Alantra advised Piper on its investment in Neom Organics

Dec 2017

Capital raise

Alantra has advised Piper on its investment in beauty and wellbeing brand Neom Organics (“Neom”). Neom was founded in 2005 by friends Nicola Elliott and Oliver Mennell. After spending seven hectic years as an editor at Glamour magazine, Nicola noticed her own wellbeing, and that of her close friends, was affected by the stress and demands of modern life. She quit journalism to train as an aromatherapist and nutritionist before founding Neom with former investment analyst Oliver Mennell, to focus on improving people’s wellbeing through home fragrances and skincare. The brand name is an acronym of their initials. Neom products are designed to deliver therapeutic benefits to relieve stress, aid sleep, boost energy or lift mood by using 100 per cent natural fragrances for the mind and body. All products are made in Britain from ethically sourced, sustainable origins, using only natural and organic ingredients, no petrochemical paraffin or mineral waxes, no artificial perfumes, only pure essential oils and no harsh preservatives.

Based in Harrogate and employing 50 people, Neom is a fast-growing multi-channel business. Retail sales value has grown by 35% this year to reach £18m. Its home fragrance and skincare ranges are sold through leading department stores such as John Lewis, Selfridges and Fenwick in the UK as well as flagship international stores such as Isetan in Japan. Neom has a thriving online business and three of its own retail stores – two in London (Chelsea and Wimbledon), one in Leeds – with further openings planned.

Piper’s investment in Neom will provide the funding to enable the business to expand its product range, develop the senior team, open additional stores and increase its international footprint. It is the third investment from Piper’s sixth fund, Piper VI, which recently closed at £125m. Matthew Wiseman, partner at Alantra Corporate Finance, commented, “Neom is well placed to meet the growing consumer demand for natural beauty products offering wellbeing benefits. The brand’s successful multi-channel approach across ecommerce, wholesale and own stores provides a strong platform for growth domestically and internationally. Piper’s considerable experience in consumer brands should prove to be very beneficial in supporting Neom’s future growth.” Libby Gibson, partner at Piper, said “We know from all our research that, with such busy lives, consumers are increasingly concerned about their wellbeing. We have admired Neom for many years and have been consistently impressed with the quality of its products and how the brand addresses a real and growing consumer need. We look forward to helping Nicola, Oliver and the team build on their success.”