Four emerging startups from Australia, India and the United Arab Emirates have been crowned winners of L’Oréal Groupe’s 2025 SAPMENA Big Bang Beauty Tech Innovation Program, the largest open innovation challenge dedicated to beauty technology in the South Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa region.
The Grand Finale, held in Singapore on November 7, brought together a diverse group of entrepreneurs developing next-generation solutions across consumer experience, digital content, commerce, sustainability and science-driven beauty. After a nine-month screening and evaluation process, L’Oréal selected Halo AI from the UAE, Heatseeker from Australia, and two Indian startups, Sravathi AI and Without, for their bold, scalable and tech-centric innovations. Singapore-based Wubble AI received a Special Mention for its standout pitch.
As winners, the four startups will now collaborate with L’Oréal through commercial pilots with one of the Group’s 37 global brands. They will also gain access to potential visibility across 35 markets in the SAPMENA region and join a year-long mentorship programme led by senior executives at L’Oréal and partners including Accenture, Google and Meta.
The programme highlights the rapid evolution of SAPMENA into one of the world’s most vibrant sources of innovation. With a large population, expanding middle class and highly digital younger demographic, the region has become fertile ground for entrepreneurs working at the intersection of beauty and technology.
Vismay Sharma, President of L’Oréal SAPMENA Zone, said the momentum in the region is reshaping how global companies view innovation. He noted that while traditional tech hubs like Silicon Valley dominate conversations, regions such as South Asia, the Middle East and Southeast Asia are emerging as powerful engines of new ideas. According to Sharma, the quality of pitches at the finale reaffirmed how market demand across SAPMENA is accelerating technology-led solutions and encouraging companies like L’Oréal to strengthen open innovation partnerships.
The 2025 programme received applications from more than 50,000 startups across Southeast Asia, India, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand. The shortlisted teams presented new approaches in areas such as data-powered consumer engagement, AI-driven content optimisation, future-ready retail models, environmental innovation and advanced beauty science.
At the Grand Finale, ten finalists showcased solutions aimed at enhancing the consumer journey, improving transparency, building sustainable practices and integrating intelligent technology into everyday beauty routines. The judging panel included senior leaders from L’Oréal, Google, Meta and Veros Ventures, who evaluated the pitches on scalability, creativity, technological sophistication and relevance to the future of beauty.
For the winning teams, the opportunity extends beyond commercial pilots. The year-long mentorship programme offers access to global industry experts, strategic guidance and potential pathways to scale their technology across multiple markets. For L’Oréal, the initiative deepens its commitment to collaboration-led innovation and reinforces its broader strategy of positioning technology at the core of the beauty experience.
The SAPMENA region has become a central focus for L’Oréal’s global innovation efforts. With millions of digitally native consumers and strong demand for personalized, efficient and ethical beauty products, the region continues to attract new investment and creative talent. Programs like Big Bang Beauty Tech not only recognize emerging startups but also cultivate long-term partnerships that drive advancements in digital beauty, sustainability and science-led innovation.
The 2025 edition demonstrates how rapidly the beauty technology landscape is evolving and how regional entrepreneurial ecosystems are shaping the next era of consumer experience. For the winning startups, it marks the beginning of a collaborative journey that could expand their impact across markets and accelerate the integration of new technologies into the global beauty industry.
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