s and 1995–1999 accounting for over 50% of this group.In terms of the proportion of purchase categories,Approximately 5 out of every 10 consumers of oral beauty products purchase oral whitening products.In addition, oral rehydration products and anti-hair loss products are also showing an upward trend in sales.
Among the aforementioned oral beauty supplements, the top five categories by purchase volume are collagen, grape seed extract, hyaluronic acid, caviar, and niacinamide.The top five purchased brands originate from Australia, Japan, Germany, France, and the United States.It is evident that consumers tend to purchase foreign oral beauty supplements, as China currently lacks a leading domestic brand in this category.
So, can we seize the domestic oral beauty market and create a health brand tailored for Chinese consumers? Perhaps UNOMI can offer some insights.
UNOMI, an oral beauty brand leveraging AI and big data to provide laboratory-grade products for the new generation of young consumers.
Recently, UNOMI secured tens of millions of RMB in its Pre-A round of financing, exclusively invested by Cathay Capital. The funds from this round will be used for marketing, supply chain optimization, research and development, and other purposes. Previously, UNOMI had completed two rounds of financing: In August 2020, UNOMI closed a seed round worth several million RMB, with an LP from Huagai Capital as the investor; in January 2021, UNOMI completed an angel round worth several million US dollars, exclusively invested by Xianfeng Changqing.
While non-industry insiders may not be familiar with Cathay Capital and Xianfeng Changqing, names like Pinduoduo, Genki Forest, JD Logistics, Meinian Onehealth Healthcare, Jumei Youpin, Youyuan Network, and Meiyou are likely well-known. All of these are companies they have invested in.
So, what unique aspects of UNOMI, which has caught the attention of both Kaihui and Xianfeng simultaneously, stand out compared to the star investment cases mentioned above? Let’s take a closer look at UNOMI’s background.
Xu Yuanheng, who holds degrees in Finance and Electronic Information from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China and a Master’s degree in Computer Science from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, is a post-95s “engineering-minded” founder deeply committed to product quality and technology. He serves as the Founder and CEO of UNOMI, an oral beauty and wellness brand.
Co-founder and COO Zheng Yanbin holds a degree in Marketing from Drexel University in the United States and a master’s degree from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. He previously served as an analyst at Exelon in the U.S. and as a commercial consultant at Knight Frank. He met Xu Yuanheng during his studies abroad; the two are not only alumni but also shareFamily Background and Resources in the Greater Health Industry, After graduation, the two hit it off immediately and decided to join forces with Xu Yuanheng’s high school classmate, Wang Xirun, to co-found a health and wellness brand tailored for young people.
Co-founder and Chief Nutritionist Wang Xirun, a Zhejiang University graduate in Food Science and an ISF-registered international nutritionist. After deciding to co-found UNOMI, Wang Xirun reached out to his undergraduateThe professorial team at Zhejiang University, by connecting with the professorial team at the University of Tokyo in Japan, has established a research and development supply chain that integrates domestic and international resources.
In addition, UNOMI’s co-founders include Wang Simian, who previously worked at ByteDance’s User Growth Middle Platform and is currently responsible for the team’s marketing. Moreover,Other members of the founding team also have operational experience with products or platforms such as Genki Forest, Three Squirrels, Bestore, and Xiaohongshu.
Thus, a young team of Chinese partners was born. Though young, the team boasts complementary technical expertise and comprehensive resources.
When asked why he chose oral beauty products as the entry point into the health supplement industry, Xu Yuanheng mentioned that currentlyThe global market size of beauty and health supplements is approximately RMB 360 billion, and it is expected to reach RMB 500 billion by 2026. China, as the second-largest consumer market globally, the consumption scale of beauty and health supplements in 2020 was only at the level of tens of billions of RMB. To reach hundreds of billions, there is still a need for aOrder-of-Magnitude Growth。
UNOMI has seized this significant market growth opportunity by leveraging its own resources to establish global raw material manufacturing facilities and implement pharmaceutical-grade production standards, thereby offering Chinese consumers a domestic brand that exemplifies “Intelligent Manufacturing in China.” Currently, UNOMI’s product launch strategy involves initial formula screening conducted by a professorial team from Zhejiang University based on market consumer demand, followed by collaborative research and development with a professorial team from the University of Tokyo to finalize the formulations. In addition, all validation studies for UNOMI products, including clinical trials and practicality research reports, are conducted domestically in compliance with relevant laws and regulations.
ThusIt takes approximately four months to take a single SKU from the aforementioned R&D phase to market launch.. Guided by market development and demand, UNOMI develops its products. Currently,There are 5 SKUs listed on Tmall, but the SKU inventory includes more than 50 varieties. Once a certain market demand or popular trend emerges, they can be quickly updated and promoted.Furthermore, UNOMI updates its product promotions based on seasonal changes and other factors.
And for large-scale production of the product, UNOMI leveragesEstablished partnerships with more than ten major Japanese corporations, including Meiji Co., Ltd., Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Ltd., and Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation.We guarantee that every product is manufactured in compliance with Japanese pharmaceutical-grade standards, and subsequently undergoes comprehensive review by Chinese customs regulatory authorities to meet the “5S” standards.
Currently, UNOMI’s flagship products include three items: whitening pills, oral nicotinamide, and oral hyaluronic acid.
UNOMI Whitening Pills AddedCystine, SOD, Glutathione, α-Lipoic Acidactive ingredients, which, when taken orally, can internally protect against UV radiation, scavenge free radicals, and combat skin inflammation, thereby accelerating skin metabolism and providing antioxidant and anti-glycation benefits. According to Xu Yuanheng, CEO of UNOMI, UNOMI’s whitening pills currently rank second in sales on Tmall Global.
The second whitening product from UNOMI is its oral niacinamide supplement, which highlights three key benefits: byActive Ingredient: Niacinamide, effectively reducing UV-induced skin damage and inhibiting melanin transfer, while whitening the skin and accelerating cellular metabolism to repair acne marks and spots; throughCombining Biotin and Niacinamide, work together to maintain the sebaceous glands in a calm state, inhibit cholinesterase activity, and keep the skin in balance; throughCombine Riboflavin and Nicotinamide, jointly inhibit melanin, reduce the concentration of melanin on the skin surface, and produce a whitening effect.
The third product is a recently popular oral hyaluronic acid supplement. According to UNOMI,Oral high-concentration, low-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid can directly reach the dermal layer of the skin., accelerate the repair speed of the stratum corneum, and maintain skin hydration. In addition, UNOMI oral hyaluronic acid has been specially enhanced withLate Cherry Blossom Extract, which can inhibit the formation of AGEs in fibroblasts and combat skin glycation.
In addition, UNOMI also conductsAI Detection and Customization, paired with one-on-one nutritionist consultations for consumers, to enhance product repurchase rates.
In the future, UNOMI will continue to enhance its product capabilities, uphold its positioning as “health supplements for young people,” provide younger consumers with a richer and more needs-targeted selection of products, and improve the end-to-end experience across initial awareness, first-time use, and repeat purchases of beauty and health supplements.
Finally, Xu Yuanheng, CEO of UNOMI, stated: “I believe that the post-95s generation prioritizes health and wellness more than any previous generation; however, their needs remain unmet, representing a significant industry opportunity. As an incremental growth segment within the broader dietary supplements market, the oral beauty sector still lacks a leading new brand recognized by young consumers. UNOMI is poised to seize this opportunity and build a trusted oral beauty brand for China’s younger generation.”