The Lip Bar is a technology company.
The Lip Bar has raised $7.0M across 1 funding round.
The Lip Bar has raised $7.0M in total across 1 funding round.
The Lip Bar has raised $7.0M in total across 1 funding round.
The Lip Bar's investors include Fearless Fund, WestRiver Group.
The Lip Bar is not a technology company; it is a beauty company specializing in vegan, cruelty-free, non-toxic cosmetics designed for diverse complexions, particularly women of color. Founded in 2012, it builds a portfolio of clean beauty products under TLB Beauty and the newer thread beauty brand, including lipsticks, liquid mattes, and "Fast Face" bundles for maximum impact with minimal effort. It serves women of color, BIPOC consumers, and Gen Z with inclusive shades, solving the problem of limited representation and toxic formulations in traditional beauty by offering accessible, high-pigment products available nationwide at Target, Walmart, CVS, and its Detroit flagship store, plus online via Amazon and TikTok Shop. Recent growth includes a $6.7 million oversubscribed Series A funding round, expansion to become the largest Black-owned beauty brand in Target, and strong e-commerce performance with $13 million in sales revenue over the last six months (as of mid-2025) and 531K units sold.[1][2][3][4][5]
The Lip Bar was founded in 2012 by Melissa Butler, a former Wall Street stockbroker and licensed professional, who grew frustrated with the beauty industry's "one-shade-fits-most" standards and toxic products.[1][3][5] Starting in her Brooklyn kitchen, Butler formulated her first collection of homemade vegan lipsticks tailored for deeper complexions, marking it as a Black woman-owned business with a clean beauty focus.[3][5] A pivotal early moment came with her Shark Tank pitch, where she received no deal but gained validation for her diverse shades, fueling her determination to bootstrap the brand independently.[3][5] This rejection propelled growth: from lipsticks to 26 SKUs of solution-oriented products, retail expansions into major chains, and the launch of thread beauty as a gender-neutral, Gen Z-targeted line under The Lip Bar Inc. Early traction built through direct-to-consumer sales and word-of-mouth, evolving into multi-million-dollar revenue with operational scaling via tools like Cin7 for inventory management.[1][3][4]
While not a tech company, The Lip Bar leverages e-commerce technology and digital tools to disrupt the $500B+ global beauty industry, riding trends in clean beauty, inclusivity, and direct-to-consumer models amplified by platforms like TikTok Shop and Amazon. Its timing aligns with post-2020 demand for BIPOC representation and non-toxic products, fueled by social media-driven consumer shifts toward authentic brands—evident in $2.9M monthly e-commerce sales (April 2025) and expansions into major retailers.[4][5] Market forces like Gen Z's preference for vegan/cruelty-free options (30%+ growth in clean beauty) and retail partnerships (Target, Walmart) favor its model, while tools like Cin7 for inventory automation and API integrations with 3PLs enable scaling without tech-native infrastructure.[3] It influences the ecosystem by pioneering Black-owned scale in beauty retail, inspiring similar brands and pushing incumbents toward diversity, with e-commerce comprising a significant revenue share amid broader DTC tech adoption.[1][4]
The Lip Bar's trajectory points to continued retail dominance and brand portfolio growth, potentially surpassing $30M+ annual revenue by leveraging its $6.7M funding for thread beauty and new SKUs. Trends like AI-driven personalization in beauty e-commerce, TikTok commerce expansion, and sustained clean beauty demand (projected 10-15% CAGR) will shape its path, alongside potential international retail pushes. Its influence may evolve from niche disruptor to category leader, setting standards for inclusive CPG scaling—echoing its origin as a kitchen startup now in 2,000+ stores, proving self-made resilience trumps traditional gatekeepers.[1][4][5]
The Lip Bar has raised $7.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $7.0M Seed in September 2022.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2022 | $7.0M Seed | Fearless Fund, WestRiver Group |