A NORTH Yorkshire skincare business that has broken in to department stores such as John Lewis and Selfridges has secured major investment from private equity backer Piper.

Harrogate-headquartered Neom Organics, which grew retail sales by 35 per cent last year to £18 million, says it will use the investment from Piper to expand its product range, develop the senior team, open additional stores and increase its international footprint.

Neom was founded in 2005 by friends Nicola Elliott and Oliver Mennell and today employs a team of 50.

Mr Mennell said: “We first met Piper in 2009 and, since then, we have regularly worked with the team and drawn on their knowledge and expertise to help us achieve our growth ambitions.”

Libby Gibson, partner at Piper, said: “We have admired Neom for many years and have been consistently impressed with the quality of its products and how the brand addresses a growing consumer need.”