Ruka Makes History as Sephora’s First Black-Owned Hair-Extensions Brand

This August, Ruka becomes the first Black-owned hair extensions brand to join Sephora, and the first hair extensions brand the retailer has carried in more than 20 years.

Founded by Tendai Moyo and Ugo Agbai, Ruka launched in London and has since built cult status among those with textured hair, with distribution through premium UK retailers like Selfridges. Its signature Synths™ fiber is a patent-pending, collagen-based alternative to traditional kanekalon, engineered to move, hold curl and mimic natural hair minus the itch, tangles and environmental cost that can come with synthetic extensions.

The Sephora rollout follows a $4.5 million funding round from Freedom Trail Capital and Henkel Ventures, along with several angel investors, bringing Ruka’s total funding to $10 million. Henkel’s involvement is worth noting on its own since the company already owns Olaplex and Schwarzkopf, so its bet on Ruka signals real confidence in where textured hair care is headed.

Starting August 4, Ruka’s lineup lands online at Sephora nationwide, led by its Synths™2 Braid-It extensions ($34) in different styles and colors. Rounding out the range are styling bestsellers like the Do-It-All Gel ($39), Save Me Serum ($39), Hold Me Down Edge Gel ($32) and the Coconilla Hair & Body Perfume ($45).

From August 14, the collection rolls into 10 Sephora stores across New York, Los Angeles and Atlanta, giving shoppers their first chance to feel, swatch and try the range in person before committing to a bundle.

As Moyo describes it, hair is having its own skinification moment, with people treating extensions the way they’d treat makeup and having open conversations about hair loss along the way. Sephora’s SVP of Haircare Merchandising Jennifer Lucchese echoed that shift, calling Ruka’s braiding bundles a brand-new category for the retailer.

Carving out a category Sephora hasn’t had before, Ruka has proven that better science and better representation can build something the whole industry follows.