Australian AI startup Heatseeker wins top L'Oréal beauty tech prize

Australian startup Heatseeker has been named as one of four winners in a major international beauty technology competition hosted by L'Oréal. The event, which encompasses the South Asia Pacific, Middle East, and North Africa (SAPMENA) region, provides a platform for emerging companies developing solutions in beauty technology to collaborate with established global brands.

Competition overview

The L'Oréal Big Bang Beauty Tech Innovation Programme is billed as the largest open innovation event in beauty technology for the SAPMENA region. This year, the competition attracted over 50,000 startups from across Southeast Asia, India, the Middle East, Australia, and New Zealand. Ten shortlisted companies presented their technology-led ideas to a panel of industry experts, with four selected as winners and one receiving a special mention.

Winning startups

The selected winners-Halo AI (UAE), Heatseeker (Australia), Sravathi AI (India), and Without (India)-will now embark on a commercial pilot with one of L'Oréal's 37 international brands. They will also receive mentorship from L'Oréal and programme partners including Accenture, Google, and Meta, and could see their solutions exposed to 35 markets across the region.

Heatseeker allows marketers to run live, in-market experiments with real customers through its AI-powered platform, aiming to deliver rapid, quantitative evidence of product or message effectiveness ahead of major launches. By using platforms such as Meta and LinkedIn, Heatseeker directly measures genuine customer responses through experimental designs, bypassing more traditional market research techniques.

Regional startup activity

The SAPMENA zone has emerged as a focal point for technology-driven startups in recent years. The region's large, digitally-savvy youth population and the swift uptake of eCommerce are seen as drivers of innovation.

"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. The pitches at the Grand Finale are a testament to this and reaffirm the opportunities for open innovation here. By partnering with these next-gen innovators, we can accelerate the pace of beauty tech transformation and amplify the impact of new ideas across the beauty ecosystem," said Vismay Sharma, President of L'Oréal SAPMENA Zone.

Georgia Hack, Chief Digital and Marketing Officer for L'Oréal Groupe Australia & New Zealand, highlighted the progress of the Australian market and its global influence.

"At L'Oréal, we are all about creating the beauty that moves the world, and we're passionate about pushing the boundaries of what is possible in beauty through innovation, technology, and collaboration. This year's competition showcased bold and brilliant ideas and highlighted how the next generation of up-and-coming beauty tech entrepreneurs are positively reimagining the consumer experience. Partnering with start-ups not only accelerates the Groupe's innovation, but also reiterates our commitment to beauty and driving scalable solutions to positively drive change."

"We're very proud to see Australian startup Heatseeker take out one of the top honours in this year's competition, showcasing the depth of talent and innovation coming out of the local Australian market. Heatseeker's success reinforces the key role Australia plays as a hub for digital innovation and beauty tech on the world stage and demonstrates how home-grown ideas can inspire and shape the future of beauty experiences globally," said Hack.

Other winners

UAE-based Halo AI was recognised for its AI-powered solution helping brands manage collaborations with content creators. India's Sravathi AI developed a platform for AI-driven pharmaceutical discovery and manufacturing. Also from India, Without focuses on converting unrecyclable plastic waste into new materials using a patented chemo-mechanical process aimed at supporting circular economy principles. Wubble AI, from Singapore, received a special mention for its solution allowing brands to create royalty-free, personalised music quickly through generative AI.

Industry collaboration

Industry partners welcomed the initiative's impact and the role of startups in shaping the future trajectory of beauty technology. Benjamin Joe, Vice President Asia Pacific at Meta, said, "Meta is excited to support the Big Bang Beauty Tech Innovation Programme. L'Oréal continues to set the pace for digital transformation in beauty, embracing new ways for people to discover, experience, and express themselves online. As beauty increasingly intersects with technology through virtual try-ons, social discovery, and personalised experiences-this initiative provides a powerful platform for startups to shape the future of beauty in the digital world. We look forward to seeing the innovative solutions that will emerge and redefine how people connect with beauty online."

Sanjay Gupta, President, Google Asia-Pacific, added, "We are pleased to continue our partnership with L'Oréal, driving innovation through this programme. As a region of tech-optimists and early adopters, the Asia Pacific region can deliver new ideas and transformative solutions for the world. The quality of submissions highlights the strong talent in this region. Congratulations to all participants and to the winners who will now bring their solutions to life at scale."