A beauty technology firm, which won record investment on Dragons’ Den, has today closed a £9.5m ($12m) Series A funding round.
yuv, a London-based company transforming professional hair colour, set an all-time record for both the amount of financing offered and the valuation achieved in the show’s 22-season history when the show was aired in October.
Steven Bartlett and Sara Davies offered a combined £500,000 for 2 per cent equity – valuing the company at £25m.
The latest $12m Series A investment was led by Nineyards Equity, a Sweden-based growth equity firm focused on companies delivering both financial returns and positive ESG impact, with strong participation from yuv’s founder Francisco Gimenez, existing investor VNV Global, and a network of strategic angels.
The new funding will accelerate yuv’s growth in the UK and support its US expansion in 2026, scaling its patented platform and subscription model to a growing network of salons and freelancers worldwide, anticipating steady growth in the global salon hair care services market from $203.78bn in 2025 to $341.67bn by 2032.
Francisco Gimenez, founder and CEO of yuv, said: “This raise represents a pivotal moment for yuv.
“With the support of Nineyards Equity, VNV Global, and our investor network, we are doubling down on our mission to transform professional hair colour through sustainability, design, and technology.
“Our next chapter will bring yuv’s platform to more salons and freelancers across the UK, and soon to the US, where we see massive potential.”
Eric Sävendahl, principal at Nineyards Equity, said: “At Nineyards, we back category-defining companies with the potential to fundamentally reshape their industries.
“yuv is bringing true digital transformation to professional hair colour by combining hardware, colour and software into a platform that solves real pain points for salons and freelancing hairdressers alike.
“We are highly impressed by what Francisco and the team have accomplished so far, and are excited to support them as they scale in the UK, US and beyond.”
yuv has developed the yuv Lab, a smart dispensing platform for professional hair colour.
Compact and app-connected, the system replaces single-use tubes with refillable aluminium cartridges, reducing waste while offering precise, customizable formulations at the touch of a button.
Designed for salons and freelancers, the platform combines patented hardware, AI-powered software, and Swiss-designed state-of-the-art formulas.