Technology + Beauty = Opportunity

A notable trend in the beauty industry in recent years has been the rise of technology-powered devices that are billed as advantageous for beauty and wellness, especially in the skin-, nail-, and haircare categories. 

Some examples include tools featuring red- and blue-light therapy, dermaplaning, smart cleaning technology, microcurrent and microneedling, intense pulsed light (IPL), and more. Whether consumers are looking for smoother skin, fewer wrinkles, reduced redness, better and less painful hair removal, minimized inflammation and puffiness, shinier hair, or other attributes, a wide selection of technology-forward tools is available to help. Many of the technologies gained popularity first in Japan or Korea, but they are expanding globally. 

With the growing interest in this sector, licensing deals, collaborations, and other forms of partnership are starting to emerge, most involving beauty brands, technology companies, and/or character IP:

• Amorepacific, one of Korea’s leading cosmetics marketers, paired with both Samsung and beauty device brand makeON for new devices introduced to the U.S. market at the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2025. The partnership with Samsung focuses on a micro-LED beauty mirror integrating A.I. skin analysis and care solutions, while the makeON collaboration is for a new light-therapy skincare device. 

• APR Medicube AGE-R, a global skincare brand headquartered in Cyprus, paired with Sanrio’s Hello Kitty in November 2024 for the Booster Pro Hello Kitty Edition, a device that enhances the skin’s radiance, elasticity, and volume, and improves pore management. The tagline is “Total skincare with Hello Kitty,” and the character is featured on the exterior of the device and its LCD screen when power is turned on and off, as well as on a storage case, packaging, a limited-edition disinfectant tissue, and a special gift box. The products are sold in APL’s online mall and were featured at a pop-up event in Seoul. The company has said it plans to expand the market for such devices through character collaborations. 

• L’Oréal paired in November 2024 with Zuvi, a technology start-up, for the AirLight Pro dryer. The device, which Zuvi launched in a proprietary version in 2022, uses infrared light and air flow together to dry a range of hair types faster and with less heat. The hair dries on the surface but holds moisture inside for better hydration, resulting in a smoother, shinier look. The partnership with L’Oreal, which is an investor in Zuvi, brings more features such as additional heat and fan-speed settings, four professional styling modes for different hair types, two styling attachments, and a customization app. 

• In October 2024, Hello Kitty was again featured in this category through a collaboration with Geske for a range of limited-edition skincare devices molded in the shape of the character, in honor of her 50th anniversary. Five devices ranged from a smart LED mask, to a microcurrent skin scrubber and blackhead remover, to a sonic facial brush for deep cleansing and massage. The items were sold on the Geske ecommerce site.   

There have been collaborations in this space in the past. In a promotional partnership back in September 2022, Ya-Man Tokyo Japan, a beauty and health equipment manufacturer, paired with Shogakukan and its manga/anime property Komi Can’t Communicate to feature lead character Shoko Komi as the brand ambassador for three haircare devices. And in a decade-ago example, beauty company Shiseido and electronics marketer Panasonic paired for an ultrasonic mist device back in 2011. 

Initiatives such as these have been ongoing over the years, especially in Asia. But the frequency of deals has heightened in the past year, including more partnerships covering global markets. Significant white space seems to remain for additional collaborations involving relevant IP going forward.