L’Oréal is bringing back its Big Bang Beauty Tech Innovation Program for 2026 after Australian startup Heatseeker was named one of last year’s regional winners.
Heatseeker took one of the top spots in L’Oréal’s 2025 Big Bang Beauty Tech Innovation Program after being selected from thousands of startups across the South Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa. The company was the only Australian startup among the winners.
Heatseeker is now piloting its customer intelligence platform with L’Oréal Australia and New Zealand after progressing through the program.
Co-founded in 2023 by Kate O’Keeffe, Fiona Triaca and former Atlassian executive Rutger Coolen, Heatseeker uses AI and live market testing to help companies measure how customers actually respond to products, branding and campaigns before launch.
The startup also raised $2.3 million in a pre-seed round last year, as it focused on pushing further into the US market.
Two other Australian startups also reached the finalist stage in last year’s competition: NewEra Bio, which develops bio-based hair dyes, and Springboards.ai, which develops AI tools for advertising teams.
What L’Oréal is looking for in its 2026 startup program
The 2026 edition of is now open to startups working across categories such as AI-powered commerce, creator tools, connected brand experiences and sustainability-focused technology.
Winners receive the opportunity to develop commercial pilots with L’Oréal brands, alongside mentorship from company executives and partners.
The company says seven startups from previous editions of the program have now progressed to commercial pilot projects with L’Oréal brands.
“We are looking for AI powered commerce solutions, technology to enhance the connected brand experience, the next frontier platforms for creators, science solutions for beauty and innovation for good,” L’Oréal Australia and New Zealand Chief Digital and Marketing Officer, Georgia Hack, said.
Applications close on July 3 ahead of regional finals later this year.