Shiseido has acquired MATCHCo, a California-based start-up utilizing innovative digital tools to provide consumers with individually customized foundations.
According to the Japanese cosmetics giant, the synergy its R&D capabilities and MATCHCo’s innovative digital tools will help the group to better address the demand for cosmetics customization, a major consumer trend.
Founded in 2013 by Dave Gross and Andy Howell and backed by a patented technology, MATCHCo allows customers to scan their skin tones using a mobile app and to use collected data to blend a perfectly a tailor-made foundation perfectly matching with each consumer’s skin tone. The MATCHCo app is currently distributed through Apple’s App Store and was featured as "Best New App" and "Best of November" at launch in November 2015.
Shiseido aims to be able to take the app’s business model beyond skin foundation, its initial category.
MATCHCo will remain based in California, with its engineering team in Palo Alto and its marketing and operations hub in Santa Monica, and will become part of Shiseido’s Global Makeup Center of Excellence, led by Jill Scalamandre and based in New York.
