Skincare brand Nunaïa aims to close funding round to help boost growth

Nunaïa, a Co. Tipperary based skincare business, expects to close a €500,000 funding round within the next six months. The business develops skincare products aimed at helping users reduce their stress as well as improve their skin.

Nunaïa is based in Terryglass, Co. Tipperary, was founded by Nicola Connolly in 2019. The business has five staff and has invested €150,000 into its development to date.

“We have a small range. The concept is less is more. We have seven products at the moment. The products are designed to help treat skin and make it healthier,” Connolly told the Business Post.

The inspiration for the business came from Connolly’s many travels in the years prior to setting up Nunaïa.

“I was working in a corporate job in London and felt there was more to life than that. So I moved to the Galapagos Islands where I went to visit for three days but ended up staying four and a half years. That started the story of Nunaïa,” she said.

“My job was as a sustainability consultant. I went into unique ecosystems where the locals would show me what was growing and I’d help them to develop sustainable business models. I spent 12 years consulting in that space, working across the Galapagos, the Amazon rainforest and the Andes mountains.”

As she was working in these roles, Connolly appreciated the resourcefulness of the communities around her. In such remote locations, a quick run to Boots isn’t really an option so remedies and treatments were developed using what was growing around them.

This leaning into nature led to her starting Nunaïa when she returned to Ireland, focusing on natural materials at the core of the product range.

“I started making products on my kitchen table in Peru and sold products to tourists coming through. On one of my trips home, I met Enterprise Ireland and pitched to them,” she said.

That resulted in Nunaïa getting support through the Competitive Start Fund, with Connolly moving back to Ireland to develop the business.

“Enterprise Ireland has been really supportive. The mentoring has been a great help and they have helped us work out what supports are out there. We went to Cosmoprof, the biggest beauty industry event in the world, with them last year in Bologna,” Connolly said.

“It’s the gold standard of exhibiting for the beauty industry and we won the award for the best green and organic product.”

Following that success, Nunaïa is aiming for further international expansion on the back of the incoming funding.

“We started with a single product and have grown our range steadily. Initially, we focused on Ireland but we started to focus on international expansion last year. We are selling now in Europe, Hong Kong and are in negotiations with distribution partners in the Middle East and Asia.”

This Making it Work article is produced in partnership with Enterprise Ireland