Replacing beauticians and SPAs. How the Ukrainian startup BeautyBoostr works

In our recurring Who Are These People segment, Vector offers founders the opportunity to discuss their projects, covering aspects such as their products, marketing strategies, monetisation, investments, and business plans. The focus this time is on BeautyBoostr, a Ukrainian startup which offers a B2B2C platform application designed to help women access skincare tips and anti-ageing programmes without the need to visit a beautician or spa.

Editor-in-chief Yuliia Tkach interviewed Oleksandra Uchkun, CEO and co-founder, about the company’s features, promotions, investments, and further plans.

Conception

The project has two co-founders:

• Oleksandra Uchkun, CEO. She is an advertising professional with a background in launching multiple businesses.
• Nadiia Gonzalez, CTO. She has experience in the beauty and care sector, working on both online and offline projects.

The business partners first met in 2020 and unveiled their product two years later.

«Before launching the startup, I went through a tough experience — I gave birth to twins in March 2022 in Chernihiv and relocated to Denmark. We first applied to the Founders Institute London startup accelerator programme with the concept of developing a personalised self-massage app», — says Oleksandra.

However, after more than a year of extensive research into the US market, we redirected our efforts toward developing a comprehensive solution. 

We produced an app that provides extensive care programmes, customised product recommendations, and additional wellness tools. In just three months, we have transformed from a care app into a beauty hub helping brands and experts identify their ideal clientèle.

Apart from the co-founders, the team includes two additional partners: Roman Ivanenko, the operating partner, and Yurii Mikhailishyn, the strategic partner. There are also several individuals who work part-time. The team is looking for a marketing professional and an advanced AI specialist. 

Product and audience

BeautyBoostr is a B2B2C platform app designed to help users improve their appearance and overall well-being. It combines customised wellness programmes, at-home treatments, and workouts with data-driven recommendations for care products. 

The product is currently at the MVP stage. The team showcased their project in the startup competition at IT Arena 2024. They are developing an AI solution to facilitate their entry into new markets. 

As Oleksandra explains: «The model provides a fully developed framework for ingredient analysis and tailored product recommendations. To date, we are the only ones who have adopted this strategy. Generally, companies rely on the packaging details to guide their recommendations. Instead, we work to ensure our recommendations are data-based and well-reasoned. We have used our system of 52000 ingredients to design a proprietary physical product: personalised activated oils».

User mechanics

• Once the app is downloaded, users take a short test designed to assess their skin type and needs.
• The app delivers customised recommendations for a morning and evening skincare routine and a self-massage based on the test results.

Available resources include home skincare tips, guidance from beauty professionals, and insights from the community.

Plans are underway to launch a product for retail businesses. According to the team, the product has around 300 customers who have taken advantage of various offers, three experts whose programmes are set to be launched in 2025, and ten partner brands.

The product is designed for women.

It addresses the challenges of finding suitable care products, dealing with ageing, and improving well-being. The way we look is influenced by a combination of factors: our habits, skincare routines, self-massage, posture, and nutrition. Neglecting any one of these makes finding a solution more challenging. This led us to create an app offering a comprehensive approach.

For experts, we simplify the process of creating and marketing their own products.

For brands, we help delve into the client’s problems. The accuracy of our recommendations directly influences client satisfaction with the product and brand, making repeat purchases more likely. We tackle the challenge of high client costs for the brand and the spread of misleading recommendations on social media, which tend to cause more harm than good for clients». 

Business model and marketing strategy

The product is based on a B2B2C model. The company partners with brands and experts, who earn a share of the sales from their products and programmes. 

Clients can now opt for a subscription, enrol in a marathon event, or purchase oils. 

Programmes offered by experts are available for $29 per month or $119 for a year. These do not come with the subscription and must be purchased separately. The price of oils ranges from UAH 720 to UAH 1400.

The product is advertised on social media platforms. They experimented with PR tactics and set up a Telegram community. «At this stage, we are focusing on promotion through a personal brand, while integrating the brand into our strategy». 

Investments

So far, the startup has received investments totalling $36000. To fully launch in the US and Ukraine, the company needs around $80000 for product enhancement, AI development, salaries, and marketing efforts. They plan to seek funding during 2025. According to Oleksandra, such investment will be directed towards developing a SaaS solution for retail clients.

Plans

«Having completely automated all sales stages, we plan to launch advertising and explore various hypotheses. We aim to work on guideline-based AI in the near future, kicking off our efforts with the Challenger AI accelerator. Our plans include partnering with Korean brands, entering the US market, and working with local experts and brands. 

The global objective is centred around promotion. We understand that our MVP addresses an important issue, one that is even more critical in the US than in Ukraine,» summarises Oleksandra Uchkun.