With the signing of our third investment, we are reaching another milestone: we are investing in Skin Gourmet, a Ghanaian company that is rethinking the global cosmetics industry from the ground up—by shifting value creation back to where it originates.
We had the pleasure of welcoming founder Violet Amoabeng to Osnabrück to finalize the agreement in person.
From a Chance Discovery to a Partnership
Our journey with Skin Gourmet began about a year ago—on the last day of our first investor trip to Ghana. While browsing for souvenirs, we came across products labeled “RAW. PURE. WILD.” and “PEOPLE OVER PROFIT.”
What initially caught our attention through branding quickly revealed something much deeper: edible skincare, 100% sourced and made in Ghana, built on a clear commitment to transparency and local value creation.
In the months that followed, we met Violet and her team in Accra and visited production in northern Ghana—where we saw a company that doesn’t just build products, but challenges entire systems.
A Structural Problem – and an Entrepreneurial Answer
Shea butter is a key ingredient in the global cosmetics industry—and is even used in products like chocolate.
Yet while it is produced in West Africa, most of the value creation happens elsewhere.
The reality:
Small-scale producers often lack access to certifications, markets, and fair pricing. Supply chains are dominated by intermediaries. Value is created—but not where the work happens.
Skin Gourmet addresses exactly this imbalance.
Instead of exporting raw materials, they process and refine them locally, turning them into high-quality products for international markets. The goal: retain more value within the country, stabilize incomes, and rebuild supply chains from the ground up.
From $45 to a Scalable Platform
Violet Amoabeng founded Skin Gourmet with just $45—in her parents’ kitchen.
Today, the company represents:
- 28 full-time employees (around 80% women)
- more than 50 natural, edible skincare products
- a growing network of local producers
- over 130 women in a shea cooperative in northern Ghana with more stable incomes
The journey began with a personal moment: after years abroad, Violet returned to Ghana. A simple but striking scene—contrasting everyday privilege with physical labor on the streets—became the trigger for action.
The starting point was not the product, but the problem.
Our Investment: Scaling Value Creation
With our investment—its first external capital after 13 years of bootstrapping—Skin Gourmet will take the next step:
- building a production facility in Tamale
- professionalizing its value chain
- gaining access to international certifications
- expanding into global markets
This is not just about growing a company. It is about creating a blueprint for how local production can become globally competitive.
Media Coverage: Attention Beyond the Region
Violet Amoabeng’s visit to Osnabrück also gained media attention. The Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung GmbH & Co. KGfeatured Skin Gourmet and its vision.
Two thoughts from Violet particularly stood out:
“If you want to succeed as an entrepreneur, don’t fall in love with the product—fall in love with the problem you are solving.”
And on entering international markets:
“If I can sell in Europe, I can sell anywhere.”
A powerful shift in perspective—one that reflects both ambition and confidence in building globally competitive businesses from Ghana.
What Convinced Us
Skin Gourmet is a strong example of what we aim to build at fair equity:
- value creation at origin
- entrepreneurship instead of dependency
- local production with global ambition
- measurable impact through jobs and income
Or simply put:
A company that shows how a raw material becomes a value chain—and how an idea becomes a system.
