New York investors patronizing beauty technology deals in 2026

New York closed $1.8B in beauty tech deals across 180+ investments in 2025. Most capital went to AI-powered personalization and clean beauty brands. The city has Estée Lauder, L'Oréal USA, and Coty headquarters, which matters when you need retail partnerships. You won't convince beauty tech investors here without showing customer acquisition costs under $40 or proven repeat purchase rates.

Quick list

Why New York for beauty tech fundraising

New York investors funded 180+ beauty tech deals in 2025, up 35% from 2024. Average Series A is $15M. Most capital went to AI personalization ($620M), clean beauty brands ($480M), and retail technology ($380M). The difference here is immediate access to beauty conglomerate executives. Estée Lauder and L'Oréal innovation teams are based in Manhattan and scout aggressively.

NYC investors expect strong unit economics before Series A. They've seen too many celebrity beauty brands burn through capital on Instagram ads. Beauty tech startups raised 55% of all NYC beauty capital in 2025 because personalization technology shows clear ROI. If you're building another DTC brand without technology differentiation, you'll struggle here.

The downside is NYC investors expect profitability paths within 24 months. But brands with proven repeat purchase rates get better terms here because investors understand beauty economics better than SF VCs. Estée Lauder and Unilever both scout NYC before making acquisitions. Venture capital firms often evaluate opportunities quickly, based on clarity and focus.

Picking the right New York beauty tech investor

Retail relationships matter more than check size here. Check if they've placed founders in meetings with Sephora, Ulta, or Target buyers. Those intros accelerate revenue faster than performance marketing. Most successful NYC beauty tech exits came from strategic acquisitions by conglomerates, not IPOs.

Category expertise is critical because beauty has distinct submarkets. Skincare investors don't understand haircare unit economics. Color cosmetics funds miss clean beauty margin compression. True Beauty Ventures and VMG Partners specialize in specific categories and bring operational playbooks.

Check sizes range from $2M seed rounds to $40M growth rounds. NYC beauty tech funds typically write $8-15M Series A checks. They expect $5-10M revenue for Series A, higher than consumer social standards. Pure technology plays without product sales need partnerships with 3+ major brands.

Manufacturing connections separate NYC investors from other markets. Coefficient Capital and Brand Foundry can intro you to contract manufacturers who'll actually take your calls. That's how K18 and Topicals scaled production without quality issues.

Share your deck through Ellty with trackable links. NYC beauty tech investors review decks within 48 hours if they're interested. You'll see which slides they share with conglomerate contacts. Repeat purchase rates and CAC payback periods get the most time.

Follow-on capacity matters because NYC has several mega-funds. Forerunner and Norwest can lead through Series C. But expect to add West Coast funds for Series B+ because beauty tech scales nationally. Viewing activity can offer clues about interest before conversations move forward.

How to find and approach New York beauty tech investors

Research conglomerate deals through WWD and Business of Fashion. Every major NYC beauty tech funding mentions which Estée Lauder or Unilever executive made the intro. Those relationships unlock capital. Check who invested in Drunk Elephant, The Ordinary, and Glossier early.

Leverage incubator programs at Estée Lauder, L'Oréal, and Shiseido. Their accelerators intro founders to investors actively. Estée Lauder New Incubation Ventures scouts their own program first. Get accepted there and you'll meet half the investors on this list.

Build relationships at industry events. CEW Beauty Awards, WWD Beauty Summit, and Cosmoprof happen in NYC. More deals close at the Plaza afterparties than in conference rooms. Forerunner and True Beauty partners attend every major event.

Share your pitch deck through Ellty before cold outreach. NYC beauty tech investors expect professional materials. Upload your deck and send unique trackable links to each fund. You'll see which investors forward your deck to retail buyers.

Attend beauty accelerator demo days even if you didn't participate. Sephora Accelerate and Target Forward Founders showcase in NYC. Brand Foundry Ventures and VMG Partners scout there actively. Alumni intros work better than cold emails. Preventing screenshots reduces the risk of content being reused out of context.

