Ruka Hair, a Black woman-led biotech beauty brand, has achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first braiding hair brand to be sold in Sephora North America. Founded in 2020 by Tendai Moyo, the company was born out of her personal struggle to find high-quality hair extensions that truly represented Black women. Ruka Hair developed a patent-pending collagen-based lab-grown fiber called Synths 2, which mimics the look and feel of natural curls, coils, and kinks, with options ranging from bone-straight to kinky afro textures.

This innovative product has attracted significant investment, with Ruka Hair securing $4.5 million in funding led by Freedom Trail Capital and Henkel Ventures. The company is experiencing rapid growth, with projected revenue expected to increase by 101% year-over-year by April 2027. Their inclusion in Sephora represents a major step in making lab-grown, bio-engineered hair extensions accessible to a wider audience, including communities from Harlem to Times Square.

Tendai Moyo shared on LinkedIn that entering Sephora was a key goal, emphasizing that customers need an in-person, premium retail experience rather than online-only availability. Although retailers initially resisted this approach, Moyo persevered, determined to mainstream hair extensions as part of the broader beauty conversation. She described this launch as the biggest moment in Ruka’s history, symbolizing a relaunch of an underserved category in one of the top beauty retailers.

Moyo also noted that while retail presence is an important opportunity, it is just the beginning of Ruka Hair’s journey. The company’s investment in R&D aims to reach millions of consumers, but the real challenge lies ahead in expanding the brand and continuing to innovate in the beauty industry. By breaking ground in Sephora, Ruka Hair not only advances its own mission but also raises the profile of Black women entrepreneurs leading cutting-edge advancements in biotech beauty.