Unilever has reached an agreement to acquire Sundial Brands, the leading hair care and skin care company behind SheaMoisture, Nubian Heritage, Madam C.J. Walker and nyakio.
 
Sundial’s 2017 turnover is expected to be approximately $240 million, according to Unilever. 

Sundial Brands will operate as a standalone unit within Unilever, and founder Richelieu Dennis will continue to lead the business as CEO and executive chairman. Terms of the deal were not announced.
 
As part of the agreement, Unilever and Sundial said they are creating the New Voices Fund with an unprecedented initial investment of $50 million to empower women of color entrepreneurs. The intention is to scale the fund to $100 million by attracting investments from other interested parties.
 
“The Sundial team has built differentiated and on-trend premium brands serving multicultural and millennial consumers that enhance our existing portfolio,” said Kees Kruythoff, President, Unilever North America. “Sundial is an important addition to our U.S. portfolio of purpose-driven companies, which includes Ben & Jerry’s and Seventh Generation.”
 
Founded in 1991, Sundial has championed inclusive beauty and has served the unmet needs of consumers of color through its robust innovation pipeline, product offerings and purpose-driven business model. Through its Community Commerce business model, B Corp and Fair for Life certifications, Sundial’s approach complements the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan (USLP) to accelerate growth while increasing positive social impact.
 
“We are excited to partner with Richelieu and his team to enable Sundial to bring its unique product offerings and community impact to more people around the world,” said Alan Jope, president, Unilever Personal Care. “We look forward to continuing to grow the business and make an even bigger impact on society through Sundial’s community programs.”
 
Additionally, Unilever has appointed Esi Eggleston Bracey, a seasoned executive with a strong track record of business leadership in driving cultural relevancy in brand building, as EVP and COO of Unilever North America Personal Care, effective January 1, 2018. As a part of her role, Bracey will work closely with Dennis to further accelerate the growth, purpose-driven mission and consumer connectivity of Sundial Brands.
 
“I’ve always wanted Sundial Brands to be an inspiration to other minority-owned companies of how a business against all odds can achieve excellence, have significant social impact in our communities and be successful on a world stage,” said Richelieu Dennis, founder and CEO, Sundial Brands. “I am excited Sundial and Unilever have created this partnership, rooted in a purpose-driven ethos, that represents an incredible opportunity to take our Community Commerce economic empowerment and impact model to another level.”
 
Dennis said that he has  “enjoyed a long-standing relationship with Esi and look forward to working with her to continue to change the game in beauty, personal care and community building.”
 
Sundial was ranked No. 42 in Happi’s 2017 Top Companies Report.
 
Subject to regulatory approval, the transaction is expected to close in quarter one 2018.