It was a huge hit at its premier in 2015, and will be featured again this year, with celebrity Mark Cuban once again on board. The Professional Beauty Association (PBA) and Cosmoprof North America (CPNA) have announced that Beauty Pitch will be held Saturday, July 23. Hosted by CPNA, the one-of-a-kind beauty-centric competition will be held in Las Vegas during PBA Beauty Week. This event provides entrepreneurs from all sectors of the beauty industry with a way to connect with qualified investors and the industry-at-large.
 
The competition opens February 1, and all interested beauty companies are encouraged to apply.
 
Last year’s grand prizewinner was 100% Pure. The brand received a one-year mentorship with Mark Cuban along with a $10,000 cash infusion from TSG Consumer Partners.
 
Startup and Established Business Categories
The 2016 Beauty Pitch competition is open to entrepreneurs representing beauty companies from all sectors including prestige, mass, clinical, organic/natural and the professional salon/spa market. This competition allows entrepreneurs to apply in either the Startup or Established categories, depending on the company’s stage of business. The Startup category is for small business “seeding” stage investment candidates, seeking angel or venture capital.  The revenue requirement for Startup companies is $100,000 to $5M. The Established Business category is for businesses with annual revenues exceeding $5M. Businesses interested in applying for this category need to be willing to work with private equity investment groups.
 
Application Information
Beauty Pitch applicants will need to prepare a two-minute video, complete an online application and submit a one-page executive summary. Three finalist companies from both the Startup and Established Stage will pitch their businesses to an audience and panel of judges at a live industry event on Saturday, July 23, 2016.  Registration opens February 1, 2016. The cost is $250 for CPNA exhibitors and PBA members and $500 for other entrants. From March 16-April 29, 2016 registration is $350 for CPNA exhibitors and PBA members and $600 for other entrants.  Starting February 1, applications can be submitted at www.beautypitch.com. 
 
Beauty Pitch 2015
The inaugural competition attracted a “Who’s Who List” of attendees, drawing industry executives representing retailers, distributors, investors and well over 350 members of the media.  In total, over 1,400 attendees attended this unprecedented event.  Five beauty entrepreneurs pitched their products to high-profile judges consisting of Mark Cuban, John Paul DeJoria and editors from Martha Stewart Living and INC.com. 
 
100% Pure, the 2015 Beauty Pitch grand prize winner, received a one-year mentorship with Mark Cuban along with a $10,000 cash infusion from TSG Consumer Partners. Additionally, 2015 Beauty Pitch finalist, 18.21 Man Made took home the Audience Choice Award, which included a complimentary booth at CPNA 2016 and a one-year PBA membership.(Photo shows 100% Pure receiving their check at last year’s event, with judge Mark Cuban, at right.)