South Korean cosmetics manufacturer Cosmax has formed a joint venture with major Japanese beauty supplier Fujishin to take its artificial intelligence-powered beauty platform abroad for the first time, the company said Monday.
The venture, called Trinex, is majority-owned by Cosmax, which holds a 51 percent stake. Fujishin holds the remaining 49 percent. It pairs Cosmax's formulation technology with Fujishin's network of roughly 20,000 salons across Japan, offering consumers customized products built around one-on-one skin consultations.
Trinex will handle the entire process locally, from AI consultations and custom formulation to filling, packaging, delivery and post-purchase feedback, the company said.
The partnership marks the first overseas rollout of the personalized cosmetics platform Cosmax launched in Korea in 2023. That platform, called 3waau, has drawn on data from more than 2 million one-on-one AI consultations over the past three years. Cosmax has also developed a simplified version, Byniq, aimed at accelerating its expansion into overseas markets.
Cosmax said it chose Japan because consumers there are especially open to premium beauty services and place strong trust in salon professionals, a combination that fits well with an in-person, subscription-based consultation model.
The company plans to use Japan as a proving ground before expanding the business model to other major markets, including the US and Italy.
"By building on data gathered through salons, we'll keep sharpening our formulation edge and set a new standard for personalized cosmetics worldwide," said Lee Byung-joo, CEO of Cosmax BTI.
minmin@heraldcorp.com