Wella Co., the owner of beauty brands including its namesake, Clairol and OPI, filed for a US initial public offering as its revenue increased.
The New York City-based firm had net income of $2.7 million on $2.94 billion of revenue for the year ended June 30, 2026 compared with a net loss of $44.6 million on revenue of $2.69 billion in the same period a year earlier, according to a filing Monday with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
Wella’s portfolio includes brands focused on hair color and care and nails, as well as beauty tech tools such as hair dryers or curlers, hot brushes, hair products and other accessories, the filing shows.
The company was founded in 1880 by Franz Ströher, making netting material used for wigs in Rothenkirchen, Germany, its website shows. The Wella brand was introduced in 1924, and the product line extended to include perming and wet-perming agents, bleaching agents, hair coloring and soaps for head hygiene.
KKR acquired a majority stake in Wella Co. in 2020 from Coty, the filing showed. Coty announced in 2025 the sale of its remaining stake in Wella to KKR-managed capital accounts and investment affiliates for $750 million and 45% of any proceeds from a further sale or an IPO of the business, after KKR’s preferred return has been met.
Proceeds of the IPO will be used for purposes including repaying debt and the tax consequences of a restructuring, the filing shows.
The offering is being led by Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Bank of America Corp., KKR and JPMorgan Chase & Co., the filing shows. The company plans to make its debut on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol WELA.
Written by: Janet Freund @Bloomberg
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