HCM CITY — Marico South-East Asia Corporation (MSEA), a wholly owned subsidiary of India’s Marico Limited, has entered into definitive agreements to acquire a 75 per cent equity stake in Skinetiq Joint Stock Company, strengthening its foothold in Việt Nam’s fast-growing digital beauty market.

Founded in 2020 by Bùi Ngọc Anh and Hannah Nguyễn, Skinetiq is among the early pioneers in Việt Nam’s online beauty space. The company operates a data-driven, direct-to-consumer (D2C) model, leveraging consumer and platform insights to optimise product portfolios, pricing and customer acquisition across e-commerce marketplaces, social commerce channels and brand-owned websites.

Skinetiq owns Candid, a science-backed, digital-first skincare brand positioned in the mid-premium segment. Its product range includes retinol treatments, B5 Cica barrier-repair creams, exfoliants and hydration masks, all formulated to address the key skin concerns of Vietnamese consumers. The company also holds exclusive distribution rights in Việt Nam for Murad, a global luxury clinical skincare brand. KPMG Vietnam acted as the exclusive sell-side financial advisor for the transaction.

Saugata Gupta, Managing Director and CEO of Marico Limited, said Việt Nam remains a priority market for the Group.

“The investment in Skinetiq reflects our commitment to building a strong premium beauty play in Việt Nam and advancing our D2C strategy internationally,” Gupta said, noting that the company’s digital-led model aligns with Marico’s portfolio premiumisation strategy.

Bùi Ngọc Anh, Founder and Executive Chairman of Skinetiq, said the partnership would enable the company to accelerate growth and deepen consumer engagement.

“Partnering with Marico gives us the scale, expertise and resources to strengthen our data-driven model and build long-term sustainable growth,” he said.

Established in 2011 and headquartered in HCM City, MSEA operates in Việt Nam, Malaysia, Cambodia and Myanmar. In Việt Nam, it leads in selected men’s personal care categories with the X-Men brand and also manages Thuan Phat condiments and women’s personal care brands including Lashe Superfood, Purité de Prôvence and Ôliv. — VNS