Not for Storm Troopers: J&J venture arm backs cosmetic light therapy mask in $20M round

It’s a Storm Trooper-esque mask to make your face pretty: NYC startup La Lumiere is commercializing a wearable light therapy mask, used for anti-aging and anti-acne purposes – and it just secured $20 million to do just that, with investors that include Johnson & Johnson’s venture arm. While the majority of J&J’s venture focus tends to be on pharmaceuticals […]

By Meghana Keshavan on November 11, 2014 1:45 pm

It’s a Storm Trooper-esque mask to make your face pretty: NYC startup La Lumiere is commercializing a wearable light therapy mask, used for anti-aging and anti-acne purposes – and it just secured $20 million to do just that, with investors that include Johnson & Johnson’s venture arm.

While the majority of J&J’s venture focus tends to be on pharmaceuticals and medical device, its third investment division is in consumer products.

The masks are inexpensive but disposable – likely an engineering choice to keep consumers buying more. The base model only works for thirty 15-minute sessions – ostensibly based on battery life – and the upgraded model goes for 90 sessions. The costs are $29.95 and $79.95, respectively. They’re already available at major retailers like Walmart, Target and Ulta. There are also two kinds – the anti-aging mask that uses red and infrared LED lights, and the acne-fighting mask that uses blue and red lights.

Here’s how it works:

Some dermatological studies have found that light therapy is effective in acne treatment – leading to the company’s  assessment that this light therapy mask market is currently at $800 million and could progress to several billion in the coming decade. The at-home mask is meant to replace in-office dermatologist treatments that can run hundreds of dollars for 15-minute sessions.

“This was an attractive investment for us because of the incredible growth in the market for at-home beauty treatments,” Todd Klein, CIO of investor Swan and Legend Venture Partners, said in a statement. “La Lumiere is the leader in an emerging field and the only wearable light therapy device with strong intellectual property.”

The company’s CEO has an interesting entrepreneurial background: Jay Tapper invented the Spinbrush – the first battery-powered toothbrush that’s now licensed by brands like Crest and Arm & Hammer; the Spin Pop – a spinning lollipop that’s pretty much the opposite of the Spinbrush; and the popular Stretch Armstrong toy. The IlluMask fits right in?