Yatsen CEO on Science-Backed Beauty, Turnaround Strategy, and Global Positioning

SHANGHAI, April 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On a recent episode of Bloomberg's China Show, David (Jingfeng) Huang, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Yatsen Holding Ltd. (NYSE: YSG), offered a revealing look into how the Chinese beauty tech company is evolving from a trend-savvy startup into a global innovation leader.

From a growing portfolio of brands to deep investments in science and R&D, Huang positioned Yatsen as a rare hybrid—both agile and deeply rooted in long-term thinking. His message was clear: beauty is being redefined, and Yatsen intends to lead the next era.

A Vision to Build a Tech-Driven Beauty Powerhouse

Founded in 2016, Yatsen first captured attention through Perfect Diary, now a mainstream brand in China. Since then, the company has expanded to 11 brands, spanning mass, masstige, and premium tiers.

Its lineup includes France's Galenic, focused on cellular anti-aging, the sensorial British skincare brand EVE LOM, and dermatologist-backed Dr.Wu. Together, these brands reflect a deliberate strategy: address varied consumer needs with credible, differentiated propositions.

"Our vision was always to build a next-generation beauty tech company," Huang explained. "From trend-driven to science-backed, we now offer products across all major segments—what unites them is innovation."

China's Beauty Consumers: Smart, Selective, and Innovation-Hungry

The domestic beauty market in China is vast—valued at over RMB 400 billion—yet remains fragmented. Even the top players only command single-digit market shares, giving agile innovators room to grow.

Despite recent macro challenges, Huang is confident: "Chinese consumers are still highly willing to pay—as long as the product truly delivers."

That belief led to one of Yatsen's breakout hits: the Biolip Essence Lipstick. Priced similarly to global luxury brands, this hybrid product combines high-performance color with skincare benefits, including patented ingredients that stimulate collagen and reduce lip wrinkles.

"It's not just makeup. It's biotech in a lipstick," Huang said. "And the market responded—we've seen strong repurchase and loyalty."

Science-Led Premiumization: A Strategic Pivot

Yatsen's transformation goes beyond branding. In 2021, the company initiated a strategic shift: lean harder into skincare, R&D, and innovation-led premiumization. The move was both ambitious and risky, as it involved restructuring operations, reallocating capital, and riding out a tough market cycle.

"Turning around a public company isn't easy," said Huang. "But we knew where the market was going—toward science-backed, benefit-driven beauty. We invested over $80 million in R&D, filed 240+ patents, and published in top-tier journals like Nature Medicine and Science Bulletin."

He added that 3% of Yatsen's revenue is now allocated to R&D—putting the company among global leaders in innovation spend ratio in the beauty category.

Profitability Resumed, Market Confidence Growing

While Yatsen's stock price has yet to return to IPO levels, Huang emphasized the fundamentals are stronger than ever.

"Since last quarter, investor feedback has been increasingly positive. But more important than sentiment is performance—we've resumed profitable growth, with a long-term focus on value creation," he said.

The turnaround, built on disciplined brand building and product innovation, has earned Yatsen growing respect among long-term investors.

"We believe the equity market is a weighing machine over time. Our job is to do the right things—R&D, great products, strong brands—and the value will follow."

Resilience in a Volatile Global Landscape

Huang also addressed concerns around trade and supply chain disruptions, particularly in light of global tariff tensions.

While the beauty industry is highly globalized, Yatsen has insulated itself well. Most of its components and ingredients are sourced domestically, and its primary market remains mainland China.

"We're not immune, but we're well-positioned," he said. "We monitor risks—supplier stability, cross-border issues—but our current exposure is manageable. Still, we stay agile."

When asked whether cost increases from potential tariffs would be passed on to consumers, Huang pointed to the brand's focus on delivering value, not just price.

"Consumers are smart. Post-COVID, they're more price-sensitive, but they're not chasing the lowest price. They want high value—products that justify their cost."

A Different Playbook From Global Competitors

Huang believes that Yatsen's unique blend of local insight and global scientific ambition sets it apart from multinationals struggling to regain ground in China.