Connect with portfolio founders at Glossier, K18, and Nutrafol. They'll tell you which funds actually help with retail intros versus which ones just write checks. NYC beauty tech is relationship-driven.

Organize due diligence in an Ellty data room before meetings. Beauty deals require extensive product testing documentation. Have your clinical studies, safety reports, and manufacturing contracts ready. NYC investors expect this on first meeting.

Understand NYC pace is faster than LA but slower than SF for consumer brands. Expect 3-5 weeks from intro to term sheet. Technology-enabled brands close faster because ROI is clearer. Pure product brands take 6-8 weeks.

New York beauty tech considerations

NYC investors prefer technology-enabled brands over pure product plays. They've watched hundreds of celebrity beauty brands fail. Brands with AI personalization, diagnostics, or manufacturing innovation raised 4x more capital than celebrity endorsement plays in 2025.

Retail distribution is almost mandatory now. Sephora, Ulta, or Target partnerships accelerate fundraising and provide revenue validation. Pure DTC plays don't get funded unless you have $20M+ revenue and strong retention.

Expect product testing before term sheets. Investors will use your products for 4-6 weeks and get feedback from their networks. Budget sample costs into your fundraising timeline. One partner's allergic reaction can kill a deal.

15 top beauty tech investors in New York

1. Unilever Ventures

Corporate VC arm that led Nutrafol's massive round and brings global distribution through Unilever's retail relationships and marketing expertise.

• Recent Deals: Nutrafol $100M Series D (2024), The Good Face Project $12M Series A (2024), Skincare personalization platforms (2023-2025)
• LinkedIn: Unilever Ventures Team
• Sector Focus: Hair wellness, sustainable beauty, personalization tech, men's grooming
• Stage Focus: Series B, Series C, Growth
• Office Location: Manhattan, Midtown
• Website: unileverventures.com

2. Estée Lauder New Incubation Ventures

Beauty conglomerate's VC arm backed Deciem before acquisition and scouts innovation that fits their premium brand portfolio.

• Recent Deals: Deciem growth investment (acquired 2024), Myavana $3M Series A (2024), AI skincare diagnostics (2023-2024)
• LinkedIn: Estée Lauder Companies
• Sector Focus: Premium skincare, AI diagnostics, clean beauty, fragrance tech
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Strategic
• Office Location: Manhattan, Midtown
• Website: elcompanies.com

3. Forerunner Ventures

Early Glossier investor with the best track record in consumer beauty and understands virality mechanics better than any NYC fund.

• Recent Deals: Supergoop $35M Series B (2024), Glossier early rounds (2015-2020), Curie $3M seed (2023)
• LinkedIn: Kirsten Green
• Sector Focus: DTC beauty brands, clean suncare, deodorant innovation, color cosmetics
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: San Francisco (major NYC portfolio)
• Website: forerunnerventures.com

4. Brand Foundry Ventures

Former beauty executives who funded Topicals' growth and bring operational expertise in scaling multicultural beauty brands.

• Recent Deals: Topicals $10M Series A (2024), Base Butter $5M seed (2023), Melanin haircare $8M Series A (2024)
• LinkedIn: Brand Foundry Ventures
• Sector Focus: Multicultural beauty, skincare solutions, clean formulations, inclusive brands
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Manhattan, SoHo
• Website: brandfoundryventures.com

5. True Beauty Ventures

Former Sephora and Ulta executives who led Proven Skincare's raise and focus exclusively on technology-driven beauty innovation.

• Recent Deals: Proven Skincare $20M Series B (2024), Atolla $6M Series A (2023), AI skin analysis platforms (2023-2024)
• LinkedIn: True Beauty Ventures
• Sector Focus: AI personalization, skincare diagnostics, custom formulations, beauty tech platforms
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Manhattan, Chelsea
• Website: truebeautyventures.com

6. Coefficient Capital

Healthcare-focused fund that led K18's round after recognizing the science-backed hair repair category potential.

