Insider Brief
- 10Beauty raised $23.5 million in new funding led by Story Ventures to expand its robotic manicure system across retail and salon locations.
- The Boston-based company said the round brings its total funding to more than $70 million and will support technology development, operational readiness and broader deployment with partners.
- 10Beauty’s machine performs polish removal, nail shaping, cuticle care, color application, top coat and drying, and is live with Ulta Beauty in Greater Boston while expanding to Chicago, Nordstrom, 7am and the Belgrade Group.
10Beauty has raised $23.5 million to take its robotic manicure system into retailers, salons and other high-traffic locations.
The Boston-based robotics company said the funding was led by Story Ventures and brings its total funding to more than $70 million. The new capital will support technology development, operational readiness and a broader rollout with retail and salon partners.
10Beauty is building a machine that performs a full traditional polish manicure. The system handles polish removal, nail shaping, cuticle care, color application, top coat and drying, according to the company.
“We’re rethinking how beauty services get delivered, starting with the traditional manicure,” co-founder and co-CEO Alex Shashou said in the annnouncement. “People love manicures, but the experience has historically been hard to fit into everyday life. Our vision is to make a beautiful, long-lasting manicure more consistent, more convenient, and available in the places people already are. This funding helps us continue learning in real environments and expand with the right partners.”
The company indicated it is starting with manicures because they are frequent, repeatable services with a large consumer base. 10Beauty said the current salon experience can be inconsistent, with scheduling, service time and results varying from visit to visit.
The company’s pitch is that robotics can make the service more predictable and easier to place in locations where consumers already spend time. Its machine uses computer vision and precision robotics to guide the manicure process and it uses single-use polish pods, similar in form to coffee capsules, to support hygiene and repeatability.
10Beauty said its proprietary polish is vegan and non-toxic and is designed to last longer than a typical traditional polish manicure. The company is framing the service as an alternative to gels and other enhanced nail services that can be harder to remove or harsher on the nail.
The system is already live with Ulta Beauty in Greater Boston and now expanding to Chicago while also adding locations that include Nordstrom in Natick, Mass., Ulta Beauty’s new flagship store in Naperville, Ill., 7am in Chicago and the Belgrade Group in Boston.
The company said 7am will be its first nail salon partner, while Belgrade Group will be its first hair salon partner. 10Beauty also said it has agreements in place for about 850 machines across its first retail partners. The company’s early backers include Story Ventures, Karlie Kloss, Sara and Erin Foster, Bethenny Frankel and Victoria Beckham, according to 10Beauty.
