Verified employee & interview reviews

Minimalist Reviews

Jaipur, Rajasthan

4.5/ 5

2 reviews

Minimalist (operated under Uprising Science Private Limited) is an evidence-based, consumer-focused skincare and haircare brand headquartered in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. Founded in October 2020 by brothers Mohit Yadav and Rahul Yadav, the company was established to bring radical transparency, science-backed efficacy, and affordability to a beauty industry traditionally crowded with vague marketing claims and inflation-led pricing. The brand identity and name reflect its commitment to a "No BS" formulation policy—excluding parabens, sulfates, and synthetic fragrances—while listing exact active chemical ingredients and their precise concentrations directly on product labels. The startup launched as a bootstrapped Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) brand during the COVID-19 pandemic, initialing focusing on a lean portfolio of single-active facial serums targeting specific skin concerns like acne, pigmentation, and dehydration. Utilizing data-driven consumer engagement and educational marketing over traditional celebrity or influencer endorsements, Minimalist quickly developed a loyal consumer base, appealing heavily to "skintellectual" shoppers, including a notable demographic in Tier 2 cities and male consumers. Financially, Minimalist achieved profitability from day one and scaled with remarkable speed, crossing an Annual Revenue Runrate (ARR) of INR 500 crore within four years of operations. In July 2021, the company raised $15 million in a Series A funding round led by Sequoia Capital India (now Peak XV Partners) and Unilever Ventures. This capital infusion helped transition the company from its initial Jaipur setup into a vertically integrated research, development, and manufacturing hub, facilitating product diversification into sunscreens, body care, and advanced hair care segments (such as its patented Maleic Bond Repair complex). By 2024, the brand expanded globally onto e-commerce platforms like Amazon in the US and UK, while establishing physical retail touchpoints in over 500 domestic locations. In early 2025, Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) signed a definitive agreement to acquire a majority 90.5% stake in Minimalist for a valuation of approximately INR 2,955 crore (or a transaction value around INR 2,670 crore), approved by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) on March 17, 2025. The transaction represents a highly lucrative exit for early venture backers like Peak XV Partners. Under the acquisition agreement, founders Mohit and Rahul Yadav are retained for a two-year operational period to continue leading the business in collaboration with HUL's Beauty & Wellbeing division. Moving forward, the brand aims to leverage HUL’s massive offline distribution network to scale its presence from hundreds of physical touchpoints to between 2,000 and 20,000 retail stores nationwide, solidifying its place as a category-shaping innovator in the premium actives-led beauty frontier.