THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO BEAUTY INCUBATORS & ACCELERATORS
- Erica H.
- Feb 20
- 11 min read
Ready to scale your growing haircare brand, but need guidance and funding? Consider an incubator to help you reach your goals.
Breaking into the saturated beauty industry can be daunting for entrepreneurs. Thankfully, a growing number of beauty incubators and accelerators are providing resources, mentorship, and funding to help founders bring their visions to life.
But not all programs are created equal—some focus on indie brands, others on sustainability, and some prioritize technological advancements. Below, we compare some of the leading beauty incubators and accelerators to help you find the best fit for your brand.
But first, what exactly is an incubator? A business incubator is a program designed to support early-stage startups by providing resources such as mentorship, funding, office space, and networking opportunities. Incubators help entrepreneurs develop their business models, refine their products, and gain market traction before scaling. Unlike accelerators, which have fixed-term programs, incubators often offer long-term support to help startups grow at their own pace.
We'll cover both incubators and accelerators below.
First on our list is Ulta's Muse Accelerator. Introduced in 2022, Ulta's Muse Accelerator is a testament to the company's commitment to supporting underrepresented voices in the beauty industry.
With a focus on BIPOC founders, this program provides mentorship, business training, and a $50,000 grant to support a cohort of eight emerging beauty brands helmed by founders of color. One cohort participant will also receive an additional $10,000 in funding. At the end of the program, selected participants will have the opportunity to pitch their brands to Ulta Beauty merchants, although selection for distribution in Ulta stores is not guaranteed.
Each cohort consists of a 10-week program led by Ulta's very own Beauty executives along with prominent leaders in the beauty industry, such as Maeva Heim, CEO of Bread Beauty Supply, and Priscilla Tsai, CEO of Cocokind.
Ulta Muse Accelerator's curriculum covers critical topics including:
Brand Strategy & Positioning
Retail 101
Product Development
P&L & Financial Management
How to Apply:
Applicants must be at least 18 years old, a U.S. or Canadian citizen and currently residing in the U.S or Canada
Keep an eye on Ulta's Muse Accelerator website for applications to open around early June 2025. Contact MUSEAccelerator@ulta.com with any additional questions.
Next up is Sephora Accelerate, a six month incubator that provides access to learning, networking, and mentorship opportunities for beauty founders with retail ready brands. Similar to Ulta's Muse Accelerator, Sephora Accelerate focuses on founders of color and is aligned with the company's 15 Percent Pledge commitment.
Successful cohort participants have the chance to launch their products at Sephora, making this a major opportunity for brands looking to break into prestige beauty retail. Participants will receive guidance from some of the brightest and most innovative leaders in the beauty industry given Sephora Accelerate's partnership lineup flush with heavy-hitters including Danessa Myricks, President & CEO of the eponymous Danessa Myricks Beauty brand; Lynda Berkowitz, CEO of Ilia; and Nancy Twine, CEO and founder of Briogeo.
Not to mention, selected brands will be in good company - alumni of the Sephora Accelerate program include teams at Sienna Naturals and Topicals, to name a few.
How to Apply:
Applicants must lead a North America-incorporated beauty brand company, be founded or co-founded by a person who is at least 18 years old and must be an early-stage brand not yet widely distributed.
During the application process, applicants must be able to respond to questions around eligibility, and their brand. Additionally, they're required to record and submit a short video, and be prepared to share product samples if asked. Selection centers around:
Vision: Applicants must demonstrate passion to make their brands successful.
Innovation: Brands with differentiated products have a higher likelihood of being selected. What can you offer clients that is new and fresh?
Product: Successful applicants will have a working prototype that has been iterated upon to incorporate user feedback, and has proven interest, such as sales.
Participants must be able to attend the program in its entirety (6 months; January-June).
Must not currently be an employee of Sephora.
Applications typically open in early September but dates may vary.
Contact SAsupport@sephora.com with questions.
Beloved big-box chain Target boasts two accelerator programs for brands in different stages of development. Targets Forward Founders program focuses on early-stage brands and ..... Target defines early-stage companies as those who "sell directly to consumers online or have a limited physical presence. Ideally they have less than six employees, a lifetime revenue between $5,000 - $500,000 and limited manufacturing and supply chain capabilities."
For more mature brands, Target Takeoff supports with scaling and preparation to enter the mass market. Notable alumni of the program include Black-owned personal care brands like Adwoa Beauty, Scotch Porter, Girl + Hair, Gemini Naturals and Sienna Naturals.
Ultimately, these programs help beauty brands refine their retail strategy and prepare to scale into mass-market retailers. It provides business development mentorship, and networking opportunities with industry experts.
How to Apply:
The application process is simple, with individuals required to fill out an online form to get on Target's radar. For ease, they should have the following on hand:
Last year’s tax return
EIN/Duns number
Product certifications
Current retail numbers
Last year’s P+L statements
Partner-company details
From there, their team will evaluate whether a brand is ready for Target's accelerator programs and will match them up with the right resources and opportunities. If you don't hear back from them, you're encouraged to re-submit your intake form when you reach new business milestones.
