A Cwmbran-based genderless makeup brand is looking to raise additional growth finance capital at its targets the lucrative US market and launching new products.
Since launching her vegan, animal cruelty-free and genderless beauty brand, Jecca Blac, Jessica Blackler has seen her business selling more than a million products.
The firm secured a £230,000 equity investment from Rhys Owen in 2018 through the Angel Invest Wales network from the Development Bank of Wales. Mr Owen provided followed by a further £80,000 investment later that year.
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Ms Blackler said: “As a sole founder who didn’t have the experience of running a business. I didn’t know many people in the industry at the time and it would have taken me so long to find the right person to invest in Jecca Blac, without Angel Invest Wales making this connection for me. I was matched with an investor from North Wales who worked in the distribution and manufacturing sector.
“During the first year of Jecca Blac launching, we worked together daily, and his team were like an extension of my own. I was given support and access to a wealth of knowledge from someone who wanted my business to succeed. It sped everything up and I was able to grow the business quickly in a competitive market.
“Now, I’m about to raise further investment so we can launch new products and expand into the US market. I don’t need as much day-to-day support as I’ve grown and my team has, too. But finding the right investor is so important. It’s a relationship – and you need to be able to work closely with them for years.”
After graduating college, where she studied makeup and hair for film and television, Ms Blackler began receiving requests for makeup lessons from people who were transitioning from male to female.
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She recalled: “People would travel to see me at my studio in Cardiff from as far as Scotland because I offered such a niche service. I supported prisoners who were transitioning, London bankers and sportspeople – who all felt overlooked by the beauty industry. This was 2015 and the beauty world wasn’t as inclusive as it is now.
“I realised there was a lack of brands that targeted the transgender community. I wanted to create a brand that was authentic, gender-free, focused on individuality and celebrated all makeup wearers."