"We're not just following trends—we're deeply embedded in where Chinese consumer preferences are heading," he said. "Biotech, neuroscience, ingredient innovation—this is where we're betting big."

Yatsen is already seeing results from this strategy with loyal followings for products under brands like Galenic and high-performance serums featuring vitamin A and C.

In a nod to its future direction, Huang revealed that Yatsen is now exploring neuroscience applications in skincare—a niche with massive long-term potential.

Capital Strategy: Transparency, Optionality, and Growth

On the capital markets front, Huang acknowledged investor concerns around ADR delistings and so on. But Yatsen is taking a disciplined, transparent approach.

The company completed a $200 million share buyback, reinforcing confidence and alignment with shareholders.

Yatsen represents a rare blend of scale, agility, and innovation depth. With proven market traction, a science-led product pipeline, and a profitable operating model, the company is positioned to capture long-term share in a fragmented, fast-evolving industry. In terms of Yatsen's vision,  "We're not just making beauty products," Huang concluded, "We're inventing the future of beauty—and we're just getting started."

** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

Yatsen CEO on Science-Backed Beauty, Turnaround Strategy, and Global Positioning

Yatsen CEO on Science-Backed Beauty, Turnaround Strategy, and Global Positioning

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- At CES 2026, Flowtica was not the loudest presence on the show floor. Over the course of the week, however, the Singapore-based AI company became one of the most closely watched, drawing sustained attention from media, investors, and industry observers.

That attention has now translated into availability. Following its appearance as a CES 2026 Innovation Award Honoree, Flowtica has officially opened sales of Flowtica Scribe, its AI recording pen that quietly stood out in a field dominated by phone-dependent and screen-heavy solutions.

Flowtica Scribe did not make its first public appearance at CES. The product launched on Kickstarter several months earlier, where it attracted thousands of users and established early validation. CES marked a different stage for the company. The focus shifted away from introduction and toward closer examination, with many observers asking whether the idea could hold up beyond early enthusiasm.

Throughout the exhibition, Flowtica's booth at Eureka Park became a steady meeting point for investors and journalists. Conversations rarely centered on specifications or feature lists. Instead, discussions focused on a more fundamental question: whether AI recording tools are beginning to converge on forms that genuinely fit into professional life.

Flowtica's answer was visible in its choice of form. By embedding AI into a pen, an object already accepted in boardrooms, consultations, investor meetings, and sales conversations, the company avoided many of the social and practical frictions that continue to limit phone-based recorders. The result was a device that felt less like a new category of gadget and more like a natural extension of existing behavior.

This restraint is deliberate. Flowtica Scribe is designed to remain unobtrusive, with no screen and no demand for user attention during conversations. Recording, organization, and interpretation take place quietly in the background, allowing users to remain focused on the discussion itself. Among on-site observers, this approach positioned Flowtica as one of the more pragmatic entrants in an increasingly crowded AI recording market.

Hardware, however, represents only part of Flowtica's differentiation. The company places equal emphasis on what happens after recording ends. Its AI functions as a continuously evolving insight system that can operate autonomously while remaining responsive to clear user guidance when needed. Over time, it adapts to individual working rhythms and priorities, shifting the emphasis from capturing everything to identifying what truly matters.

Rather than simply storing conversations, Flowtica helps determine which moments should be retained, revisited, and translated into next actions. Key insights are designed to integrate naturally with existing productivity tools, including calendars and task systems, allowing them to fit into established workflows rather than compete with them.

As interest in Flowtica Scribe built during CES, one question surfaced repeatedly. When would the product be available beyond the show floor?

With sales now officially open through Flowtica's website, the company moves from exhibition attention to real-world deployment. For Flowtica, this moment appears less like a conclusion and more like a transition, from being observed to being used.

As the AI recording market continues to mature, competition is shifting away from novelty and early adoption toward durability. The defining question is no longer whether a system can record conversations, but whether it can remain useful over time.

Flowtica enters this next phase with an approach that is measured and quietly confident, placing its bet not on spectacle, but on long-term relevance.

** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

The AI Recording Pen That Turned Heads at CES Is Finally for Sale