Sephora North America has revealed the eight beauty brands selected for its 2025 Accelerate programme.
This year’s cohort includes 4AM – 4AM founders Jade Beguelin and Sabrina Sadeghian, a research-backed skin care brand.
Hye Young Kim, of K-Beauty brand OliviaUmma, is also included, alongside Meria O, founder of Bounce Curl which is focused on the health of curly, wavy and coiled hair.
Aziza El Wanni, creator of textured hair care brand The Potion Studio; Christal Alert, founder of make-up business Tonal Cosmetics; and Funmi Monet, who founded the fragrance brand Influxious, also feature.
The list is rounded off with Fatema Raja and Navneet Kaur, co-founders of fragrance brand Ruhveda, and Judy Koloko who created hair care business The Steam Bar.
The scheme, which launched in 2016, is designed to “nurture and propel emerging beauty brands” and pivoted in 2021 to focus on brand founders of colour.
It features a six-month curriculum with mentorship, merchandising support, grants and investor connections for all participants.
Brands which feature on the programme will also have the opportunity to launch at Sephora North America upon completion.
“This programme has become a proven platform for championing diverse founders and empowering them with the resources, expertise, and community they need to launch and thrive,” said Priya Venkatesh, Global Chief Merchandising Officer at Sephora.
“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.”
Participating founders also receive access to a dedicated advisory team of beauty industry partners and legacy founders from within the Sephora portfolio.
“At Sephora, we are proud to stand alongside these founders, ensuring they have the tools and support to succeed far beyond the program,” Venkatesh added.