Announcing 1517 Fund Investment: Stryx
We typically invest in enterprise SaaS, hardware, and deep tech companies. Occasionally, there comes a company outside of these categories that has an outstanding team, impressive traction, and an enthusiastic customer base. Stryx is one of those companies.
Stryx creates corrective skincare cosmetics for men. They don't simply take a women's concealer and a women's face cream and slap a masculine looking brand on top of it. They're not just a sub-brand of a primarily-women's skincare company. They manufacture, from the ground up, cosmetics designed for men's skin and men's skincare needs.
The current product lineup includes a concealer stick, a tinted face cream (both of which come in multiple shades), and a gel cleanser. These are available both online at Stryx.com and in retail locations across the United States.
The team includes four men with deep experience in the men's style and skincare markets, Devir Kahan, Jon Shanahan, Isaac Rami, and Joe Lieberman.
We first met Jon several years ago and tracked Stryx's progress from his time of joining the team and growing with the company. Since that time, they launched to 2,000+ CVS locations, rolled out new products, and not only grew but thrived in the post-COVID world. The average male knowledge worker may have seen themselves one-to-three times a day before moving to a fully remote work environment. But when work is done over Zoom, FaceTime, and Loom, they suddenly see themselves much more often. Stryx helps them feel more handsome and confident at work, on dates, and in any environment where a little touchup goes a long way.
Men's skincare will continue to grow as a market in coming years, as men get more comfortable with taking care of themselves and increasingly cognizant of the options available to find that confidence and comfort in their own skin. The stigma against corrective cosmetics for men -- let alone cosmetics, period -- is an historical anomaly. Corrective cosmetics for men are already common in significant markets in southeast Asia and are increasingly common in Europe. Stryx takes advantage of North America's catchup game over the next decade.
We're betting on this team's ability to take that on. You can learn more at Stryx.com or a CVS location near you.
