Munich Startup: What does your startup do? What problem are you solving?
Patrick-André Wilhelm, Beautymates: Beautymates stands for vegan, highly concentrated active cosmetics as an individual skincare concept. We see ourselves as a community brand, because all of the products are developed exclusively with the community. With the Beautymates Mix & Match System, every customer can find the right care routine for their skin needs, because all of the products can be combined with each other and the intensity is determined individually.
Munich Startup: But that’s nothing out of the box!
Patrick-André Wilhelm: During my 15 years in e-commerce at leading cosmetic brands, I found that most of the products from other beauty companies weren’t tailored to the customers’ needs, and customers weren’t involved in the development process – but that’s exactly who the products are made for.
AI analyzes the skin with a selfie
Beautymates starts directly with the customers – the customers come to us with their needs and wishes, and we develop our highly concentrated boosters together with them and top-class experts. This is exactly what differentiates us from other companies, because they dictate skin needs to their customers or create them.
It’s important to us to be able to offer every customer their optimal skincare routine. We want to give the skin just what it needs – no more and no less. All of the products can be used in combination or on their own. For the best possible skincare experience, we also support customers with our consulting tools, such as three-step skin consultation using our questionnaire and artificial intelligence, which analyzes the skin using a selfie and recommends suitable products.
Munich Startup: What’s your founding story?
Patrick-André Wilhelm: I wanted to develop highly concentrated, effective cosmetics in order to create a beauty brand whose products are not only individually tailored to the skin needs of its customers, but who also involves the community in product development from the very beginning.
I started with my vision on my own from home. With reliable partners from my network of skin experts, developers and scientists and with my many years of e-commerce expertise, it was possible to quickly launch the first products. Close cooperation with consumers and influencers was and still is an important part of Beautymates.
A series of nine boosters and two creams has now been created. And the products are meant to be one thing: simple and straightforward. The highly effective ingredients are quickly absorbed, boost the skin and give the skin exactly what it needs. They are reduced to the maximum – our boosters contain highly concentrated active ingredients, sometimes the highest concentrations on the market.
Munich Startup: What have been your biggest challenges so far?
Patrick-André Wilhelm: As a startup, you constantly have to struggle with different challenges. As a new, largely unknown online beauty brand, we had to deal with the big players shifting their marketing activities to e-commerce at the beginning of Covid. We were forced to rapidly adjust our strategy with a small team and to adapt our measures. We had many years of e-commerce expertise to draw on, which quickly put us back in the game.
What it also taught us is that we can be particularly effective in times of crisis and quickly adapt to the new circumstances. Unfortunately, this also applies now due to international conflicts and their effects.
New markets and additional products
Munich Startup: Where would you like to be in one year, and where in five years?
Patrick-André Wilhelm: Since its founding in 2019, the startup has been growing continuously every year. We plan to expand our omnichannel strategy (possibly to offline markets) for further diversification of risk. For the years ahead, the aim is to conquer new markets in other EU countries and to develop further products with the highest concentrations of active ingredients.
Munich Startup: How have you experienced Munich as a startup location so far?
Patrick-André Wilhelm: We are very pleased with the startup ecosystem. The proximity to key partners and the high concentration of skilled professionals makes it particularly attractive. Being close to markets like Switzerland, Austria and other EU countries is also a major advantage.
Munich Startup: Staying power or quick exit?
Patrick-André Wilhelm: At the moment, we’re focusing on further growth and on developing new products together with our community.
