The Sisters

What The Sisters does

The Sisters (legal entity: the Sisters BV) is a privately-held, bootstrapped skincare distribution company headquartered at Brouwersgracht 288H in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Founded in 2011 by two sisters, Dominique and Margriet, the company acts as the exclusive or appointed distributor for three international skincare brands — Embryolisse (France, established 1950), Indeed Laboratories (Canada), and Hanskin (South Korea) — in the Dutch and Belgian markets. Over 15 years of operation, the company reports having packed more than 10,000 boxes and gained access to over 500 points of sale.

The business model is a classic B2B distribution model: The Sisters purchases products from brand principals and resells them to retail channels, earning margin on the spread. There is no proprietary technology, no consumer-facing app, no API, and no AI or machine learning components disclosed. The GTM motion is centered on careful brand curation and channel matching — selecting brands that complement rather than compete with each other, then placing each brand in the most appropriate retail channel. The team operates with 1–10 employees, and the founders personally use the brands they distribute, positioning themselves as authentic endorsers.

The company serves two primary segments: end consumers seeking quality international skincare (including makeup artists and beauty enthusiasts) and beauty retailers seeking curated, non-overlapping brand portfolios. Named retail partners include Douglas (enterprise, across Northern Europe and Belgium), ICI Paris XL (enterprise, across Netherlands and Belgium), Boozyshop (SMB/consumer e-commerce targeting younger women), and Beauty X (mid-market, selected stores). Pricing is negotiated privately with retail partners rather than publicly disclosed. The company is profitable in operating terms with no external funding and is owned entirely by the two co-founding sisters.

Name

The Sisters

Legal name

the Sisters BV

Website

https://thesisters.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Sisters is a bootstrapped Amsterdam-based B2B skincare distributor founded in 2011 by two sisters, representing three international brands — Embryolisse, Indeed Labs, and Hanskin — across the Netherlands and Belgium through major beauty retailers Douglas, ICI Paris XL, Boozyshop, and Beauty X.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Skincare Distribution

NAICS

Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (456120)

akta.pro primary industry

Natural/Organic & Clean Skincare (CRABAAAH)

Keywords

• Skincare distribution
• Beauty brand distribution
• Cosmetics wholesale
• Skincare retail channels
• Pharmaceutical cosmetics

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Skincare Brand Distribution: The Sisters generates revenue by distributing skincare brands (Embryolisse, Indeed Labs, Hanskin) to retail channels across the Netherlands and Belgium. As a distribution company, they purchase products from brands and sell to retailers, earning margin on the difference.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

The Sisters is a skincare distribution company that acquires skincare brands (Embryolisse from France, Indeed Laboratories from Canada, and Hanskin from South Korea) and places them into selected retail channels across the Netherlands and Belgium. Its core activity is curating complementary, non-competing brands, matching each brand to suitable retailers (Douglas, ICI Paris XL, Boozyshop, Beauty X), and ensuring EU-compliant, fast-moving distribution to more than 500 points of sale.

Product overview

The Sisters is a skincare distribution company founded in 2011 by two sisters (Dominique and Margriet). The company operates as a single unified distribution service rather than a platform, representing three distinct skincare brands: Embryolisse (France, established 1950), Indeed Laboratories (Canada), and Hanskin (South Korea). These brands are distributed through carefully selected sales channels including Douglas, ICI Paris XL, Boozyshop, and Beauty X, serving over 500 points of sale across the Netherlands and Belgium. The distribution model focuses on careful brand selection to ensure complementary portfolios, matching brands with appropriate sales channels, ensuring EU quality compliance, and providing fast delivery to customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Embryolisse: A French skincare brand since 1950, known for the iconic Lait Crème Concentré. The brand is beloved by makeup artists, celebrities, and influencers.
• Indeed Laboratories
• Hanskin

Products and services

• Embryolisse distribution Distribution of the French Embryolisse skincare line (founded 1950, known for the iconic Lait Crème Concentré developed by a physician) to retailers across the Netherlands and Belgium. The brand serves consumers seeking quality daily skincare, including makeup artists, celebrities, influencers, and general skincare users.
• Indeed Laboratories distribution Distribution of Indeed Laboratories, a Canadian skincare brand focused on products addressing specific skincare needs, most notably the Nanoblur cream that creates a camera-ready skin appearance upon application. Sold to Benelux retailers targeting trend-conscious beauty shoppers.
• Hanskin distribution Distribution of Hanskin, a South Korean skincare brand known for efficient skincare formulations made with the purest ingredients, to retail partners across the Netherlands and Belgium.

