5Y News | Men's Grooming Brand "理然" (Liran) Closes Nearly 300 Million RMB Series B+ Round
Understanding the real needs of the new generation of male consumers.
Men's grooming brand Make Essence (理然) has announced a nearly RMB 300 million Series B+ round led by Tiger Global, with strategic investment from Bilibili. Existing shareholders 5Y Capital, Redpoint China Ventures, and SIG all participated with oversubscribed follow-on investments. The proceeds will go toward product R&D, brand building, and team expansion.
This marks the company's sixth funding round in just over a year since launch, with its Series B and B+ rounds combining for nearly RMB 450 million in total financing. Make Essence's funding history: angel round from 13 Capital; Pre-A from Redpoint China Ventures; Series A led by SIG with Redpoint China Ventures participating; A+ from Hupu Sports; Series B co-led by M31 Capital and 5Y Capital, with continued follow-on from SIG, Redpoint China Ventures, Hupu Sports, and others. Palm Capital served as exclusive financial advisor for all rounds.
Make Essence officially launched in January 2020 as a men's dedicated personal care brand, with products spanning facial care, body wash, hair and beard grooming, body fragrance, and cosmetics. Its hero products — including fabric refresher spray, "skin drink" body wash, styling spray kits, and BB cream — currently rank top in their respective categories across multiple channels.
On plans following this round, founder Weiqiang Huang said: "Men's personal care is a 'hard first, easy later' proposition that demands long-term investment in product development and brand building. We need to meet the needs of modern men across practical demands and usage scenarios, while staying agile and patient amid the awakening of male aesthetic consciousness.
To that end, we've been continuously upgrading our organization. Several senior executives from leading internet platforms, international brands, and emerging consumer brands have recently joined or confirmed they'll be joining us to carry out this mission together.
On the product front, we're seeing an awakening in male consumption and aesthetic consciousness, and we'll be focusing on innovative categories going forward. User needs are evolving, but current category supply falls seriously short. Make Essence is committed to giving men products that truly make sense."
5Y Capital (formerly Morningside Venture Capital) currently manages approximately $5 billion across USD and RMB dual-currency funds. We believe the world will be a better place when the crazy you that others see starts to be believed in.
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