London, UK – yuv, the London-based beauty technology company pioneering the world’s first smart hair colour lab system for salons and freelancers, today announced the close of its $12 million Series A funding round. The round 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.
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, optimised for customisation, performance, and safety. By pairing refillable packaging with intelligent data systems, yuv helps beauty professionals cut costs, streamline operations, and elevate creativity.
yuv is committed to innovation and sustainability. The yuv Lab is just the beginning of its mission to upgrade the professional hair colour industry.
The new funding will accelerate yuv’s growth in the UK and support its U.S. 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 $203.78 billion in 2025 to $341.67 billion by 2032.*
Eric Sävendahl, Principal at Nineyards Equity, shared: “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."
“This raise represents a pivotal moment for yuv,” said Francisco Gimenez, Founder & CEO of 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 U.S., where we see massive potential.”
In October 2025, yuv made a history-making appearance on BBC One’s Dragons’ Den, setting an all-time record for both the amount of financing offered (a combined £500,000 at 2% equity from Steven Bartlett and Sara Davies) and the valuation (£25 million) achieved in the show’s 22-season history.
In 2024, yuv was selected to join TechCrunch Disrupt’s Startup Battlefield 200, further validating its role as a global leader at the intersection of beauty and technology. yuv Lab also won a prestigious Red Dot Design award in 2024, celebrating the company’s commitment to creating professional hair colour tools that merge beauty and functionality, sustainability and performance.
