Business-to-business ecommerce marketplace Alibaba.com has announced the winners of the company’s first-ever Alibaba.com Grants Program, which awards 50 U.S.-based entrepreneurs a $10,000 cash grant. The initiative comes at a time when 44 percent of entrepreneurs say they require $5,000 or less in the first six months of launching their business. In partnership with Hello Alice, the largest community of underrepresented entrepreneurs in the U.S. charged with helping small businesses launch and grow, Alibaba.com is doubling that start-up amount in individual grants, as well as providing resources on business topics through the Alibaba.com Digitization Sprint for Retailers to fully support Americans in building their businesses online.

More than 12,000 applied for the grants; among the 50 recipients are nine beauty companies. The list of beauty firms set to receive the grants are:

• Sarah Li, founder of Element Mom, one of the first K-Beauty skin care brands in the U.S. solely focused on maternity and motherhood personal care. Founded by Sarah in Los Angeles, California during the height of the pandemic in 2020, Element Mom was conceived from the desire to bring clean, highly effective and affordable skin care products to all moms.
• Aurelia Edwards, founder of Nailstry, created this innovative beauty app to help simplify the press-on nail shopping experience. The app utilizes computer vision, AR, and machine learning to more easily detect and measure users’ fingernails for accurate sizing—eliminating the need for sizing kits which are usually thrown away.
• Ashley Piszek, founder of MISS SWISS, launched her beauty brand to focus on glamour-on-the-go. Unlike large beauty brands that have a broad product offering of general makeup products, Ashley’s niche is to provide products designed for everyday busy life or travel.
• Joi Wade, founder of Joiful Bee, was a hair care blogger in search of options for her textured hair. Unsuccessful in finding solutions, Joi started her own D2C ecommerce company that makes and sells products to help caring for hair so much easier, such as Scalp Massaging Shampoo Brushes, Microwaveable Deep Condition Caps, Honeycomb Detangling Brushes, Microfiber Towel Turbans, Satin Bonnets and Scrunchies. All items are beautifully—and brightly—packaged in the brand’s iconic bright yellow packaging.
• Eva Jane Bunkley, founder of Eva Jane Beauty, is an Atlanta-based makeup artist/author/filmmaker who created a line of products addressing women’s’ makeup needs, including her popular Makeup Bullet, a makeup applicator sponge.
• Courtney Stewart, founder of LipRevolt, created a brand that promotes social activism with high quality lip products that aim to meet the needs of all genders and ethnicities.
• Keneshia Berkley, founder of Baddie Labs Cosmetics, makes high-quality, intensely pigmented makeup to bring out the inner beauty in all ethnicities, especially those from African descent. Baddie Labs strives to provide a look at a price that is affordable and accessible.
• Kanti, founder of kanti, created a skin care line for people of color to help them find their inner glow. Acknowledging that people with melanin-rich skin are more prone to skin issues such as hyperpigmentation, dark spots and eczema, kanti’s formulas address these issues while maintaining a luxurious positioning.
• Jacque Aye, founder of Adura, created a self-care brand focused on making nighttime wellness rituals fun and playful.