The beauty industry is certainly growing fast. We hear about new technologies which will revolutionise our beauty routine all the time. However, for a market so focused on women, there are surprisingly few female entrepreneurs. There are of course big brands, like Estée Lauder, Elizabeth Arden, or Bobbi Brown but it’s a lot more difficult for smaller companies to compete with the industry’s giants. Sephora aims to change that. Sephora Accelerate is a unique, international programme that helps cosmetics start-ups created by women from Europe, the USA, South America and Asia go bigger.
“Sephora wants to use their knowledge, passion and experience in the beauty industry to support the community of ambitious and innovative women.”
“Our goal is to create ‘an ecosystem’ of over 50 companies started or managed by women by 2020. For the first time we are inviting Polish female entrepreneurs to join the programme,” says Małgorzata Dzięcielewska, Marketing Director at Sephora.
Sephora is looking for start-ups in the initial phase of development. So if you have an awesome idea, are able to provide lab-tested samples or prototypes but you are not yet distributing the final product, this programme might be something for you. Sustainable and eco-friendly projects are especially welcome.
The Sephora Accelerate programme consists of four phases, which will provide the participants with necessary training, tools and mentoring. First, the entrepreneurs will go to a week-long camp in April 2018. There, they will work on expanding their ideas creating a business model, and forming development and financing strategies. They will also get help from experts in market and competitor analysis. The next phase is private mentoring from leaders in the beauty industry and Sephora managers from Europe and the USA. Phase three is financial support. Every project will get an initial grant, and can later apply for additional funding. The final and the most exciting phase is San Francisco Demo Day in September 2018. It’s a unique opportunity to present the project to industry experts, potential investors, and, of course, the most important managers of the Sephora brand.
“We really hope that this year’s edition of Sephora Accelerate will include a Polish start-up,” Dzięcielewska adds.
So, innovative and ambitious ladies, now is the time to make your dream company come true! You can apply at sephorastands.com/accelerate/ until 20th November 2017. Just remember that you have to available for the camp (8-14th April 2018) and the Demo Day (September 2018).
