Sephora's 2021 cohort for its Accelerate program has been announced, and in a first for the initiative, all eight of the selected brands are from powerhouse BIPOC founders.
The program seeds beauty brands to grow into global retail labels, and the founders will participate in Sephora-led curriculum, training and support that lasts for several months.
Additionally, each brand will receive mentorship from other beauty brand founders, as well as feedback from and exposure to leading investment firms and venture capitalists.
Sephora's decision to offer individualised mentorship and strategic growth opportunities to BIPOC founders is a key step in honouring its commitment to delicate 15 per cent of its brand assortment to Black-owned labels.
Upon completion of this year's Accelerate program, all eight participating brands will launch at Sephora, which will effectively double the retailer's current assortment of Black-owned brands by the end of 2021.
"Last year, we made a commitment to dedicate fifteen percent of Sephora shelf space to Black-owned brands, and we quickly realised the role that our Accelerate program could play in not only helping us reach that goal, but to set these brands up for long-term success and growth," said Sephora executive vice president, Artemis Patrick.
"Each of the eight participating founders in inspiring in their own right, and we believe wholeheartedly in their potential at Sephora; we are so excited to help shape their future and to ultimately introduce these brands to our clients."
Get to know the brands selected for this year's Sephora Accelerate program down below:
1. 54 Thrones - a natural beauty brand that celebrates and elevates African beauty rituals with face and body products.
2. Eadem - products that combine science-backed ingredients and heritage botanicals to effectively and gently care for skin of colour.
3. Glory - a clean skincare brand that focuses on melanin-rich skin.
4. Hyper Skin - a targeted skin care brand that tackles dark spots and discoloration on all skin tones.
5. Imania Beauty - a hemp and wellness-conscious brand designed for textured hair.
6. Kulfi Beauty - a brand on mission to challenge toxic beauty standards in South Asian culture with approachable products designed around South Asian skin tones and undertones.
7. ries - offers reusable, leak-proof TSA-friendly travel containers made of biodegradable material.
8. Topicals - a brand that focuses around effective skincare for common skin issues and mental health advocacy.
