Today, Sephora North America revealed the names of eight BIPOC brands selected for its 2025 Accelerate program, a signature incubator designed to nurture and propel emerging beauty brands. Marking a decade of championing emerging talent, the program remains a vital launchpad for BIPOC-founded and -owned businesses, with this year’s cohort spanning the haircare, makeup, skincare, and fragrance categories.
The Sephora Accelerate program features an industry-leading six-month curriculum with mentorship, merchandising support, grants, and investor connections for all participants, plus the opportunity to launch at Sephora North America upon completion. Through this journey, brands gain the necessary skills and relationships to build and sustain a successful business through consistent, cohesive, and ongoing support backed by digital and in-person resources. Since the program’s pivot in 2021 to focus on brand founders of color, 33 brands have completed the program and more than half of the brands from the 2021–2023 cohorts are now available to shop at Sephora.
“We are delighted to celebrate the 2025 Accelerate finalists and recognize their incredible potential to shape the future of beauty,” shared Priya Venkatesh, Global Chief Merchandising Officer at Sephora. “This program has become a proven platform for championing diverse founders and empowering them with the resources, expertise, and community they need to launch and thrive. The continued interest from this year’s applicant pool reflects not only the program’s impact but also the demand for unique, innovative brands that reflect today’s diverse beauty landscape. At Sephora, we are proud to stand alongside these founders, ensuring they have the tools and support to succeed far beyond the program.”
Meet the 2025 Sephora Accelerate Cohort:
- Jade Beguelin & Sabrina Sadeghian, 4AM – 4AM is a research-backed skincare brand that creates luxurious, all-in-one products designed to simplify your skincare routine without sacrificing life’s guilty pleasures.
- Hye Young Kim, OliviaUmma – OliviaUmma is an innovative skincare brand inspired by Korean beauty and designed for cross-generational use.
- Merian O, Bounce Curl – Bounce Curl is a science-backed hair care brand that creates high-performance, patented products designed to enhance and maintain the health and beauty of curly, wavy, and coily hair.
- Aziza El Wanni, THE POTION STUDIO – THE POTION STUDIO crafts clean, climate-adaptive hair care for textured hair — streamlining routines for ‘the lazy natural’ who refuses to compromise on hair health or time.
- Christal Alert, TONAL Cosmetics – TONAL Cosmetics is sun care-first makeup for all skin tones.
- Funmi Monet, INFLUXIOUS – INFLUXIOUS is an overflow of luxury through fine fragrance and scented adornments.
- Fatema Raja & Navneet Kaur, RUHVEDA – RUHVEDA is a contemporary fragrance brand rooted in South Asian heritage and Ayurveda.
- Judy Koloko, The Steam Bar – The Steam Bar is Skinification meets the Art of Steaming, promoting the regeneration of hair through the groundbreaking delivery system which is steaming for all.
As in previous years, the Accelerate program is designed with content and curriculum directly correlated to helping founders succeed at Sephora, including targeted sessions that address many of the specific challenges that early-stage brands often face, including Nancy Twine’s (Briogeo) Financial Readiness; Christine Chang + Sarah Lee’s (Glow Recipe) Social Media + Community; and Marketing Sessions with Amy Liu (Tower 28).
Participating founders also receive access to 1:1 personalized consulting with Front Row and Clarity Media, plus a dedicated advisory team – comprised of beauty industry partners, legacy founders from within the Sephora portfolio, and financial professionals – unlocking unparalleled access to, and tailored guidance from, Sephora’s powerhouse network.
• Investment Experts include: Alicia Sontag (Prelude Growth Partners), Alisa Carmichael (VMG Partners), and Janet Gurwitch (Advent International)
• Brand Founders and Legacy Partners include: Wende Zomnir (Urban Decay + Caliray), Lilli Gordon (First Aid Beauty), and Lynda Berkowitz (ILIA)
Outside of the program, Sephora offers additional opportunites and partnerships that the Accelerate cohort can take part in. This includes educational moments like the Sephora Impact Summit, a pioneering event focused on building, supporting, and championing BIPOC brands within Sephora’s network – as well as monetary opportunities like the Sephora Beauty Grant, which awards $100,000 to a Black beauty business owner to propel brand growth, in partnership with the Fifteen Percent Pledge, as well as Nancy Twine’s Dream Makers Founder Grant, supporting underrepresented female founders in the consumer space.
All 2025 Accelerate participants applied to the program in Fall 2024. Eligible applicants were required to be at least 18 years old, have a North American-incorporated company, and be in the early stages of development (i.e., not yet widely distributed by others). In selecting finalists, Sephora also considered each brand’s vision, innovation, and current stage of product development. To learn more, please visit sephoraaccelerate.com.
For more information, please contact:
Jess Diah, DeVries Global jdiah@devriesglobal.com
