Demand for clinical and personalised skincare solutions has boomed in recent years, with the €56 billion global market for medical-grade products and aesthetic treatments continuing to grow at 13% year-on-year. Yet the mainstream consultancy model can be clunky and burdensome for clinicians too: instead of focusing on patient care, they must do administrative work, source and manage product inventory, and coordinate patient follow-ups.
Amazingly as it is, there has never been more choice and confusion in the skincare industry – three new skincare products are launched every hour. The result is a fragmented marketplace where the consumer is overwhelmed by choice and lacks a quality filter for professional advice.
With the aim to solve this, GetHarley, a global online gateway that connects consumers with world-class clinicians and medical-grade skincare products, has raised €48.5 million in funding led by Index Ventures. GetHarley cuts through the noise in this crowded market, and connects consumers directly with skincare professionals who have dedicated their careers to understanding and treating skin. The round was supported by additional investment from Headline Venture (Bumble, Groupon), Visionaries Club (Personio, Miro) and Village Global (Multiverse, Pave).
“The skincare industry is overflowing with false claims, celebrity marketing and thousands upon thousands of choices about how to care for your skin,” says Charmaine Chow, CEO and Founder of GetHarley. “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.”
Founded in 2019, GetHarley takes a fundamentally different approach to skin health. It matches customers with its one thousand-plus (and constantly growing) network of clinicians to offer skin consultations hosted on the GetHarley platform. 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. This seamless experience improves the quality of service that clinicians can provide, and also helps to open up the sector to consumers who would otherwise get overwhelmed or do not know where to start.
“GetHarley is a quality champion and partner for both the clinics and the consumer,” says 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.”
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 Company’s 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).
