Blackstone Invests in Korean Haircare Giant Juno Hair,signaling Continued PE Interest in K-beauty
Blackstone has acquired a stake in Juno Hair,KoreaS leading premium haircare franchise,marking the private equity firm’s fourth investment in a Korean family-owned business. The deal underscores the sustained appeal of Korean beauty brands to global investors, following a wave of recent acquisitions by firms like Bain Capital and CVC Capital Partners.
Founded in 1982, Juno Hair operates over 180 locations across Korea and is expanding throughout Asia, with franchise partnerships established in Singapore, Vietnam, the Philippines, and new agreements in Japan and Thailand. Blackstone’s Korea PE division representative stated the partnership demonstrates their commitment to supporting the growth of family management companies through global expertise and networks. This investment follows Blackstone’s previous korean private equity investments in Simone Accessories, Geo-young, and JJ Tools.
The K-Beauty sector has seen notable activity in recent years. Last year, JS Medical was acquired by French biohealthcare specialist Akimed Group, and CVC Capital Partners invested in the industry. Notably, Bain Capital’s April 2022 acquisition of a 60.84% stake in CLASs for 669.9 billion won has proven notably triumphant, with CLASs’ market capitalization now reaching 3.6 trillion won – a ample increase from the 1 trillion won valuation at the time of acquisition.
Industry observers note that major private equity funds,including KKR and blackstone,are actively acquiring K-Beauty brands,a trend expected to continue as the sector’s global influence expands.