Vyrao Acquired by Brand Platform Tresalis

Vyrao, the British premium perfume line, has been acquired by Tresalis, a new beauty platform backed by German family office Athos, the companies told The Business of Beauty on Monday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, though according to sources close to the business, Vyrao’s annual revenue is around $3 million, approaching $5 million.

Vyrao was founded in 2021 by the former fashion executive Yasmin Sewell, and offers scents it claims can enhance positive emotions, such as self-confidence or calm, through unique olfactory blends. The Business of Beauty reported in August that a deal was underway, and that FRP Advisory’s Victoria Kisseleva was advising on the sale. Athos is the investment vehicle of the German brothers and pharmaceutical billionaires Thomas and Andreas Strüngmann. The Strüngmanns have created Tresalis, with Miami-based entrepreneur Dr. Fernando Tamez as its founding partner.

Sewell said she had always envisioned Vyrao as more of a wellness brand than a fragrance brand, and that Tresalis understood her point of view. She will stay on in the newly created role of chief brand officer.

“I don’t have to run the business anymore,” she said. “It’s the product innovation, creativity and overseeing the brand that floats my boat.”

Through Tresalis, Dr. Tamez will be closely involved with Vyrao’s management. (He previously founded the hair growth line DS Labs, which was acquired by a subsidiary of Athos in 2024.) David De Nino, an executive who previously worked with beauty magazine Allure on its retail concept, will act as interim chief executive. Some previous investors, including Estée Lauder Companies, Manzanita Capital and L Catterton, will retain their stakes in the business.

Tamez said Tresalis moved quickly to acquire Vyrao, as it had been looking for founder-led, differentiated brands. “We have a long term horizon, and we are operators. We are not a private equity [firm] that has to exit in three to five years,” said Tamez.

While Vyrao is not profitable, its unique proposition and creative point of view made it an attractive target: amongst others, Manzanita explored acquiring it. Even when a business is underperforming, if investors see a clear point of view and a means to right-size the financials, it can be appealing: Belle Brands acquired cosmetics maker Versed following a sales slide and hair line Vegamour out of bankruptcy this year.

Tresalis will globalise the brand, said Tamez, as Athos has a wide network in the Middle East, Latin America and Asia. Vyrao is sold in Europe, South Africa, the UAE and Australia; the US is its largest market. It will also bring operational rigour and bolster the line’s scientific credentials.

Sewell said it was the right time for the brand to have a new owner and operator. “It is my baby, but the baby can grow up,” she said.

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