Walker & Company Brands is a technology company.
Walker & Company Brands has raised $33.0M across 3 funding rounds.
Walker & Company Brands has raised $33.0M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Walker & Company Brands has raised $33.0M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Walker & Company Brands's investors include Kevin Hartz, Acequia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Atomic, Bessemer Venture Partners, FirstMark Capital, Founders Circle Capital, Idealab, IVP, K2 Global, Lampros Capital Partners, Lerer Hippeau.
Walker & Company Brands is a consumer packaged goods company specializing in health and beauty products tailored for people of color, addressing unmet needs in personal care such as grooming for men (Bevel) and curly/coily hair care (FORM Beauty).[1][2][3] Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, it raised $33.3M before being acquired by Procter & Gamble in December 2018 for $20M-$40M, with founder Tristan Walker remaining as CEO.[1][4] The company serves underserved communities by offering simple, effective solutions that prioritize personalization, efficacy, and cultural relevance, filling gaps in a market historically overlooked by mainstream brands.[3]
Tristan Walker, a Stanford alumnus with experience on Wall Street and in tech (including business development at Foursquare), founded Walker & Company Brands in 2013 out of personal frustration with the lack of suitable grooming products for men of color.[3][4] Starting with Bevel to improve the retail experience for personal care among people of color, the company expanded to FORM Beauty, the first major line for curly and coily hair textures emphasizing versatility and efficacy.[3] Early traction came from solving real problems in an ignored market segment, building scale and voice over five years before the P&G acquisition in 2018.[1][3][4]
Walker & Company Brands rode the wave of direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands disrupting traditional consumer packaged goods, particularly in inclusive beauty amid rising demand for products serving diverse skin and hair types.[1][2][3] Timing aligned with cultural shifts toward representation in health/beauty, fueled by social media influencers and e-commerce growth, which amplified niche brands like those for people of color.[1][3] Market forces favoring personalization and digital-first models worked in its favor, influencing the ecosystem by proving viability of culturally specific lines—paving the way for others like BROWN GIRL Jane or Vernon François—and pressuring incumbents like P&G to acquire for inclusivity.[1][3]
Post-2018 acquisition, Walker & Company Brands likely leverages P&G's global distribution to expand Bevel and FORM internationally while innovating new lines for people of color, potentially entering adjacent categories like fragrances or wellness.[1][3][4] Trends like AI-driven personalization in beauty and sustained demand for ethnic-specific formulations will shape its path, with Tristan Walker's leadership ensuring mission integrity amid scaling.[3][4] Its influence may evolve from DTC pioneer to a blueprint for inclusive CPG within conglomerates, inspiring more startups to target underserved demographics and redefining "health and beauty simple" for broader markets—echoing its founding frustration turned industry void-filler.[3]
Walker & Company Brands has raised $33.0M across 3 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $24.0M Series B in September 2015.