Creator-Founded indē wild Enters Sephora US in 178 Doors After $5M Unilever Ventures Raise
Diipa Büller-Khosla's Ayurvedic beauty brand indē wild launched on Sephora.com on March 3, with in-store distribution rolling out across 178 Sephora US doors on March 13. The brand raised $5M in its most recent round led by Unilever Ventures, with SoGal Ventures and True reinvesting to support international scale. indē wild built its US audience through digital channels before pursuing prestige retail placement, a path that mirrors how Naturium went from creator-built DTC brand to a $350M e.l.f. Beauty acquisition. The Sephora US entry follows a successful 2024 launch in Sephora UK.
Why it matters
Unilever Ventures investing in indē wild signals that major CPG conglomerates are actively scouting creator-founded beauty brands as acquisition targets, not just portfolio diversification plays. The sequencing of the indē wild model is worth mapping: digital audience first, institutional backing second, prestige retail third. For agents with clients building beauty or wellness product lines, that sequence is the path that triggers CPG acquisition interest. Any creator in those categories with meaningful DTC traction and an engaged audience is a realistic exit candidate right now, and the equity protections in their founding documents need to reflect that before a Unilever-level investor is in the room.
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