For those not accepted into the accelerator programs, or if you simply want to access free resources, Target has you covered with its Learning Center. To reach their team, contact them here.
Founded by Rohit Banota, Canada-based Jump Accelerator focuses on women-led beauty brands. Jump is tailored to early-stage, women-led beauty brands, offering mentorship, business training, and networking opportunities to help founders bring their ideas to market. Jump also offers several free resources online ranging from eBooks to an online course.
The Accelerator's Jumpurse fundraising tool does require payment, so we highly recommend doing your due diligence to see if this is the right option for your business. Paying participants receiving a full canvas on investors, their contact details, premium content and webinars, and information on how to apply/pitch. They will also receive mentorship directly from Rohit via 1:1 calls.
Jump offers a 30 day risk free trial, so you'll be able to get your money back if you're not satisfied with your growth.
How to Apply:
The accelerator typically works with brands with less than $1M in revenue, or greater than $5M in revenue. However, they do work with beauty brands that are pre-launch or between $10M - $20M in revenue.
Schedule a discovery call with Rohit directly to discuss consideration.
If you have additional questions, contact Rohit at info@storysaves.ca or rohit@jumpaccelerator.com.
5. Maesa
Maesa is considered the world’s #1 beauty incubator in mass, with a portfolio including widely distributed brands like Kirsten Ess, Being Frenshe and TPH. Maesa acts as an incubator for unique, high-potential beauty brands, with a mission to make prestige beauty more accessible to consumers. The company provides strategic support and funding to help brands grow.
Their focus is primarily innovative, accessible prestige beauty brands, although some of the their brands would also be considered masstige given their big-box distribution channels.
Unlike some incubators with revenue requirements, Maesa's incubator program is "open to all under-served communities in pre-launch or early launch phase", making it one of the most accessible incubator options available to early-stage beauty brands. Each cohort is made of entrepreneurs from three brands, making Maesa competitive but hands on.
The in depth program features a core curriculum, mentorship from prominent leaders and beauty entrepreneurs, hands on support with capstone projects, an in-person leadership workshop at Harvard, pitch deck support, a $35,000 grant award, networking with Maesa's partners and industry bigwigs, and a fully paid trip to Miami for entry into Cosmoprof's Entrepreneur Academy.
How to Apply:
Applicants should be early-stage entrepreneurs identifying as being from under-represented communities
Must be at least 18 years old at time of submission
Business must be in pre-launch or limited distribution phase (<$1M in sales)
Must be a US-based incorporated business (Immigrants with legal permission to reside in the US are welcome to apply)
Must be beauty and wellness space
Applicants will need to provide a:
Completed Application
Pitch Deck or a URL to a live brand website
Video Submission (1-3 minutes)
Interviews if selected for the top 10 finalist round
Juggernaut beauty corporation L'Oreal Groupe operates a tech-focused incubator supporting early stage startups that leverage technology and new business models to propose new customer beauty experiences. Their verticals include Digital Services, E-commerce & Social, Data & AI, Impact and Gaming.
The proof is in the numbers: to date, L'Oreal Beauty Tech Atelier has accelerated nearly 100 startups, with a majority being international or co-founded by women. Impressive!
Each semester, Beauty Tech Atelier welcomes 10 participants and "accelerates their development by bringing them strategic mentoring and operational support." Partners of the program include the world's largest startup campus Station F, and Incubateur HEC Paris. During the program, which can be accessed remotely for participants based outside of Paris, entrepreneurs will have access to Station F's founder network and a wealth of resources, mentorship from VCs, and legal counsel. Startups will be paired with a mentor to guide them through solving business challenges, and can tap into Incubateur HEC Paris' 700+ strong expert network.
Participants will also benefit from increased visibility via media opportunities and will have the opportunity to pitch their solutions to various teams and markets.
How to Apply:
Applicants should include as many relevant details about their business as possible, including long and short descriptions, stage of development, number of employees, key contacts and more.
If the brand's solution fit L'Oreal Beauty Tech Atelier's verticals, the applicant will receive a scheduled appointment to have an in-depth business discussion.
Finalists will be invited for a pitch event in front of an experienced jury to defend their seat.
A self-described "small but mighty force", KENDO's brand portfolio includes powerhouse brands distributed internationally such as Fenty Beauty, OLEHENRIKSEN and KVD Beauty.
The 15 year old San Francisco based company is a division of the world's largest luxury group, LVMH. creates and acquires prestige beauty brands and focuses on developing them into global powerhouses.
KENDO incubates brands with strong creative concepts and high growth potential, helping them reach global audiences. Although it doesn't officially offer an incubator or accelerator program, parent company LVMH offers a startup accelerator, La Maison des Startups. This accelerator accepts up to 30 applicants per year and provides resources and mentoring to position them as the future of luxury products and services.
Much like L'Oreal Beauty Tech Atelier, LVMH's La Maison des Startups offers desk space with partner Station F and offers startups the opportunity to collaborate with luxury Maisons across all of LVMH sectors, including cosmetics titan Sephora.
