By Saskia Koopman
Copyright cityam
Shares in Beauty Tech Group, the owner of at-home skincare device brands including CurrentBody, ZIIP Beauty and Tria Laser, rose on their first day of trading in London, offering a rare boost to the capital’s beleaguered stock market.
The Cheshire-based firm priced its initial public offering (IPO) at 271p a share, giving it a market value of around £300m.
In early trading on Friday, the stock climbed more than four per cent, to around 285p.
Beauty Tech raised £29m through the float, which it said would leave it debt-free and provide working capital to support growth.
Including shares sold by existing backers, the offering totalled around £106m.
Chief executive and co-founder Laurence Newman, who launched the business in 2009, said the listing marked “a milestone moment” for the company.
“This IPO provides the perfect platform to increase awareness of our three premium brands and take the group to the next level, while delivering sustained and profitable growth”, he added.
Beauty Tech develops devices such as LED light therapy masks and laser hair-removal tools, which it distributes through retailers including Harrods, Four Seasons and Goop.
Its products have been used by celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Serena Williams, as well as being featured in Netflix’s Emily in Paris.
The company has grown rapidly in recent years. Revenues reached £101m in 2024, with adjusted earnings of almost £23m.
Meanwhile, sales in the first half of 2025 rose 27 per cent to £55m. Its products are now sold in more than 90 countries.
London’s IPO market under pressure
The IPO comes at a testing time for London’s markets.
Just £184m was raised on the London Stock Exchange in the first nine months of this year, according to Bloomberg data, the lowest level in more than three decades and a fraction of the £40bn raised in the US.
London has slipped to 23rd in global rankings for IPO destinations.
A string of big names, including Arm Holdings, Flutter Entertainment, and most recently AstraZeneca, have opted for US listings or upgrades to tap deeper pools of capital.
Meanwhile, UK firms such as Wise and Ashtead have announced plans to switch their primary listings to New York.
Still, Beauty Tech’s debut and confirmation that food manufacturer Princes Group also plans to list in London provided some relief.
London Stock Exchange chief executive Julia Hoggett insisted this week that the city remains competitive for companies below the ‘mega-cap’ threshold of £20bn.
Analysts have said the Beauty Tech float could help restore confidence among investors.
Dan Coatsworth, head of markets at AJ Bell, said: “Beauty Tech has made its stock market debut, rising five per cent in early trading”.
“That’s an encouraging start, particularly for a smaller company given the lower end of the market has been out of favour with investors for some time. The challenge is to sustain that momentum”.
He added that the company “has a compelling narrative” but faces stiff competition in the fast-growing market for beauty technology devices.