Two Indian startups — Pune-based Without and Bengaluru’s Sravathi AI — have been named winners of the 2025 L’Oréal SAPMENA Big Bang Beauty Tech Innovation Program, the largest beauty-tech innovation competition across South Asia Pacific, the Middle East and North Africa (SAPMENA).
The recognition gives both companies access to a L’Oréal-funded commercial pilot with one of the Group’s 37 global beauty brands, as well as a year-long mentorship led by senior leaders from L’Oréal and program partners Accenture, Google and Meta.
They were announced as winners alongside Halo AI from the UAE and Heatseeker from Australia. Singapore-based Wubble AI received a Special Mention. This marks the second straight year that Indian startups have featured among the winners, reflecting the country’s strengthening position in beauty-tech and deep-tech innovation.
Commenting on the achievement, Saloni Shah Javeri, Chief Digital and Marketing Officer, L’Oréal India, said, “We are thrilled to celebrate Indian entrepreneurs emerging as winners for the second consecutive year at the Big Bang Beauty Tech Innovation Program Grand Finale. It is truly inspiring to see how homegrown solutions are not only addressing real consumer needs but also reinforcing India’s growing prominence as a global hub for innovation. L’Oréal is proud to champion these innovators who are passionately bringing beauty and technology closer together, showcasing the incredible talent and creativity abundant in India.”
L’Oréal’s regional leadership also highlighted the growing influence of the SAPMENA region. Vismay Sharma, President, L’Oréal SAPMENA Zone, said, “SAPMENA is one of the world’s most dynamic regions, with millions of young, digitally-savvy consumers fuelling the rapid rise of digital commerce and brand innovation. While Silicon Valley often comes to mind for startups, we believe the centre of gravity for innovation is increasingly diversifying and shifting to regions like SAPMENA where market demand is shaping ideas to impact.”