Startup contributions must align with any of the following innovation efforts to be considered: Employee Experience, Diversity & Inclusion, Image & Media for Brand Desirability, Immersive Digital Experiences, Omnichannel & Retail, Operations Excellence or Sustainability & Green Tech.
The accelerator boasts 200+ startups accelerated and more than 6,000 screened, putting participants among the most innovative and brightest talents. Additionally, the annual LVMH Innovation Award is presented to the winning startups who successfully demonstrate a passion for inventing the future of luxury, at the end of VivaTech in Paris.
How to Apply (applications for season 11 are open as of February 20, 2025):
Applicants must lead a startup developing an innovative product, service or solution. Consumer brands and marketplaces will not be selected for the program.
Startups must be active in one or many of LVMH’s strategic business sectors (see the categories here).
Applicants may or may not work with LVMH currently or in the past
Startups of all sizes and development stages are welcome to apply, however the selection process will favor teams with the ability to launch and scale projects.
Startups from all countries and cultures are encouraged to apply.
Be ready to answer questions about your business during the initial application process.
After application, shortlisted startups will be further reviewed and may be contacted for additional info.
Selected startups will be onboarded for an onsite or remote accelerator experience.
LIFT Beauty Accelerator is a new-ish beauty incubation initiative by Rare Beauty Brands, not to be confused with Rare Beauty cosmetics founded by entertainer Selena Gomez. LIFT supports niche beauty brands with a unique point of view and has a focus on founders from underrepresented communities. The accelerator helps these brands scale and establish themselves in the competitive beauty industry.
Five participants will have the unique opportunity to connect with the Rare Beauty Brands community and receive support in various ways including non-dilutive cash funding of at least $10,000, hands-on mentoring from company leaders and partners with a focus on operational support, various in kind services, and a chance to present their brands to national retailer JCPenney for potential distribution.
Although the program is on the new side, LIFT Accelerator flaunts an impressive sponsor bench, and robust offerings for participants, making it one of our top incubator picks for emerging brands looking for a boost. Past participants include founders of Lamik, Flora & Noor, and Bath Notes.
Curious about the companies selected for the program? Check out pitch videos on LIFT Accelerator's website to get an idea of what the selection committee expects. We love the transparency.
How to Apply:
Applications are evaluated based on several criteria including business concept and product; founder's vision and passion; and potential for future growth.
Eligible applicants are Black and Brown Female-Identifying beauty brand founders aged 18+ who are US citizens residing in the US.
Brands must also be based and sold in the U.S.
Represented brands must have a product or service currently for sale in the market with between $10,000 and $1 million in annual revenue.
Applications will likely open in June 2025 and finalists selected for live presentations will be notified after a review period.
Wrapping up our list is Waldencast Ventures, a startup dedicated to funding and accelerating purpose-driven, next-gen brands like Whind and Glaze. Included in Waldencast's portfolio are prestige brands Milk and Obagi. Waldencast aims to make the beauty industry more sustainable, transparent, diverse and inclusive.
While the company does not have a curriculum driven incubator program per se, they do focus on investing in emerging beauty brands that prioritize sustainability and inclusivity. Waldencast offers brands hands on product development support, extensive marketing, digital strategies, logistics support, back office administration and recruiting assistance.
How to Apply:
Although there is no application process, you can contact the company through their website.
Pros and Cons of Incubators and Accelerators
While both incubators and accelerators offer similar perks including a mix of mentoring, networking opportunities and business resources, founders looking for ongoing support may prefer an incubator instead of a bootcamp-style accelerator.
Incubators are ideal for seed and early stage startups that need help refining nascent ideas over a longer period of time. Benefits vary by incubator, but often include:
Mentoring on product development and early stage roadmapping
Experimentation like A/B and user testing to gauge market fit
Access to resources, such as a physical workspace
Legal support
Extensive networking opportunities
Occasionally, funding
On the other hand, an accelerator may be suitable for both early and mid-stage founders with a proven idea that has already gained momentum with customers. Target's program is a great example of this model. Accelerators are often short term and intensive, unlike incubators that can offer support over several years and access to resources indefinitely. Accelerator perks often include:
Mentoring from experts in your industry
Structured, comprehensive education on aspects of business and scaling, including fundraising and marketing
Access to investor networks and a cohort of entrepreneurial peers
Hands on, rigorous mentoring
Funding in return for a stake in the company - investors will hope to see a payoff
At times, these terms are used interchangeably, so it's best to contact the organization if anything is unclear.
Choosing the Right Program
Each of these options offers something unique, so the best fit depends on your brand’s goals. If you’re looking to enter mass retail, Target Takeoff could be the way to go. If your brand is tech-driven, L’Oréal’s Technology Incubator is ideal. For underrepresented founders, Ulta's Muse Accelerator, Maesa, LIFT Accelerator and Sephora Accelerate are great options for both financial and coaching support. If you’re creating a prestige beauty brand, LVMH La Maison des Startups (KENDO Brands) or Waldencast Ventures may be your best bet.
No matter where you are in your beauty brand journey, these programs can provide invaluable resources to help you scale.
Have you considered applying to an accelerator? Let us know!