Shirley Setia Didn’t Want Another Beauty Endorsement. She Built ISLAND Instead

Celebrity-led beauty brands often begin with reach. ISLAND Beauty is trying to build its proposition around formulation instead. The skincare startup co-founded by singer and actor Shirley Setia has raised ₹2.58 crore from early-stage investor AJ VC to expand its product portfolio and reach more consumers.

Founded in 2023 by Shirley Setia, Jinsoon Lee, Mayank Jain and Sakshi Jain, ISLAND combines Korean skincare ingredients and expertise with formulations designed for Indian conditions such as heat, humidity and pollution. Lee is described by the company as a Korean skincare expert, while the brand was publicly launched in July 2025.

The company plans to use the fresh capital for product development, brand awareness and customer acquisition. It has not disclosed a valuation or named the funding stage. Over the next three years, ISLAND intends to broaden its range and build greater awareness around its barrier-focused skincare positioning.

At the centre of the portfolio is what ISLAND calls its Core Barrier Matrix, combining a ceramide-based repair layer with an ectoin-based defence component. Its current catalogue includes cleansers, toners and essences, serums, moisturisers and lip care. The brand’s website currently lists individual products from ₹749 to ₹1,699. Product-performance claims remain the company’s own.

That positioning places ISLAND inside India’s rapidly expanding interest in Korean beauty. Research cited by Indian Startup News estimates India’s K-beauty market could grow from about $0.4 billion in 2024 to $1.5 billion by 2030, while the number of buyers could more than double over the same period.

For ISLAND, the challenge now is moving beyond founder visibility. The ₹2.58 crore round gives it more room to develop products and acquire customers, but the long-term test will be whether a Korean-inspired, India-adapted formulation strategy can create repeat skincare habits rather than one-time curiosity.