The clinicians of Harley Street are to take their skincare expertise to the world after GetHarley raised £42 million.
The online gateway connects consumers with world-class clinicians and medical grade skincare products.
With three new skincare products launched every hour, the result is a fragmented marketplace where the consumer is overwhelmed by choice and lacking a quality filter for professional advice.
GetHarley aims to cut through the noise in this crowded market and connect consumers directly with skincare professionals who have dedicated their careers to understanding and treating skin.
Founded by Charmaine Chow, the platform matches customers with a 1,000+ network of clinicians to offer virtual skin consultations. Patients can share their concerns and goals, speak to a clinician and be recommended and sent a bespoke skincare routine of the best medical grade products.
“The skincare industry is overflowing with false claims, celebrity marketing and thousands upon thousands of choices about how to care for your skin,” said Chow. “You end up wasting huge amounts of time, money and energy trying to figure out what works for you.
“I should know – I looked everywhere for solutions for my challenging skin. And while consumers are being pulled in multiple directions, clinicians are time-poor and overstretched and you can never quite get hold of them.
“GetHarley solves all this, giving experts a one-stop platform, and helping global consumers get access to the best advice in a crowded marketplace.”
Since its launch, GetHarley has assembled a global team of 70 that, with the support of recent funding, is set to double in the next 12 months as it continues to expand globally. It has seen triple-digit annual growth since its launch and is used by over 100,000 patients today.
The investment was led by Index Ventures – backers of Farfetch, Figma and Discord – supported by additional investment from Headline Venture (Bumble, Groupon), Visionaries Club (Personio, Miro) and Village Global (Multiverse, Pave).
Its angel investor base includes high-profile executives such as Andrew Robb (ex-COO of Farfetch), Sian Keane (current chief people officer of Farfetch), John Veichmanis (COO of Carwow), Vincenzo Iozzo (ex-CrowdStrike and cybersecurity expert) and James Vincent (founder of FNDR and brand strategist for Apple and Airbnb).
“GetHarley is a quality champion and partner for both the clinics and the consumer,” said Danny Rimer, board member and partner of Index Ventures. “People are now incredibly savvy about what they’re buying – especially at a time of economic scarcity, when they want their money to be channelled into meaningful purchases.
“They rightly want brands and experiences that are transparent, authentic and can deliver a tailored service. GetHarley meets all these criteria and more, and we’re incredibly excited to partner with them.”