Quantifiable outcome

• Access to 500+ Points of Sale

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• EmbryolissecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2011Embryolisse is a French skincare brand from Paris, founded in 1950, known for the iconic Lait Crème Concentré. The Sisters began distributing Embryolisse in 2011 as their first brand partnership, representing the cornerstone of their portfolio with established celebrity and makeup artist following.
• Indeed LaboratoriescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIndeed Labs is a Canadian skincare brand known for innovative products like Nanoblur cream that provides camera-ready skin effect. The Sisters added Indeed Labs to their portfolio after establishing their Embryolisse distribution.
• HanskincoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHanskin is a South Korean skincare brand known for efficient skincare formulations using pure ingredients. The Sisters represents Hanskin as part of their diverse portfolio spanning multiple geographic origins.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Sephora: Sephora is a global multi-brand beauty retailer with a Benelux omnichannel presence (including stores and digital). Comparable because Sephora is both a potential distribution channel for The Sisters' brands and a competitor for end-consumer mindshare in the curated multi-brand skincare category The Sisters operates in.
• Cosnova: Cosnova is a German-based beauty company that develops, manufactures, and distributes brands such as essence and CATRICE across European mass and specialty channels. Comparable to The Sisters because both are European beauty brand distribution operations, though Cosnova owns its brands rather than distributing third-party labels.
• Douglas: Douglas is the largest specialty beauty retailer in Europe and The Sisters' largest disclosed customer. Comparable as a Benelux beauty distribution node — Douglas performs its own brand sourcing, which makes it both a key channel and an indirect competitor for shelf placement with brand principals.
• L'Oréal: L'Oréal is the world's largest beauty company and operates European skincare distribution through brands such as La Roche-Posay, Vichy and SkinCeuticals into pharmacy and specialty channels. Comparable at the industry level as an established skincare distributor with multi-country Benelux shelf presence overlapping The Sisters' territory.
• Coty: Coty is a global beauty conglomerate that manufactures, distributes and markets skincare, fragrance and color cosmetics across Europe. Comparable as a broad incumbent whose activities span distribution of third-party and owned brands into European specialty and pharmacy retail, the same channels The Sisters services.
• Pierre Fabre: Pierre Fabre is a French pharmaceutical and dermo-cosmetic group whose skincare brands (Avène, Ducray, Klorane) are widely distributed through European pharmacy channels. Comparable because it overlaps with The Sisters in French-pharmacy-positioned skincare distribution across Benelux specialty retail.

Others

• Caudalie: Caudalie is a French natural-origin skincare brand that distributes through pharmacy, specialty, and department-store channels in Europe. Comparable thematically as a French pharmacy-positioned skincare label of the same kind The Sisters specializes in (e.g., Embryolisse), though Caudalie is a brand-side operator, not a distributor.

Direct peers

• Maesa: Maesa is a US/global beauty brand management and distribution company that partners with brands to develop, manufacture, and bring them to market — closely comparable to The Sisters' brand-curation and channel-matching distribution model, though Maesa operates at far greater scale and with proprietary private-label capabilities.

Emerging players

• Intercos: Intercos is an Italian contract manufacturer and supply-chain partner that develops and produces skincare and color cosmetics for global beauty brands. Comparable as an adjacent emerging player in European beauty product development/distribution, with a B2B model that intersects the brand-sourcing ecosystem The Sisters serves.

Regional players

• ICI Paris XL: ICI Paris XL is a Netherlands- and Belgium-focused beauty retailer and an anchor account for The Sisters. It is comparable because it is the closest regional specialty channel in the same geography, with retail and brand-sourcing activities that overlap with what The Sisters does as a distributor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Sisters