Cosmax targets Japan with personalized cosmetics venture, eyes global expansion

Cosmax announced Monday it is partnering with a Japanese beauty specialist to enter the personalized cosmetics market and expand globally.

The company plans to apply AI-based prescription technology and personalized cosmetics platform expertise — developed domestically — to the Japanese market first, then extend the business to the United States, Europe and other global markets.

Cosmax has signed an agreement with Fujishin, a Japanese beauty trading company, to establish a joint venture called Trinex. Founded in 1956, Fujishin is one of Japan's leading beauty retail companies, operating an offline distribution network that supplies hair care products, skin care items and beauty devices to about 20,000 salons nationwide.

Cosmax will hold a 51 percent stake in Trinex, with Fujishin holding the remaining 49 percent. Cosmax will handle AI-based personalized cosmetics prescriptions, product planning and production management, while Fujishin will oversee local marketing, retail and sales. The two companies plan to build a business model in Japan combining personalized cosmetics prescriptions with a subscription service through salon channels.

The joint venture marks the first time Cosmax has implemented its personalized cosmetics business model overseas since launching its personalized cosmetics platform in 2023. Cosmax determined that Japan — where consumer acceptance of premium beauty services is high and trust between hairstylists and customers is strong — is well suited to establishing an offline personalized prescription model.

Cosmax will draw on data accumulated through its domestic personalized cosmetics platform 3WAAU. The platform uses AI to analyze skin condition and preferences based on one-on-one consultations with consumers, and has built up more than 2 million cumulative consultation records over the past three years. The company recently unveiled BYNIQ, a streamlined platform aimed at global markets, as it continues to advance its personalized cosmetics business.

Trinex plans to build a full personalized cosmetics operation in Japan, covering AI consultations and prescriptions, custom manufacturing, local filling, packaging and delivery, post-use feedback collection, and ongoing algorithm refinement. Cosmax intends to use the operational experience and consumer data gathered in Japan as a springboard to expand the business model to major overseas markets including the United States and Italy.

Cosmax has been broadening its scope beyond original design manufacturing, moving toward becoming an AI- and data-driven personalized beauty platform company. Its core strategy is to accumulate data on skin characteristics and consumer preferences by country and deliver locally optimized products. Industry observers expect personalized cosmetics to emerge as a new growth engine for K-beauty as generative AI and skin-diagnosis technology advance rapidly.

"This joint venture is the first case in which we are directly implementing a personalized cosmetics business model in an overseas market by combining Cosmax's AI prescription technology with local distribution capabilities," said Lee Byung-joo, CEO of Cosmax BTI. "We will continuously refine our prescription competitiveness based on data accumulated through the trust-based channel of beauty salons, and set a new standard in the global personalized cosmetics market."