After taking over $ 3 million, the popular VC-von VC supported beauty brand Ami Colé switch off

Diarrha N'Diaye-Baye, one of the first among the small number of black women who collect more than $ 1 million in risk capital, announced the closure of her award-winning beauty startup Ami Colé on Thursday.

Ami Colé produces make -up for people with darker skin colors, since these consumers often have difficulty finding make -up that fits their skin tone. It was launched in 2021, sold via Sephora and became a celebrity favorite among people like singer Kelly Rowland and the actress Mindy Kaling. But the 4-year-old company is now officially unloaded in September.

N'Diaye-Baye wrote about her decision to close the company in “The Cut” and said: “After looking at every option, it became clear that the sequel was not sustainable in this current market. According to PitchBook, her company had collected more than $ 3 million in risk capital, with G9 Ventures, Greycroft and Angel Investor Hannah Bronfman Editor -in -chief of Engel, Lindsay Peoples Wagner.

Ami Colé did not immediately answer our request for a comment.

Like many black startups that started after the murder of George Floyd, Ami Colé rode the waves of excitement of investors and companies that pour out money into the support of more products and initiatives that touched diversity, justice and inclusion.

N'Diaye-Baye pointed out that one of the problems was the tension between the expectations of your and the investor to a consumer business. While she had loyal customers, her fast nationwide growth meant pressure from investors. But their brand tried to compete with larger companies with deeper pockets, even though they entered into marketing a considerable part of his budget. Ami Colé faced the ups and downs of production compared to the sale in retail: a week that was not moved directly and another.

“Instead of concentrating on the healthy, sustainable future of the company and fulfilling the needs of our loyal fan base, I drove a spirited wave of investors, some of which seemed to have an attitude to justice and” dares on inclusiveness “, which his melody changed a lot to my ears, which she sounded in 2020,” she wrote.

The burden comes because the venture financing for black founders has reached a multi-year low point in a political climate, which has rejected everything that was perceived as a dei. N'Diaye-Baye ended her announcement with the statement that this chapter in her life, although it ended, was not done.

“I still believe in beauty – at every level – and I look forward to discovering what's next,” she said.