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The Beauty Accelerator™ 2024: In Conversation with Convié

Why did you apply to The Beauty Accelerator™? What made this the right time for your brand, had you previously considered funding?

Until this opportunity, we have bootstrapped the brand, using our own funds plus a start-up loan to get things off the ground. Our goal was to get the MVP up and running using these funds so that we would have enough of a proof of concept to showcase to potential investors. So with that in mind, we’d actually been waiting with bated breath for the application to open! We knew that The Beauty Accelerator™ would be the perfect alignment to kick-start our next growth stage past the MVP. 

How was the actual application process and the completion of the application form? Was there anything you were unsure of or needed to prepare in advance?

We prepared our application in tandem to preparing all of the materials that one would need for a fundraising round—S/EIS Advanced Assurance, pitch, business model and forecasts, etc. Pulling all of this data together actually made it easier to answer the questions as much of the data was top of mind, and equally the questions helped us to fill gaps in our pitch to ensure that we covered off on key stats which an investor would want to see during an initial conversation. 

How did you prepare for the interviews?

In a way, we prepared by pitching other investors, as we were having many discussions in parallel. No better way to practice than to just do the real thing!

How was the actual final?

The process itself was quite smooth, especially given that it was virtual, but I was surprised at how nervous I felt beforehand! We’d reviewed our pitch numerous times and had even pitched other investors prior to the final, so we knew our materials well and were able to stick to the timings without any issues.

What was your reaction to winning The Beauty Accelerator™ 2024?

I think we both had to read the email a few times to make sure our brains were properly comprehending the information—in the lead up to receiving the news I had actually had dreams about it so I had to double check that I wasn’t dreaming again! 

What happens next for Convié?

We’re in the very early stages of launching our 2nd co-creation project, so another product launch is imminent. Meanwhile, we are moving forward at full speed ahead to keep building awareness and recruit new beauty lovers into our community.

What have you learnt during the process?

The whole process of launching a business has been a great lesson in persistence and staying the course, and the application process was very much a part of this. Especially in the beginning, days with little to no activity go by and are followed by a quick flurry of lots of activity, only for the process to repeat itself over and over—a little bit bigger and more impactful each time. When you’re alone at your dining table it can really make you want to question your life choices, but if you can take a step back and look at where you’ve gotten to from where you began, you can see the progress that you’ve made.

Founders of Convié Cristina Harrell and Isabelle Salas

Convié

Learn more about the brand and why they were chosen as The Beauty Accelerator™ 2024 winner here.

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