Fashion
This Black-Owned Headwrap Brand Just Secured $2M In Funding
You Go Natural founder Monique Little will use funds to expand production and staff.
Black-owned headwrap brand You Go Natural (YGN) has just raised its own bar thanks to new funding. The Dallas-based brand has closed a $2M seed funding round led by Brand Foundry Venture Partners with participation from Capital Factory, Willow Growth Partners, and Lightspeed Venture Partners.
[SEE ALSO: Black-Owned Beauty Brand Mielle Organics Secures $100M Investment]
Monique Little founded YGN in 2016 to create a quick and easy way to protect her natural hair. She has since grown her brand of pre-tied and satin-lined headwraps into a multi-million dollar company.
The funding is no small feat as Little joins a limited pool of Black women who have raised more than $1 million in venture funding. In 2020, it was 93 women, up from just 34 in 2018, according to digitalundivided’s ProjectDiane study.
“As a Black female founder, I have unique market insight into the world of ethnic beauty,” said Little, who was named to the inaugural Forbes Next 1000 list earlier this year.. “I know where the industry is way oversaturated, and I know where there are gaps in innovation and solutions that have yet to be introduced. The vision of YGN goes way beyond headwraps. We are building the go-to source for innovation in natural beauty.”
Her brand will use the seed funds to more than quadruple the company’s Dallas-based production facility from 1,500 to 7,500 square feet and grow its team from 38 people to over 100. The brand also has new offerings in the works, including a waterproof swim turban set for launch this summer.
“We have quite an ambitious product roadmap that we plan to roll out over the next one to two years,” Little said.
