Published on: June 30, 2026
Mumbai, Tuesday, 30th June 2026: Komerz, the technology-led omni-channel commerce platform, has announced the acquisition of UK natural haircare brand NOUGHTY from KMI Brands, marking its entry into the global beauty and personal care sector and advancing its strategy to build a new generation of consumer brands powered by technology, data and AI.
The acquisition, valued at £6.4 million, comprises a combination of cash and stock and is the latest in a series of acquisitions by Komerz totalling more than £50 million. It reflects Komerz’s belief that the future of consumer brands will not be built through distribution alone, but through intelligent commerce ecosystems that combine brand ownership, technology, market access and operational excellence.
The beauty and haircare industry is one of the clearest examples of this shift. Today’s consumers discover products through creators and social platforms, purchase across marketplaces and retailers, and expect seamless experiences regardless of shopping channel or geography. With AI also reshaping how products are discovered, marketed and purchased, brands that can respond faster to changing consumer behaviours will be best positioned to win.
The opportunity is significant. Global beauty and personal care sales are expected to exceed $665 billion in 2026, while beauty ecommerce continues to outpace broader retail growth worldwide. In the UK alone, the beauty and personal care market is forecast to reach £13.5 billion this year, with haircare accounting for a further £2.2 billion.
Founded in 2016, NOUGHTY has emerged as one of the UK’s most recognised independent natural haircare brands, combining strong direct-to-consumer growth with broad retail distribution across leading marketplaces and high street retailers, alongside a growing international footprint, which includes the rapidly growing Indian market.
For Komerz, NOUGHTY represents the acquisition of a proven, scalable brand with strong consumer affinity and significant potential for international expansion through its AI-powered commerce ecosystem.
“Beauty is where many of the most important shifts in modern commerce are happening,” said Siddharth Shankar, Chief Operating Officer at Komerz. “Consumers can discover a product from a creator on another continent, purchase it through a marketplace, subscribe directly from the brand and expect a consistent experience throughout. NOUGHTY is a powerful example of the kind of brand we believe will thrive in this environment, purpose-led, digitally native and deeply connected to its consumers.
“But this acquisition is about more than entering a new category. It reflects our conviction that the future of consumer commerce will be shaped by businesses that can seamlessly integrate technology, intelligence, distribution and brand building into a single ecosystem.”
The acquisition forms part of Komerz’s broader strategy to acquire both brands and capabilities, creating a new model for consumer commerce that combines technology, intelligence, distribution and operations within one platform. Recent acquisitions include UK wine retailer Great Wines Direct, US-based marketing measurement and attribution firm Pathformance Technologies, and India headquartered brand and marketing consultancy Glassbox.
Founded in the UK in 2023, Komerz has achieved a pre-money valuation of £500 million. The company is building an ecosystem designed to help brands scale faster across markets and channels. Unlike traditional distributors, brand aggregators or holding companies, Komerz combines brand ownership with technology-enabled execution, enabling brands to accelerate growth while remaining highly responsive to consumer demand.
At the centre of this strategy is the Komerz Operating System, an AI-powered commerce platform bringing together data, intelligence and execution across the brand lifecycle. The platform supports consumer targeting, channel optimisation, demand forecasting, market expansion, retail planning and performance management, enabling brands to scale with greater precision, speed and agility.
“The traditional boundaries between technology, distribution, brand ownership and growth are rapidly disappearing,” added Shankar. “We believe the next generation of consumer companies will be built very differently from those of the past. Komerz has been built to bring these capabilities together through one intelligent commerce ecosystem where brands can scale globally with the support of AI, data and operational expertise. The acquisition of NOUGHTY is another significant step towards that vision.”