• Recent Deals: K18 $60M Series B (2024), Curology $30M Series C co-investor (2023), Science-backed skincare (2023-2024)
• LinkedIn: Coefficient Capital
• Sector Focus: Science-backed beauty, hair repair, dermatology solutions, clinical skincare
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Growth
• Office Location: New York (multiple locations)
• Website: coefficientcapital.com

7. VMG Partners

Consumer-focused fund that backed Vegamour's clean hair growth and understands natural beauty category economics.

• Recent Deals: Vegamour $27M growth (2024), Mented Cosmetics $15M Series B (2023), Clean beauty acquisitions (2023-2024)
• LinkedIn: VMG Partners
• Sector Focus: Clean hair care, vegan beauty, natural cosmetics, sustainable packaging
• Stage Focus: Series B, Growth, Buyout
• Office Location: San Francisco (NYC investments)
• Website: vmgpartners.com

8. Fifth Wall

Real estate tech fund that backed Perfect Corp's AR try-on technology used across 200+ beauty retailers globally.

• Recent Deals: Perfect Corp $50M Series C (2024), ModiFace acquisition support (2023), Retail AR platforms (2023-2024)
• LinkedIn: Fifth Wall
• Sector Focus: AR try-on, virtual makeup, retail technology, in-store tech
• Stage Focus: Series B, Series C, Growth
• Office Location: Los Angeles (NYC portfolio)
• Website: fifthwall.com

9. Valor Equity Partners

Growth fund that led Il Makiage's raise after their AI foundation matching showed repeatable customer acquisition.

• Recent Deals: Il Makiage $38M Series B (2023), AI color matching platforms (2023-2024), Beauty tech acquisitions (2024)
• LinkedIn: Valor Equity Partners
• Sector Focus: AI color matching, foundation technology, makeup personalization, beauty algorithms
• Stage Focus: Series B, Growth, Pre-IPO
• Office Location: Chicago (NYC investments)
• Website: valorep.com

10. Greycroft

Early Birchbox investor who understands subscription economics and has funded multiple NYC beauty discovery platforms.

• Recent Deals: Birchbox early rounds (2010-2015), Kopari Beauty $7M Series A (2023), Beauty subscription models (2023-2024)
• LinkedIn: Dana Settle
• Sector Focus: Beauty subscriptions, discovery platforms, clean beauty, sustainable brands
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Manhattan, Flatiron
• Website: greycroft.com

11. LVMH Luxury Ventures

Luxury conglomerate's VC arm makes strategic investments in emerging brands that could join their portfolio later.

• Recent Deals: Youthforia $10M Series A (2024), Refy Beauty strategic investment (2024), Color cosmetics innovation (2023-2024)
• LinkedIn: LVMH
• Sector Focus: Luxury beauty, color cosmetics, fragrance, premium skincare
• Stage Focus: Series A, Growth, Strategic
• Office Location: New York (US office)
• Website: lvmh.com

12. Lerer Hippeau

NYC's most active early-stage fund backed Winky Lux before Walmart distribution and scouts fun, accessible beauty brands.

• Recent Deals: Winky Lux $3M seed (2016), Bubble Skincare $3M seed (2023), Gen Z beauty brands (2023-2024)
• LinkedIn: Ben Lerer
• Sector Focus: Gen Z beauty, accessible pricing, fun packaging, social-first brands
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed, Series A
• Office Location: Manhattan, SoHo
• Website: lererhippeau.com

13. Norwest Venture Partners

Growth fund that led Prose's massive round and backs mass customization technology across beauty categories.

