KKR agreed to acquire Ci FLAVORS, one of Japan's leading beauty and lifestyle brand platforms, from a group of shareholders led by the consumer specialist L Catterton. Founder Yusaku Horiuchi and chief executive Yoshiaki Okura will both reinvest alongside KKR, which is making the purchase through its flagship Asia Pacific private equity strategy. L Catterton, the largest global consumer-focused private equity firm and an investor backed by luxury group LVMH, first invested in Ci FLAVORS in 2022, and is now selling alongside e Beauty Group and Yanagi Capital Partners.

Ci FLAVORS is the holding company for Cosme Company, founded by Yusaku Horiuchi in 2011 and built on the principle of understanding customers’ demands better than anyone else.