The Doux Lands Funding To Gas Progress

[ad_1] by Mary Spiller April 12, 2026

Founders Maya and Brian Smith are persevering with to construct on multimillion-dollar success with new partnership aimed toward scaling distribution.

Pure haircare firm The Doux is getting into a brand new part of development after securing a minority funding from VMG Companions, a transfer designed to strengthen its place within the aggressive magnificence market. Based by husband-and-wife workforce Maya Smith and Brian Smith, the model has advanced from a single abroad salon right into a multimillion-dollar enterprise with merchandise now bought throughout main retailers in the USA and overseas.

Maya Smith, a licensed cosmetologist, first launched the enterprise whereas dwelling in Germany, the place she recognized an absence of providers tailor-made to textured and curly hair. “I opened a salon as a result of on the time, there weren’t actually any hair areas abroad that actually centered on curly hair,” Maya mentioned to AfroTech. What started as a neighborhood resolution quickly expanded into product growth, with formulations beginning in 2010 and a proper launch following in 2012.

After returning to the U.S., the corporate’s retail presence grew quickly. Its merchandise, together with styling foams and curl enhancers, finally landed on cabinets at main chains similar to Goal, Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, and Sally Magnificence, whereas additionally reaching worldwide markets in the UK.

The corporate reported $38 million in income and $7.3 million in earnings in 2025, reflecting what Smith described as regular and accelerating momentum. “It snowballed from there. We’ve grown exponentially, and the companies stayed worthwhile,” she mentioned, in keeping with AfroTech, highlighting the model’s means to scale whereas sustaining monetary stability.

Regardless of its success, Smith acknowledged that increasing inside giant retail environments comes with logistical challenges. “Whenever you get into mass, you've your distribution, you've supplies, and stock,” she defined, noting that sustaining development requires cautious planning and assets. The brand new funding is predicted to assist deal with these calls for and help additional growth.

For the founders, sustaining management over the model’s identification was a key consider deciding on a associate. Smith emphasised that the collaboration with VMG Companions permits them to protect their inventive imaginative and prescient. “They allow us to be founders. They allow us to be us. They don’t contact our model,” she mentioned. She added that defending the corporate’s core values has been central to its continued success.

The partnership displays a broader development of elevated investor curiosity in culturally pushed magnificence manufacturers, significantly these serving underserved markets. With extra capital and infrastructure, The Doux goals to broaden its attain whereas staying rooted in the neighborhood that impressed its creation.

As the corporate appears to be like forward, Smith mentioned the main focus stays on considerate development. “It was essential to us that we’ve all the time moved actually neatly in the case of what’s subsequent for The Doux,” she mentioned, underscoring the model’s long-term ambitions in an more and more crowded business.