Maesa Incubator Supports K-Beauty Hand Care, Tween Nails with $35,000 Grants

Maesa Unveils 2027 Incubator Class

Beauty incubator Maesa announced the 2027 class for its Maesa Magic Incubator program on Monday, October 4, 2026. This initiative provides grants and mentorship to three early-stage beauty entrepreneurs, focusing on diverse and underrepresented founders.

The selected brands include Beame, which produces UV-detection face patches; Sugar Standard, a line of press-on nails for children and tweens; and Gemi, a K-beauty hand-care brand. Each participant will receive a $35,000 grant and guidance from industry leaders, with the program scheduled to conclude in January of the following year. This program, launched in 2023, targets brands that have already launched but have not exceeded $1 million in revenue.

Diverse Beauty Trends Supported

Eniye Okah, founder of Beame, aims to use Maesa's funding and mentorship for a major U.S. retail launch, building on her brand's existing presence at European online beauty store Lookfantastic. Her UV-detection face patches inform users when to reapply SPF.

Monique Claiborne Cardwell, founder of Sugar Standard, is bridging the categories of nail care and children's beauty with elevated press-on nails for kids and tweens. She stated that Maesa Magic can help scale Sugar Standard into a significant brand that defines the junior nail category.

Hau Yeung and Erin Choi, founders of the K-beauty hand-care brand Gemi, are also part of the class. Erin Choi of Gemi stated that programs like Maesa Magic connect emerging founders' ideas and agility with deep industry expertise.

Maesa's Unique Mentorship Approach

Maesa CEO Piyush Jain explained that the program addresses the underrepresentation of women and people of color among beauty entrepreneurs, noting that "white men are dramatically overrepresented" in the industry. Maesa, which incubates brands like Fine’ry and Being Frenshe, offers a distinct, customizable program format.

Participants choose "major" and "minor" topics, receiving tailored guidance from mentors. Beyond individualized support, founders will attend three days of meetings with industry experts at Harvard in October and travel to the Cosmoprof trade show in January. This personalized approach contrasts with more standardized incubator methodologies, according to Jain.

Implications for Asian Beauty Innovation

The inclusion of Gemi, a K-beauty hand-care brand, in Maesa's 2027 incubator class shows the continued global appeal and market potential for Asian beauty innovations. For emerging Asian beauty entrepreneurs, this program offers a pathway to critical funding and mentorship that can accelerate international expansion and brand scaling.

While Maesa does not invest in its alumni, CEO Piyush Jain anticipates that some participants could eventually build brands surpassing $100 million in revenue.

This support structure is vital for K-beauty brands, and broader Asian beauty startups, aiming to manage complex global retail landscapes and achieve significant market presence, as demonstrated by Beame's strategy for a major U.S. launch.