K-beauty firm behind medicube sees global expansion propelled by demand for cost-effective next-gen devices

As of November 2023, cumulative sales of APR’s beauty devices domestically and abroad have exceeded 1.5 million units.

The firm recently announced its participation in CES 2024, said to be the world’s largest consumer electronics and home appliances trade show, which will be held from January 9 to 12 in Las Vegas, US.

This will mark APR’s first appearance at the event, where the company will focus on the concept of “a skin care lifestyle created by beauty devices” and introduce its products under the medicube AGE-R brand.

“AGE-R beauty devices are highly accessible due to their relatively low prices, and are emerging as products that satisfy both cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit ratio, as brand awareness both locally and overseas continues to rise. ​

“Through CES 2024, we aim to engrave and expand APR’s brand recognition as South Korea’s leading beauty tech company to consumers worldwide,” ​said Byunghoon Kim, CEO of APR.

Six products that have already entered the US, namely Derm EMS, Ussera Deep Shot, ATS Air Shot, Booster-H, i-Shot, and Contour Body Shot, will be showcased.

Additionally, products that are slated to be released in the US market will also be unveiled. In particular, AGE-R’s “next-generation device​” Booster Pro, launched in Korea in October 2023, is expected to be the main highlight.

Booster Pro is a multifunctional product representing the beauty device technological know-how that APR has accumulated since the brand launch in 2021. It has gained immense popularity in Korea due to the myriad skin care benefits, such as radiance, elasticity and pore control, that it claims to offer in a single device.

To solidify its innovative technological capabilities, APR is continuously conducting skin science research.

In 2023, the company established the APR Device Center (ADC), a R&D centre specialising in beauty device technology and focusing on internalising core technologies.

Smart beauty

Booster Pro is medicube’s seventh beauty device, and the third new product launched by APR in 2023 alone.

It is touted by the company as a next-generation product that could replace present beauty devices, with trade-in sales being accepted for existing AGE-R customers.

The device boasts six-in-one functions that provide comprehensive care in the areas of radiance, elasticity, volume, pore management, vibration, and therapy.

There are four types of core modes, specifically booster mode, microcurrent mode, EMS mode, and air shot mode. The vibration pattern changes according to the mode, while additional skin care effects can be expected from the phototherapy function.

Taking safety and convenience into consideration, the tip that comes into direct contact with the user’s skin is equipped with the latest contact sensor, so the LED light is emitted only when the device comes into contact with the skin.
Furthermore, Booster Pro comes with Bluetooth function to cater to consumers looking for a smart beauty device.

By syncing with the AGE-R app, the user can not only remotely control the device, but also check his or her usage patterns that are automatically recorded in a skin care report.

At the same time, the in-app recording function enables users to document changes in their skin condition.

All Booster Pro products are manufactured in the firm’s beauty device production facility called the APR Factory. Located in Geumcheon-gu, Seoul, it is estimated to produce up to 700,000 units annually at full capacity.

During the opening of the APR Factory, the company announced its plan to “internalise the value chain” by carrying out the planning, development, production, and logistics of beauty devices independently.

“It will prove the high standards of K-beauty tech and symbolise the evolution of the beauty device market. As Booster Pro is the first product released after APR achieved value chain internalisation, we will further accelerate our production and distribution strategy to target domestic and international markets,” ​the firm said.

Record-breaking live commerce sales​

As part of Booster Pro’s initial launch in Korea, the brand held a live commerce session on Kakao Shopping Live that reached 470,000 views, reflecting the high interest in beauty devices.

Hosted by popular beauty Youtuber and makeup artist LeoJ, the event sold a total of 17,000 units in 80 minutes, generating sales of over KRW5bn (USD3.78m).

According to APR, this sales figures ranks first among all beauty categories on the live commerce platform.

It is determined to become the consumers’ brand of choice when it comes to beauty devices.

“We believe that the trust of existing customers and expectations of prospective customers led to the success of our first live commerce. We will strive to continue developing innovative products that actively address the needs of consumers.”​