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Plantmade, the hair-care brand that rode a pandemic-era social media wave, has been sold in a pre-pack deal after entering administration with about £1.8 million owed mostly to banks and the UK tax authority. Founder Ama Amo-Agyei said she and her former leadership team are no longer involved with the company.
Administrators were appointed in June, Companies House records show. The brand’s assets were sold for £30,000 to Crown Holdings, led by entrepreneur Toni Fola-Alade, who says he has since invested “hundreds of thousands” of pounds to clear back orders and stabilize operations. The buyer retained more than 15 jobs and plans to rebuild the business under the Plantmade name.
The collapse capped a rapid rise. Amo-Agyei launched Plantmade from her family home in 2020 with roughly £100 of ingredients and grew it into a direct-to-consumer brand amplified by more than 340,000 followers across personal and company accounts. The business reported £5.3 million of revenue in 2024, but also a £671,000 loss as operating costs and financing charges outpaced sales growth.
Plantmade’s rise was blistering — UK coverage last year said the brand was on track for £11 million in annual revenue — before mounting costs and short-term debt pushed it into administration and a pre-pack sale that kept trading and preserved jobs.
Amo-Agyei said the plan had been to restructure under the new owner, with the incumbent leadership staying on through the summer before departing in October. Crown Holdings, which says Plantmade has a base of around 200,000 customers, aims to restore confidence by fulfilling delayed orders and tightening operations. The two sides have offered differing accounts of the handover, but both indicate the founders have stepped away and that the brand will continue trading under new stewardship.
For Britain’s direct-to-consumer upstarts, Plantmade’s saga is a reminder that viral growth and community engagement don’t always translate into durable cash flow. The brand’s positioning—vegan hair-growth oils, shampoos and conditioners drawing on Ayurvedic and African traditions—helped it break out during lockdown. As supply chains steadied and ad rates climbed, momentum demanded fresh capital and tighter working-capital controls than Plantmade had on hand. Records show administrators were appointed on June 17, 2025, with a same-day registered-office change to the insolvency firm, marking the start of the process. The online store remains live with a pared-back catalogue as the business resets.
