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Secret Alchemist: Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s Clean Beauty Vision Secures $3M via Unilever Ventures

• ByStartupStory     |    January 14, 2026

Secret Alchemist, the innovative personal care brand co-founded by Telugu superstar Samantha Ruth Prabhu, has raised $3 million in seed funding led by Unilever Ventures, marking a strong validation for its science-backed, clean beauty formulations targeting India’s discerning urban consumers.

The round includes participation from existing angel investors and strategic beauty-tech backers, bringing total capital to $5 million+. With Samantha’s massive 30M+ social following driving brand awareness, Secret Alchemist sold 1 lakh+ units within 90 days of launch, proving celebrity-founder synergy meets premium product-market fit in the $20 billion Indian beauty market.

Clean Beauty Meets Bollywood Stardom

Launched in 2025, Secret Alchemist blends Samantha’s personal journey with PCOS-driven skin concerns and co-founder Deepika Kishore’s formulation expertise from L’Oréal and Forest Essentials. The brand targets “conscious indulgence” – 98% naturally derived actives, biotech fermentation, and zero compromises on texture or efficacy.

Hero products dominating:

• Glass Skin Serum (10% Niacinamide + 2% Alpha Arbutin): Viral on Instagram Reels

• Overnight Repair Balm (Ceramide complex): Samantha’s PCOS scar hero

• Glow Drops (Hyaluronic + Vitamin C cocktail): Red carpet staple

Unlike mass-market celebrity lines, Secret Alchemist builds from clinical trials – 92% users report visible results in 28 days. DTC-first model hits 40% repeat rates; Nykaa offline expansion starts Q1 2026.

Funds Fuel National Scale + Category Expansion

Unilever Ventures’ capital deploys across aggressive growth:

Distribution Blitz: 1,000 offline touchpoints across Shoppers Stop, Nykaa Luxe by Diwali 2026. Southeast Asia pilots leverage Samantha’s pan-Indian appeal.

R&D Powerhouse: In-house biotech lab for proprietary actives – PCOS-specific actives, menopausal skin solutions, scalp microbiome care entering 2027.

Category Leap: Haircare (Samantha’s hair loss battle), bodycare, ingestibles. Unilever provides global supply chain + regulatory expertise.

Unilever Ventures MD Vishal Mahadevia called it “clean beauty’s next icon – celebrity pull meets formulation excellence,” citing 5x inventory turns vs category 2.5x average.

Perfect Storm: D2C Beauty + Samantha Magic

Secret Alchemist converges four forces:

• Clean beauty premiumization: Consumers pay 2x for transparency

• Samantha’s authenticity: PCOS openness builds trust beyond glamour

• D2C maturity: Retention-first brands hit 50% LTV:CAC

• Unilever’s machinery: Global distribution unlocks $100M opportunity

Competitors lack founder-skin story authenticity. Mamaearth fights commoditization; Secret Alchemist owns premium clean.

Path to Beauty Unicorn

Seed round positions for $20M Series A by FY27 after ₹100 crore revenue. Nykaa/Reliance Retail partnerships scale to 10,000 stores. IPO trajectory emerges as Samantha builds ₹1,000 crore personal empire.

Secret Alchemist proves celebrity beauty succeeds when built backward from real skin struggles – Samantha didn’t endorse, she engineered. Unilever just bet on India’s next Nykaa-rivaling beauty empire.

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