Candice Mitchell’s interest in computer science has helped her raise millions of dollars for black hair care.
According to a report from Forbes, when Mitchell was 10 years old, she tinkered with installing software on the family computer, marking her formal exposure to computer science.
“I remember thinking, ‘One day I want to make software like this that runs on millions of computers,'” Mitchell told Forbes.
She studied web design in high school and attended Georgia Tech for higher education, earning a bachelor’s degree in computer science. She then ventured into the workforce in IT positions at Siemens and Pepsi, but decided she no longer wanted to work for another company. she wanted what was hers.
With just $1,000 in her checking account, she became an entrepreneur and launched Myavana, a platform that leverages her interest in technology to disrupt the hair care market for Black women. According to the company’s website, users must upload a selfie of their hair texture and complete a hair analysis for a one-time price of $9.99 or a monthly subscription of $8.99. Once the technology is complete, product recommendations will be introduced with the help of artificial intelligence (AI).
The company says this will reduce frustration with hair products, help customers avoid products that aren’t the best for their hair type, and save them money.
“What I saw was really interesting to me, the fact that we all have our own unique configuration of texture types and states. So you’re 4C or higher. You’re just a wave. “It’s not about frizzy hair. There are many other variables at play, as well as external variables like the weather, seasonal changes, hormonal changes, and how you feel that day,” she said in a sit-down interview with Forbes. spoke. “There are a lot of things that affect how we express ourselves, but it also affects how our hair reacts to the environment. So a light bulb went off for me. I… I thought, “Okay, I can write an algorithm that matches the variables of your hair to the variables and products that work best for your hair, eliminating trial and error.” And that became my baby. ”
Myavana is performing well in the market, especially among black women, who make up 80% of its customer base. According to Forbes, the company’s mobile application Myavana AI has 50,000 subscribers, and in January 2024, the company signed a retail partnership with Ulta Beauty. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, this resulted in the company’s AI hair analysis technology being integrated into its e-commerce platform.
According to Forbes, Myavana is expected to earn more than $10 million by the end of 2024. Furthermore, its valuation is reportedly $50 million, an increase of $30 million from 2021. These are Amazon, H/L Ventures, Reform Ventures and New Age Capital.
“This company is high profile and growing rapidly,” Oliver Libby, managing partner at H/L Ventures, told Forbes. “We have this data, especially the chemical analysis of the hair. We can see from here that the health (sector) of Myavana is revealed.”
Mr Mitchell commented: But we had to start 12 years ago. ”
