Entrepreneur Launched Hair Tool for Textured Hair

Richualist secured $1.4 million in venture funding to bring the innovative Mint hair styling device to market.

Updated on Oct. 11, 2026 in Beauty

Entrepreneur Launched Hair Tool for Textured Hair

Live Poll

Do you believe the beauty industry currently provides adequate tools for all hair types?

Entrepreneur Dawn Myers has launched the Mint hair tool through Ulta after spending five years developing a device specifically for textured hair. The tool, which utilizes warming technology and refillable product pods, aims to streamline styling routines for natural hair types.

Why it matters

The company was founded to address a significant lack of hardware tools designed for textured hair, as previous industry offerings primarily prioritized straightening. By creating a device that detangles and styles in a single stroke, the brand seeks to improve daily care routines for users with natural hair.

The Mint hair tool reduces styling time to seven to 10 minutes and cuts shedding and breakage by up to 70%. The product development process spanned five years and required over $1 million in initial venture capital.

The players

Dawn Myers

She is the founder of Richualist who liquidated her personal assets to finance the initial development of the Mint hair tool.

Mark Cuban

He is an entrepreneur and television personality who invested in the Richualist brand.

Emma Grede

She is a business executive and co-founder of Good American who provided investment capital for the company.

Dow

This is a materials science company that provided engineering and manufacturing guidance for the development of the hair tool.

Ulta

This is a national beauty retailer that serves as the primary storefront for the launch of the Mint hair tool.

The details

The Mint device incorporates refillable product pods to detangle, condition, and gel hair simultaneously during use. Richualist collaborated with materials science company Dow to refine the engineering and manufacturing of the hardware.

Dawn Myers began sketching the initial business idea in 2018.
The founder was diagnosed with stage three colorectal cancer in 2022.
The company applied to Shark Tank in 2023.
The Shark Tank episode featuring Richualist aired in 2024.
The startup attended the TechCrunch Disrupt conference in October 2026.

Culture Shift

The introduction of the Mint tool reflects a broader societal move toward embracing and properly maintaining natural hair textures. This shifts the industry away from historical standards that prioritized chemically or heat-treated straightening, signaling a maturation of the beauty hardware market.

Consumers with textured hair can now utilize the Mint tool to shorten their styling sessions to under 10 minutes. This provides a practical alternative to manual styling, potentially lowering the frequency of damage experienced during daily hair care routines.

The takeaway

The development of the Mint tool illustrates the importance of addressing underserved niche markets with dedicated engineering. Consumers should prioritize tools that align with their specific hair density and texture to effectively minimize breakage.