The Beauty Tech Market Map: 70+ Startups Attacking Beauty & Grooming

To illustrate the diversity of activity in the sector, we used the CB Insights database to put together the infographic below. A full list of categories and companies on the map is included at the end of the post.

This market map is limited to private, active companies that have raised equity funding since 2014 and focus solely on beauty & grooming. The market map is not meant to be exhaustive of companies in the space. Please click to enlarge.

Category breakdown

We divided the beauty sector into the following categories:

• Beauty e-commerce platforms – Brazil-based BelezaNaWeb ($40.7M in disclosed funding) and other startups provide e-commerce platforms focused solely on beauty and cosmetics, selling selections of products from different brands.
• Booking platforms – Startups such as SF-based StyleSeat, which raised $40.67M from Lightspeed Venture Partners and others, provide Yelp-type platforms to browse and instantly book beauty appointments.
• Brick-and-mortar salons – These startups have launched new brick-and-mortar salon chains. Drybar, which offers a limited menu of hair blowout options in its 70+ locations, leads in funding with over $97M raised.
• Fragrance – Phlur ($4.5M) and other startups have launched new fragrance brands.
• Hair care – These startups have launched hair care brands, including direct-to-consumer hair coloring startups Madison Reed ($45M) and eSalon ($22.3M), and customized shampoo/conditioner startup Function of Beauty ($9.6M).
• Men’s shaving & grooming – This segment boasts the largest acquisition to date in the sector: Dollar Shave Club, which was acquired by Unilever in 2016 for $1B. Among private shaving startups today, razor brand Harry’s leads in funding with $287.1M. Walker & Co., which sells direct-to-consumer razors geared toward people of color, has raised $33.3M.
• Multi-category cosmetics – This segment contains startups creating new makeup & cosmetic brands, and offering a range of products including foundation, mascara, lipstick, and more. Notable in the segment, Glossier ($35.4M) pairs its cosmetics brand with an online media platform.
• On-demand beauty – Startups such as GlamSquad ($25.5M) send stylists directly to people’s homes or offices for makeovers, hair styling, manicures, etc.
• Salon & stylist aids – These startups, such as Paris-based FlexyBeauty, provide software for salon management or to help individual stylists learn and promote themselves.
• Skin care – Many startups are using all-natural or plant-based ingredients in new skin care products. For example, SF-based Yes To ($17.5M) offers lines based on tomatoes, carrots, and other plants, while TULA, which recently raised $8.46M from L Catterton, has launched a line of probiotic skin care products.
• Subscription boxes – Led in funding by Ipsy ($103.4M) and Birchbox ($86.9M), these startups focus on subscription boxes with curated selections of numerous brands’ products. Scentbird offers sample-sized perfumes. We Are Onyx focuses on women of color.

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