New CEO named to lead transformative technology in the beauty industry.
AI continues to open up new frontiers as innovators apply the fast-emerging technology in ways that gain investor support. By combining AI and robotics, California-based LUUM provides eyelash extensions in just minutes, supplanting existing two-hour-long procedures.
The technology-driven beauty company also announced the appointment of Jo Lawson as its new Chief Executive Officer and the transition of co-founder Nathan Harding back to the role of CTO. Harding remains a board member and an integral executive team member.
Prior to joining LUUM, Lawson’s 15 year career included shaping brand strategies and product development across global brands such as Apple, PayPal and Movado. She also led marketing, communications and product teams in consumer electronics, retail, and luxury industries.
“Leading the talented team at LUUM comes at a pivotal moment in the industry when technology and beauty are converging like never before. As LUUM heralds the new era of Beauty Experience Automation, we’re enhancing experiences while also setting new standards in precision and client care,” said Lawson. She raised the company’s largest round of funding to date and received accolades from customers and awards such as TIME Best Inventions and BeautyMatter NEXT.
LUUM was co-founded by Kurt Amundson, Lynn Heublein, and Nathan Harding in 2017 collectively leveraging their backgrounds in technology, robotics, and marketing.
Amundson serves as Vice President of Engineering, where he spearheads the development of the company’s systems for automated eyelash extension application. Over five years his team worked to bring robotic automation solutions to the beauty industry and introduced the first system capable of autonomously applying eyelash extensions to a person.
Heublein remained with LUUM until early 2024 and is now the founder and CEO of SkinSpirit, an award-winning medical aesthetics brand.
Harding, now CTO and before LUUM, was the Innovator in Residence at MUH-TAY-ZIK | HOF-FER. While at Ekso Bionics he co-founded and held leadership positions for nine years. The company pioneered the field of robotic exoskeletons, or wearable robots, to augment human strength, endurance, and mobility.
“I’m excited to hand off the reins to Jo and get back to engineering,” said Harding. “Jo is perfect for LUUM’s next phase of growth. Her dedication to the client experience and pushing the boundaries of technology ensures better solutions for our clients, lash artists and partners. She’s exactly who we need to transform salon services and improve the world of beauty through technology in service of humans.”
In Fall 2023 and Fall 2024, LUUM began collaborations with Ulta Beauty and Nordstrom to pilot their innovative eyelash extension service in San Jose store locations. The result was an elevation of the beauty service experience, making it a new benchmark in the industry.
With this initial success, LUUM demonstrated how technology meets the rising demand for cutting-edge and convenient beauty solutions, can drive new and more frequent customer traffic, and increase the share of wallet to retailers looking for “addictive” location-based services.
Another breakthrough was the embrace of the technology by Lash artists. They viewed the LUUM technology as empowering a sustainable career with benefits never experienced in the industry. LUUM’s Beauty Experience Automation and positive engagement by beauty professionals solidified LUUM’s strategy of enhancing customer experiences in select retail environments.
With its robust global patent portfolio and the support of notable beauty and venture capital investors, its reach is global. That caught the ready support of investors.
The Series A round was led by Long Journey Ventures, Artifact Capital, and Boardman Bay Capital Management, joining key previous investors such as Ulta Beauty, a brand-first collaborator. Funds will be used to expand LUUM’s market reach and fund its next-generation product launch for which LUUM is securing additional strategic retail partners to roll out their technology at scale, beginning June 2025.
