HB Angels, announces launch of a luxury feminine and sexual wellness brand Ketish
HB Investments, the Dubai-based private investment office chaired by Huda Beauty founder Huda Kattan, has announced the launch of Ketish, a luxury feminine and sexual wellness brand, which is the first startup to come out of its seed fund and incubator, HB Angels.
Founded by Emaan Abbass, who was formerly a product developer at Huda Beauty, Ketish aims to address a gap she found in the intimate care and feminine wellness industry, with the brand’s products having been developed by keeping women’s needs and desires on top of mind. The Ketish portfolio is made up of targeted body care and wellness products that are “super effective, multi-beneficial, and have that undeniable dope factor,” with Abbass revealing that the brand has been named after Qetesh, the ancient Egyptian goddess of love, passion, sexuality, and pleasure.
“Although some feminine care products have always existed, I found they lacked credibility, or were just low-key embarrassing to purchase,” Abbass says. “We want to take feminine and sexual wellness outside of the pharmacy- a place that’s typically associated with something being wrong or feeling sick. We want to elevate that experience and make it a part of your self-love practice. The products are going to be luxurious and effective, and developed with wellness in mind. We've transformed feminine care products visually. We've made them really beautiful, like a little secret weapon inside your bag, so you never have to feel embarrassed or ashamed, when whipping it out on a date, or on an outing with some friends.”
In an interview with Entrepreneur Middle East, Abbass was emphatic about noting the key role HB Investments has played in getting Ketish off the ground as a business. In 2017, Kattan had announced on her social media channels that she was starting a US$10 million fund to invest in passionate founders with mission-driven business ideas, and that was the incentive Abbass needed to pursue her entrepreneurial dreams.
“I always had an idea to start a feminine wellness brand, but never thought it out until I saw that video,” Abbass recalls. “I was nervous to approach Huda, not just because it was something that was so personal to me, but because I was an employee, and I wasn’t sure how she would receive it. I finally worked up the courage to approach Huda with the idea for Ketish. And after several post-pitch conversations, the family saw the vision really clearly, and decided to invest in Ketish.”
As an Egyptian American woman, Abbass was driven to launch Ketish after her own experiences in life in which feminine health and sex education were always considered as taboo topics at home. Having been diagnosed with cervical cancer caused by the human papillomavirus when she was 21, her fear of turning to her family for support or comfort led her to go through the nine-year healing process alone.
“This experience made me realize just how important my intimate health was, and I become hyper-aware of the products I was using on my body,” Abbass explains. “I quickly realized that there was a gap when it came to taboo-free, trustworthy products in the intimate care space. I also went through this before the age of social media, and so, I felt that there weren't enough educational platforms or outlets for young girls like myself to lean on for support. I thus wanted to create a brand that not only provided effective, luxurious, and powerful products that were free from stigma, but I also wanted to create the community and platform I wished I'd had throughout my journey.”
