Beautycon Media began as a Los Angeles event planner that books conferences and festivals linking YouTube stars, their audiences and brands. The company operates Beautycon Festival, curated social channels, a small shop for branded swag and a subscription box, and plans to test its own cosmetics and apparel later this year. CEO Moj Mahdara is hiring a head of content so Beautycon can create more original media and actively develop influencers. With the new financing, the company is also making a substantial push into data and analytics, planning to publish white papers and share learnings with brand partners and the press. Beautycon targets women ages 18–25 and cites estimates of $4 billion in annual cosmetics spending, $5.7 billion in apparel and accessories and $8.2 billion in computers and electronics for that demographic. The company has positioned itself as a creator-centric bridge between Gen Z influencers, their audiences and commercial partners. Founded in 2012, BeautyCon began as live fan-focused events and has expanded into a content platform and membership program. Its core offerings include BeautyCon.com (an online content aggregator), large-scale live experiences, and the BFF Fan Club subscription ($99/year) that delivers curated gift packs and creator-driven perks. The company targets 16-to-24-year-old females and aggregates content from Snapchat, Vine, Instagram and YouTube to reach a tech-savvy audience. BeautyCon runs events in multiple global cities (listed for London, Los Angeles, New York and Dubai) and emphasizes direct creator-to-fan engagement. The company reports click-throughs and media impressions have grown almost 200% year over year, indicating rapid audience and brand engagement growth. Leadership says the next phase is to become a fully integrated global media brand and expand its content and membership offerings. BeautyCon operates a conference-driven media business that books and coordinates events linking YouTube talent, their audiences, and brands targeting millennial women. Its core product is live summits where fans meet creators and brands, supported by content and branded-product initiatives. The company targets women ages 18–25 and cites that demographic’s annual spending potential (about $4.0B on cosmetics, $5.7B on apparel and accessories, and $8.2B on computers and electronics). BeautyCon plans to link fans with products sponsored by YouTube talent, products sold under BeautyCon’s own brand or its contributors’ brands, events, and content under a single umbrella. Its conference business has attracted a network of talent including Bethany Mota, Amanda Steele, and Kandee Johnson, who together command a combined audience of about 22.5 million across social platforms. BeautyCon has content partnerships with Hearst magazines (including Seventeen and Elle) and online properties like WhoWhatWear, Maker Studios, TheZoeReport, and Polished, and in 2013 raised under $2 million in seed financing from a group of entertainment and publishing investors.

Total raised

$11M

Funding rounds

3

Latest round

Series A

Latest activity

Mar 2017