On July 30, 2026, Amorepacific Holdings announced that it had signed an agreement for a strategic investment in South Korea’s HIGHER Corporation, a company operating in the field of medical aesthetics. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The partnership is intended to combine Amorepacific’s skin research and brand resources with HIGHER Corporation’s expertise in developing injectable solutions and working with medical professionals. The companies plan to develop products that complement professional procedures with daily skincare.
What does the agreement between Amorepacific and HIGHER Corporation include?
The collaboration is not limited to financing the company. The official announcement outlines several areas of joint work:
- development and commercialization of skin boosters, cosmeceuticals and medical devices;
- creation of post-procedure care products for distribution through clinics and hospitals;
- research into new ingredients and materials;
- joint marketing initiatives.
Amorepacific is contributing its scientific foundation in skincare, brand portfolio and international marketing capabilities. HIGHER Corporation brings its own network of physicians, knowledge of the professional market and experience in developing injectable products.
“We aim to combine skin science and medical technologies to develop innovative solutions.”
Sangmok Lee, CEO of Amorepacific Holdings, editor’s translation
The agreement in brief
The agreement strengthens Amorepacific’s presence in medical aesthetics and brings together the competencies of the two companies. Amorepacific is responsible for skin science and brand resources, while HIGHER Corporation contributes injectable technologies and engagement with the professional community.
What is known about HIGHER Corporation and HILO WAVE?
HIGHER Corporation was founded in 2021 and specializes in injectable solutions developed in collaboration with physicians and researchers. Its flagship brand, HILO WAVE, is already available in South Korea, Japan, Indonesia and Vietnam.
HILO WAVE is positioned as a Dual-HA platform for improving skin quality. Its patented DHC technology combines high- and low-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid. According to the manufacturer, the product is designed to support skin remodeling and maintain skin structure.
These characteristics are based on materials from HIGHER Corporation. The investment announcement does not provide new comparative clinical data that would allow HILO WAVE to be compared with other products in this category. The release also does not specify its regulatory status in each individual market.
What is HILO WAVE?
HILO WAVE is an injectable platform that combines two types of hyaluronic acid with different molecular weights. HIGHER Corporation presents it as a collagen booster for skin remodeling, rather than as a traditional filler intended to create pronounced volume.
“We expect to expand the potential of HILO WAVE by combining clinical innovation with daily skincare.”
In Yong Kim, CEO of HIGHER Corporation, editor’s translation
Why is Amorepacific expanding its presence in medical aesthetics?
The agreement with HIGHER Corporation is not Amorepacific’s first move into the professional segment. In March 2026, the company signed a memorandum with VIOL Medical and made a strategic investment in the manufacturer of energy-based medical devices.
The collaboration with VIOL Medical focuses on combining EBD technologies, professional procedures, skincare and at-home beauty devices. The partnership with HIGHER Corporation adds injectable products to this direction.
In the editor’s view, these two agreements may indicate the emergence of a broader model in which a cosmetics group works simultaneously with the procedure itself, recovery and maintenance care. A similar convergence of cosmetics and the professional segment can also be seen among other companies. For example, The Estée Lauder Companies invested in 111SKIN, a brand whose history is linked to products for skin recovery after procedures.
What does this agreement mean for the medical aesthetics market?
Post-procedure care is becoming a category in its own right
Clinics are increasingly being offered not only injectables or equipment, but also specialized products for the recovery period. Galderma is already developing this model, as it brings Alastin professional skincare to Japan and other Asian markets.
Large cosmetics groups are bringing in ready-made clinical expertise
Working in medical aesthetics requires an understanding of procedures, professional sales channels and regulatory requirements. Investing in a company with its own technologies and physician network makes it possible to develop a new direction more quickly than building the entire infrastructure from scratch.
Skin quality brings different methods together
Injectable products, device-based procedures and at-home skincare are increasingly being viewed as parts of a single protocol. A telling example is the Skin Quality Index by Allergan Aesthetics, created to provide a more consistent description of skin quality during consultations.
For cosmetologists and clinics, the main signal is not the arrival of yet another skin booster, but a change in the market model itself. Large companies are trying to create comprehensive offerings that cover both the professional procedure and subsequent care.
For now, Amorepacific and HIGHER Corporation have not named any joint products, launch timelines or countries where they will become available. The real scale of the partnership can be assessed only after specific developments, clinical data and information on their regulatory status are presented.
About the companies
Amorepacific Holdings
Amorepacific Holdings is the parent company of the South Korean Amorepacific group. It manages a portfolio of cosmetic brands and is expanding its presence in medical aesthetics through investments and technology partnerships.
HIGHER Corporation
HIGHER Corporation is a South Korean medical aesthetics company founded in 2021. It develops injectable solutions in collaboration with physicians and researchers, and its main brand is HILO WAVE.
