Sephora’s 2025 Accelerate Incubator Program Winners Announced

Sephora North America revealed the names of eight BIPOC brands selected for its 2025 Accelerate program, an incubator designed to nurture and propel emerging beauty brands.

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 O=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.”

The 2025 Sephora Accelerate Cohort

Jade Beguelin and Sabrina Sadeghian – 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 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 makes 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 is sun care-first makeup for all skin tones;

Funmi Monet – Influxious is fine fragrance and scented adornments;

Fatema Raja & Navneet Kaur – Ruhveda is a contemporary fragrance brand rooted in South Asian heritage and Ayurveda; and

Judy Koloko – The Steam Bar is skinification meets the art of steaming, promoting the regeneration of hair through the 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 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).

Sephora offers additional opportunities and partnerships that the Accelerate cohort can take part in. This includes educational moments like the Sephora Impact Summit, an 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.