Sephora has named the eight skin, hair, makeup and fragrance brands selected for its 2025 Accelerate program, a business incubator designed to nurture and propel BIPOC-founded and -owned brands.
“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,” says Priya Venkatesh, Global Chief Merchandising Officer for the beauty retail giant.
It features a six-month curriculum with mentorship, merchandising support, grants, investor connections, and other resources, plus the opportunity to launch at Sephora North America upon completion.
Named in the 2025 Sephora Accelerate cohort are:
Jade Beguelin & Sabrina Sadeghian, 4AM
4AM is a research-backed skincare brand that touts minimalism with “all-in-one products, luxurious enough to replace the majority of your routine.”
Hye Young Kim, OliviaUmma
OliviaUmma is a Korean-made skincare brand creating vegan, cross-generational products that can be used by consumers of all ages.
Merian O, Bounce Curl
Bounce Curl combines holistic Mesopotamian ingredients with modern science to create high-performance products for curly, wavy, and coily hair.
Aziza El Wanni, THE POTION STUDIO
THE POTION STUDIO crafts clean, climate-adaptive care for textured hair, streamlining routines for “the lazy natural.”
Christal Alert, TONAL Cosmetics
TONAL Cosmetics is high-performance makeup with advanced skincare and broad-spectrum SPF 50 protection, available for all skin tones.
Funmi Monet, INFLUXIOUS
Conceptualized by Monet in high school in 2007, the yet-to-be-launched INFLUXIOUS provides luxury through fine fragrance and scented adornments.
Fatema Raja & Navneet Kaur, RUHVEDA
The soon-to-launch RUHVEDA is a handcrafted fragrance brand created by generational perfumers in India, rooted in South Asian heritage and Ayurveda.
Judy Koloko, The Steam Bar
The Steam Bar is “skinified” hair care, combining skincare-infused products for scalp and textured hair with accessories to promote the art and science of steaming.
Sephora announced its Accelerate entrepreneurial support program a decade ago, pivoting to a focus on founders of color in 2021.
Since then, 33 brands have completed the program. More than half of the brands from the 2021-23 cohorts are available to shop at Sephora.