Wella Company, the owner of OPI nail polish and Wella haircare brands and backed by global investment firm KKR, filed paperwork for a U.S. initial public offering on Monday. The company said it intends to list on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "WELA".
Wella operates across more than 100 countries and employs in excess of 6,000 people. The company maintains primary offices in Geneva, New York City, London and Calabasas, California, and it operates a sizable research and development facility in Darmstadt, Germany.
Earlier this year the firm engaged with investment banks as it prepared for the public offering. The underwriting group named in the filing includes Goldman Sachs, BofA Securities, KKR and J.P. Morgan.
KKR originally acquired a 60% stake in Wella from the beauty conglomerate Coty in 2020, at the time the business was carved out as a standalone company. That transaction placed a valuation on the company of $4.3 billion, including debt.
The filing formalizes Wella's plans to seek capital and a public listing in the United States. The company combines well-known consumer brands in hair and nail care and operates a global footprint with multiple regional headquarters and an established R&D presence in Germany.
Context and structure
The filing highlights Wella's multinational scale and the participation of prominent investment banks on the underwriting team. It also records KKR's prior private-equity investment and the valuation attached to that transaction when Wella was separated from its previous owner in 2020.
The filing does not, in the text available, specify offering size, share count or timing beyond the companys stated intention to pursue a U.S. listing under the symbol "WELA." Details on the allocation of shares or KKR's post-listing ownership stake are not provided in the public filing excerpt cited.
As the process moves forward, Wella will complete the standard regulatory and marketing steps required for a U.S. IPO, working with the named underwriters on the structure and execution of the offering.