Syona

Syona Cosmetics Private Limited, founded in Chennai, India, in 2012 by Raja Varatharaju and Anuradha Balasubramanian, operated as a manufacturer and retailer in the beauty and personal care market. The founders leveraged their substantial prior experience in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and marketing sectors to establish the company. Raja Varatharaju's background includes roles at CavinKare, Ford India, and Henkel, providing him with a strong foundation in the personal care industry, brand launches, and marketing. Anuradha Balasubramanian brought complementary experience from companies like CavinKare, Vodafone, and HeyMath!.

The company's core business focused on a business-to-business (B2B) model, supplying professional-grade cosmetic products to salons and spas. This strategy aimed to build brand credibility and enter the market by targeting professionals who could then recommend products to end-users for post-salon care. Syona's product portfolio was marketed under two primary brand names: "Estrella Professional" for the salon market and "Nutribios" for consumer retail. The Estrella Professional line included a wide array of items such as treatment facials, hair spa products, shampoos, conditioners, and body care products. The company differentiated itself by offering products in various price segments and providing smaller, single-use packaging, which was a key deviation from the market standard of bulk packaging.

Syona operated a multi-channel distribution network, selling products through offline partnerships with salon chains like YLG, Naturals, and Limelight, and online via its own e-commerce platform and major retailers like Amazon. A significant part of their model included providing training to beauticians on the use of their Estrella Professional products, having reportedly trained over 5,000 professionals. The company secured approximately $907K in funding over four rounds, with its last known valuation at $3.03 million in December 2017. Despite early growth and expansion plans, financial data indicates a significant decline in revenue in subsequent years, and the company is now listed as deadpooled.

Keywords: Syona Cosmetics, Estrella Professional, Raja Varatharaju, Anuradha Balasubramanian, professional beauty products, salon supplier, spa products, Indian cosmetics industry, Chennai startup, beauty product manufacturing, hair care products, skin care products, Nutribios, professional training, salon partnerships, e-commerce cosmetics, B2B cosmetics, personal care products, beauty and wellness