BeautyCon
BeautyCon is a Los Angeles-based beauty community platform founded in 2011 that connects enthusiasts, brands, creators, and retailers through in-person events including Beautycon University and CurlyCon LA, monetizing via ticket sales and industry forums.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What BeautyCon does
BeautyCon is a Los Angeles-based community and events platform founded in 2011 that connects beauty enthusiasts, brands, content creators, and industry leaders through in-person experiences and industry forums. The company operates two primary event programs — Beautycon University, a one-day educational event featuring hands-on masterclasses, creator-led conversations, immersive brand experiences, and product discovery, and CurlyCon LA, a textured-hair-focused sub-brand that was integrated into Beautycon University's curriculum in 2024. BeautyCon also operates the DSN Inside Beauty & Wellness Forum, a B2B industry gathering where retailers and brands discuss beauty trends and consumer behavior.
The core platform architecture is a direct-to-consumer events and community brand rather than a software product: there is no disclosed API, no mobile app, and no proprietary technology stack referenced. Distribution is event-driven, with tickets sold through beautycon.ticketbud.com across standard and VIP tiers (VIP including curated gift bags), supplemented by a content-distribution partnership with Refinery29 that surfaces a dedicated BeautyCon section, newsletter, and editorial coverage to Refinery29's beauty and lifestyle audience. The revenue model disclosed is one-time ticket sales, with social media channels (TikTok, Reddit, Pinterest) and email used for top-of-funnel demand generation.
Customer segments span both consumers (beauty enthusiasts buying tickets) and businesses (beauty brands and retailers participating in forums), with named forum participants including Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, Ulta Beauty, The Honey Pot, Milani, Julie Products, and Cleanlogic. The company has raised approximately $11 million across funding rounds in 2014 and 2017, with investors including Hearst Communications, L'Oreal, MAC Venture Capital, BBG Ventures, A+E Global Media, Creative Artists Agency, and Fullscreen. The Refinery29 footer links to Sundial MG (sundialmg.com) in its Company section, suggesting a possible parent-subsidiary or shared-operations relationship, though no explicit ownership statement is provided.
BeautyCon firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BeautyCon
- Legal name
- BeautyCon (legal entity name not disclosed)
- Website
- https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/beautycon
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- BeautyCon is a Los Angeles-based beauty community platform founded in 2011 that connects enthusiasts, brands, creators, and retailers through in-person events including Beautycon University and CurlyCon LA, monetizing via ticket sales and industry forums.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
BeautyCon industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Beauty Events & Community Experiences
- NAICS
- Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (541850)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Event Strategy & Experience Design (BPAFAGAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sponsorship Activation & Sports/Festival Experiential (BPAFAGAG), Product Launches & Brand Activations (Experiential Marketing) (MPAGAHAD), Retail, Consumer Goods & Lifestyle Shows Organizers (THAHABAJ)
Keywords
Where BeautyCon is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
BeautyCon business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Event Tickets: BeautyCon generates revenue through ticket sales for its in-person events including Beautycon University and CurlyCon LA. Events offer various ticket tiers including VIP with curated gift bags, with early enrollment pricing available. The company sells tickets directly through beautycon.ticketbud.com.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard and VIP ticket tiers available |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
BeautyCon product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BeautyCon operates a global platform that brings together beauty enthusiasts, brands, and industry leaders through large-scale live events such as Beautycon University and CurlyCon LA. The company sells event tickets directly via its own ticketing platform and produces immersive programming featuring hands-on masterclasses, creator-led conversations, brand activations, and product discovery experiences for the beauty community.
Product overview
BeautyCon operates as a unified platform for beauty culture, consisting of its core event and community platform plus specific event programs. The core BeautyCon platform serves as the umbrella brand connecting beauty enthusiasts, brands, and industry leaders through events and content. Beautycon University represents an educational extension of this platform offering masterclasses and creator-led programming. CurlyCon LA functions as a specialized sub-brand within the BeautyCon ecosystem, focusing on curly and textured hair communities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Beautycon University: One-day educational event featuring hands-on masterclasses, creator-led conversations, immersive brand experiences, and product discovery for beauty enthusiasts.
