After Raising over $3M, Popular VC-Backed Beauty Brand Ami Colé Is Shuttering
UNITED STATES, JUL 17 – Ami Colé struggled with rising costs, reduced diversity initiatives, and limited venture funding despite winning over 80 awards and expanding to 600 Sephora stores nationwide.
- In a recent public statement, Diarrha N'Diaye-Mbaye announced the closure of Ami Colé, citing market challenges and inability to compete with larger brands.
- With venture support dwindling, Black founders faced multi-year lows in funding amid market pressures and DEI rollbacks.
- Despite growing shelf space, Ami Colé's sales fluctuated dramatically, reflecting retail and market volatility within 16 months of Sephora expansion.
- The founder lamented, 'This decision was so hard for me — the business bears my mother's name', adding 'I couldn't compete with the deep pockets of corporate brands; at retail stores, prime shelf space comes at a price, and we couldn't afford it'.
- Looking toward its September shutdown, Ami Colé will cease operations, impacting darker skin tone consumers who relied on its inclusive makeup. No attribution needed.
11 Articles
11 Articles
Why the End of Ami Colé Is Devastating
The beloved beauty brand went viral for its accessible and shade-inclusive makeup staples. But when reportedly less than one percent of venture-capital funds are granted to Black founders, how can companies of color compete in the beauty landscape?
After raising over $3M, popular VC-backed beauty brand Ami Colé is shuttering
Diarrha N'Diaye-Mbaye, one of the first among the small number of Black women to raise more than $1 million in venture capital, announced on Thursday the closure of her award-winning beauty startup Ami Colé.
Diarrha N'Diaye-Mbaye Opens Up About Closing Down Ami Colé
By India Espy-Jones ·Updated July 17, 2025 Getting your Trinity Audio player ready… On her brand’s 4th anniversary, founder of Ami Colé Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye sat down with ESSENCE for a conversation about how she got her start. Now, a few months later, the beauty brand is officially closing its doors.This morning, the founder announced she’s closing her brand down this September in an article she authored for The Cut. “My beauty brand offered Bl…
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