• Recent Deals: Prose $102M Series C (2024), Custom haircare platforms (2023-2024), Personalization algorithms (2024)
• LinkedIn: Norwest Venture Partners
• Sector Focus: Custom formulations, haircare personalization, beauty algorithms, made-to-order
• Stage Focus: Series B, Series C, Growth
• Office Location: Palo Alto (NYC portfolio)
• Website: nvp.com

14. Torch Capital

Public markets investor that backed Oddity's ILIA acquisition and understands beauty tech platforms that can scale internationally.

• Recent Deals: Oddity Tech strategic investments (2024), AI-first beauty platforms (2023-2024), Beauty tech acquisitions (2024)
• LinkedIn: Torch Capital
• Sector Focus: Beauty tech platforms, AI-driven brands, data-first beauty, international scaling
• Stage Focus: Growth, Pre-IPO, Public markets
• Office Location: New York
• Website: torchcap.com

15. Guerlain Beauty Investment Fund

Guerlain's investment arm backs emerging clean beauty and sustainable innovation that aligns with their heritage brand values.

• Recent Deals: Clean beauty startups (2023-2024), Sustainable packaging innovation (2024), Refillable beauty systems (2023)
• LinkedIn: Guerlain
• Sector Focus: Clean beauty, sustainable packaging, refillable systems, natural formulations
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Strategic
• Office Location: New York (US operations)
• Website: guerlain.com

Start tracking your New York beauty tech investor outreach

These 15 investors closed 180+ NYC beauty tech deals in 2025-2026. Before you start reaching out to New York funds, set up proper tracking. Retail partnerships and conglomerate acquisitions take months to materialize.

Upload your deck to Ellty and create a unique link for each NYC investor. You'll see exactly which slides they view and how long they spend on your clinical studies and repeat purchase data. New York beauty tech investors skip market size slides but spend 4-6 minutes on your unit economics and CAC payback period.

When NYC investors ask for product testing results or manufacturing contracts, share an Ellty data room instead of messy email threads. Your clinical studies, safety reports, and retail NDAs in one secure place with view analytics. You'll know which partners reviewed your materials before partner meetings.

Common questions

Do I need to be based in New York to raise from NYC beauty tech investors?

No, but you need frequent NYC visits for product testing and retail intros. Most successful NYC beauty tech raises came from founders who spent 1 week per month in Manhattan building conglomerate relationships. Estée Lauder and Unilever Ventures expect quarterly in-person updates minimum.

How does New York compare to Los Angeles for beauty tech fundraising?

NYC has better conglomerate access and retail buyer relationships. LA has more influencer connections and content production expertise. If you're building technology-enabled brands or B2B beauty tech, raise in NYC. Influencer-led brands get better terms in LA.

What's the average Series A size for beauty tech in New York?

$15M in 2025, up from $10M in 2023. Technology-enabled brands averaged $18M. Pure product brands averaged $8M. You'll need $5-10M revenue or partnerships with 3+ major retailers for those numbers. Pre-revenue tech platforms need signed LOIs from brands.

Should I raise locally in NYC or go straight to SF or LA?

Raise your seed in NYC if you need conglomerate intros or retail expertise. You'll need West Coast funds for Series B+ because beauty scales nationally. Most successful beauty tech companies have NYC for strategic value and SF/LA for growth capital by Series B.

Do New York beauty tech investors expect product samples?

Yes, for every pitch meeting. Send full-size products 1 week before meetings. Investors will test products themselves and share with their networks. Budget $500-1000 per investor in sample costs. One partner's skin reaction can kill your deal.

What beauty tech categories get funded most in NYC?

AI personalization took 35% of capital in 2025. Clean beauty was 27%. Retail technology was 21%. Hair wellness was 17%. Pure color cosmetics rarely get funded unless you have celebrity attachment or $10M+ revenue already.

How important are retail partnerships for NYC fundraising?

Critical for product brands, less important for pure technology platforms. If you're selling products, you won't get funded without at least Sephora or Ulta interest or 1000+ doors in specialty retail. Investors expect you've already met with retail buyers before raising Series A.