Haircare brand ByErim and bodycare label Make Waves are the grand prize winners of the Breakout Beauty UK accelerator, announced on Monday at the inaugural event in east London.

The grand prize winners will receive placement in Boots online and in stores countrywide for a year, advertising subsidies on TikTok Shop and access to executive mentors at both companies.

“New British beauty brands face two big hurdles as they scale: breaking through discovery and then building resilient operations,” said Emily Caine, head of beauty at TikTok Shop, who sponsored the event along with Boots and HSBC UK’s Innovation Banking, in partnership with British Beauty Council. Breakout Beauty UK is operated by Growth Studio, a UK-based firm that powers accelerators in various sectors across Europe.

ByErim was founded by the London-based influencer Erim Kaur in 2019, and has become known for its luxurious hair and beard oil ($33 for 50 mL). Make Waves, by Oliver Batiste and Owen Machon, launched in 2023 with a refillable natural deodorant subscription.

Out of 200 brands who applied for the programme, 12 finalists were granted entry to the six-week incubator, which provided sessions like a two-day webinar with Boots on how to get into the retailer. On Monday night, honourable mentions were given to other finalists like the label Stria Lab, haircare brand Ominira Naturals, men’s skincare brand Clear for Men and lip gloss line Project Plump.

“About 18 months ago, we were working with Boots specifically on how they make it easier to work with much smaller brands,” explained Growth Studio co-founder Paul Finch. As the firm talked to beauty founders, they found that many, particularly female-led consumer brands, struggled with finding partner retailers. “There’s definitely a bias in the UK towards tech and flashy things rather than consumer,” Finch added.

While no future plans have been announced, Growth Studio hopes to bring the programme back next year in the UK with a longer incubator, and explore other global markets, Finch said.

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