- CurlyCon LA
Products and services
- BeautyCon Platform
Quantifiable outcome
- DSN's Inside Beauty & Wellness Forum drew double the attendance from 2023
Companies that use BeautyCon
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
BeautyCon technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
BeautyCon partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
BeautyCon competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Refinery29: Media platform that hosts BeautyCon within its beauty vertical. Refinery29 provides BeautyCon's content distribution and newsletter amplification and shares a creator-and-community audience, making it both a partner and adjacent competitor in beauty media and experiential content.
- Sephora (LVMH): Global prestige beauty retailer with its own Beauty Insider Community, in-store events, and creator programs. Comparable because Sephora delivers immersive beauty experiences and brand activations that overlap with BeautyCon's value proposition, but at vastly larger scale and as part of a multi-brand retail platform.
- Ulta Beauty: Mass-prestige beauty retailer participating in BeautyCon's Inside Beauty Forum. Ulta runs its own Beauty & Events programming, influencer partnerships, and community initiatives, making it an incumbent experiential competitor in the same beauty enthusiast segment BeautyCon targets.
- Maker Studios (Disney): Multi-channel network (now part of Disney Digital) and prior BeautyCon investor. Comparable as a creator-economy platform that monetizes beauty and lifestyle audiences through branded content and live activations at scale.
- Allure (Condé Nast): Beauty media brand with awards, summits, and consumer events. Comparable because Allure produces editorial content, live experiences, and brand activations for the same beauty enthusiast segment BeautyCon serves, but as part of a larger publishing portfolio.
Direct peers
- Cosmoprof North America: Premier B2B beauty trade show organizer (BolognaFiere group). Directly comparable because Cosmoprof operates large-scale beauty industry exhibitions and conferences for brands, retailers, and creators — the same core function BeautyCon performs, though with a more trade-oriented audience.
- Gen Beauty (Seed Beauty): Boutique beauty expo focused on indie and emerging brands with creator meet-and-greets. Directly comparable as a beauty industry live event targeting beauty enthusiasts and brand discovery — the same core audience and format as BeautyCon University and CurlyCon LA.
Others
- Eventbrite: Ticketing and event discovery platform used by BeautyCon (via beautycon.ticketbud.com and Eventbrite-adjacent infrastructure). Comparable as enabling infrastructure for live experiences, though Eventbrite serves all event verticals rather than specializing in beauty.
- CreatorIQ: Enterprise influencer marketing platform used by beauty brands to manage creator relationships. Comparable as enabling infrastructure for the creator-marketing workflow that BeautyCon's events operationalize offline — overlapping on the brand-creator-audience connection model.
Emerging players
- Beauty Independent: Indie beauty industry media and events company covering founders and emerging brands. Comparable as a niche community platform that convenes beauty entrepreneurs, creators, and retailers through editorial and event programming — adjacent to BeautyCon's Beautycon University focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
BeautyCon social profiles
Digital presenceBeautyCon financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BeautyCon leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
BeautyCon funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors17 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BeautyCon M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about BeautyCon
What does BeautyCon do?
BeautyCon operates a global platform that brings together beauty enthusiasts, brands, and industry leaders through large-scale live events such as Beautycon University and CurlyCon LA. The company sells event tickets directly via its own ticketing platform and produces immersive programming featuring hands-on masterclasses, creator-led conversations, brand activations, and product discovery experiences for the beauty community.
Is BeautyCon a public or private company?
BeautyCon is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was BeautyCon founded?
BeautyCon was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is BeautyCon based?
BeautyCon is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does BeautyCon make money?
One revenue line is on record: event Tickets.
Who are BeautyCon's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Refinery29, Sephora (LVMH), Ulta Beauty, Maker Studios (Disney) and Allure (Condé Nast). Direct peers are Cosmoprof North America and Gen Beauty (Seed Beauty). Others are Eventbrite and CreatorIQ. Beauty Independent is listed as an emerging player.
Does BeautyCon have an API?
No public API is recorded for BeautyCon.
What industry is BeautyCon in?
BeautyCon's product category is Beauty Events & Community Experiences. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFAGAA, Event Strategy & Experience Design, with a secondary code of BPAFAGAG, Sponsorship Activation & Sports/Festival Experiential. Its NAICS code is 71131 and its SIC code is 7311.