BASF Launches Inclusive Beauty Accelerator with StitchCrew

BASF and StitchCrew, an organization serving early-stage entrepreneurs, have launched the Inclusive Beauty Accelerator. The program will provide a learning platform and business opportunities for the next generation of leaders in the beauty industry committed to creating innovative, inclusive products, says BASF.

Participants of the Inclusive Beauty Accelerator will have the opportunity to present, refine and scale their business plan to bring beauty products to market that serve the diverse needs of consumers of today and tomorrow. Selected participants will receive a $10,000 non-dilutive grant and gain hands-on coaching from leading beauty and personal care executives. At the end of the program, participants will have the opportunity to showcase their products to consumer packaged goods (CPG) investors, StitchCrew and BASF extended networks.

The program is designed for early-stage companies in the personal care and beauty space committed to creating innovative and inclusive products. To be considered, applicants must come from an underrepresented background and/or be at least 50% minority owned.

Applications open today and will close on April 7, 2022 at 11:59pm EST.

“The Inclusive Beauty Accelerator demonstrates BASF’s firm commitment to advance inclusion and diversity in the personal care industry,” said Marcelo Lu, senior vice president, Care Chemicals North America. “BASF is investing heavily in R&D to create new products that are effective for diverse skin and hair types. With the Inclusive Beauty Accelerator, we are taking our commitment to the next level by supporting tomorrow’s inclusive beauty innovators who will launch products and services that will advance our industry.”

“We are proud to collaborate with BASF to support bold entrepreneurs challenging the Beauty and Personal Care industry by providing products that expand inclusion and the very definition of beauty,” said Erika Lucas, co-founder of StitchCrew.

Categories of interest include:

• Hair, skin, and sun care products as well as cosmetics shifting the focus from “normal” to celebrating diversity – whether it's diverse skin tones, hair texture, gender, age, body shape or ability.

• Physical products amplifying emotional, mental, and physical well-being. Products leveraging novel ingredients or technology to help customers achieve a sense of wellness and balance.

• Digital tools offering personalized engagement within the personal care space and those providing new opportunities to expand inclusion in personal care.

Applicants must be 18 years or older, reside in the US and have a physical product available to sell.

Companies can access the platform page here.