SFC Capital And The Red Tree Announce The Six Finalists For The First Beauty Accelerator

· The 6 Finalists of The Beauty Accelerator™ are Centred, Cutbox, Faace, Fussy, Glaize and On Beaute.

· The six finalists will pitch directly to The Red Tree and SFC Capital over 21st and 22nd October, with the winner being awarded £150,000 investment and the expertise of The Red Tree applied over 12 months to take the brand to its next stage and beyond.

The Red Tree and SFC Capital are delighted to announce the 6 Finalists of The Beauty Accelerator™. They are Centred, Cutbox, Faace, Fussy, Glaize and On Beaute.

The Beauty Accelerator™ is a joint initiative between The Red Tree, the UK’s leading international beauty brand consultancy, and SFC Capital, a leader in the UK’s early stage investment world that will see one Finalist receive £150,000 equity investment plus the knowledge and expertise of The Red Tree applied over 12 months to take the brand to its next stage and beyond.

The Beauty Accelerator™ opened for applications on Monday 25th August and ran throughout September. Speaking about the application process, Stirling Murray, Managing Director of The Red Tree said, “We were absolutely delighted by the sheer number and high quality of applicants, which came from all categories of beauty – skincare, colour cosmetics, haircare, fragrance, male grooming, supplements, body care, retail and beauty tech. Our intention was to tap into the incredibly vibrant independent beauty brand scene in the UK and The Beauty Accelerator™ has certainly unearthed dynamic entrepreneurs driving game changing innovation and creating disruptive brands”.

Having been overwhelmed by the number of high calibre applicants, the timeframe for interviews with short-listed brands was extended by a week and concluded on Thursday 15th October. The Red Tree and SFC Capital then deliberated throughout Friday 16th October before unanimously agreeing on the Final 6. They are:

Centred is a concise and considered collection of super-charged, plant-powered hair and scalp heroes. The brand combines wellness with haircare offering straight talking and supportive advice for stressed out hair, body and mind.

Cutbox will provide convenient, affordable, high quality haircuts through leveraging technology, superior in store processes and highly motivated employees.

Faace offers a solution to skin that’s been disrupted by life. Having found a white space in how people talk about their skin in real life, Faace provides a straightforward solution through a capsule collection of masks that are gaining traction in the UK and internationally.

Fussy makes living sustainably part of your morning routine. With award winning design and astounding pre-launch buzz. Unveiling deodorants first, the aim is to develop a range of refillable personal care products that are delivered straight to your doorstep.

Glaize is a DTC nailcare brand using technology to transform gel manicures. Glaize use computer vision to design made-to-measure gels personalised to your hand and delivered to your letterbox. The product is easy to apply, lasts 2 weeks and is removed easily. The high quality, toxin free product makes Glaize an easier, faster and safer way for women to shop nailcare.

On Beaute is disrupting how consumers reach and buy beauty. It is the first of its kind to provide condensed and calibrated product recommendations via an affiliate model that provides cash back to consumers. Led by a founder and team with a combined beauty and tech experience of 39+ years.

Commenting on the 6 Finalists, Stirling Murray said; “Amongst a highly competitive field, the 6 Finalists stood out at every stage of the application review and interview process. All Finalist brands have highly impressive Founders, and we look forward to meeting each of them again at The Beauty Accelerator™ Final”.

The Beauty Accelerator Final™ will be held over two days on Wednesday 21st October and Thursday 22nd October. The 6 Finalist brands will pitch directly to The Red Tree and SFC Capital and state their case for investment and collaboration. The Beauty Accelerator™ 2020 Winner will then be selected and announced. The successful brand will have the chance to dramatically accelerate their growth through significant investment from SFC Capital and a year-long collaborative partnership with The Red Tree.