Sunstone DTC Brand Lab
Launch, scale, and last with the right knowledge, resources, and people — all at no cost to founders.
What is the Brand Lab
A free 12-week incubator for early-stage consumer founders. Real curriculum, expert partners, and a community built to help you build an iconic brand at no cost and no equity.
Apply Now to the Brand LabOur Mission
Sunstone Brand Lab exists to help emerging consumer brands turn ambition into sustainable growth by connecting founders with practical expertise, industry resources, strategic partners, and a collaborative community.
Our mission is to bridge the gap between building a great product and building a lasting brand—giving founders the knowledge, connections, and support they need to grow, scale, and succeed in the U.S. market.
Funding & capital readiness
We offer up to $100K in funding opportunities.
Resources
Access to 30+ partners and world-class tools.
Community
A thriving network of founders, operators, and experts.
Everything You Need to Move Your Brand Forward
Set Up
Get the foundation right — entity, banking, and a market-ready product.
Launch Channels
Open the right doors to customers across every consumer channel.
Build Growth
Turn early traction into repeatable, measurable momentum.
Capital Readiness
Become investor-ready and unlock pathways to funding.
Showcase
Step into the spotlight in front of the wider ecosystem.
Who We Select
A focused cohort of U.S.-based and international consumer brands ready to launch, scale, and raise capital in the U.S.
Four Consumer Sectors
accepting cohort applications
Small by design — hands-on support for every founder. Every company is screened for program fit, market readiness, and growth potential.
Ideation through market-ready product
From first concept to shelf-ready — all early stages welcome.
Under $200K GMV preferred
Above that is still welcome to apply.
Partner conversations
Founding partner terms agreed over the summer.
Cohort kickoff
Brands begin 12 weeks in Los Angeles.
Southern California Tech Weeks
LA Tech Week · OC Tech Week · Glendale Tech Week · and more.
Investor Showcase
Public finale with investor judging.
Partners Already in the Brand Lab
Confirmed partners contributing expertise, market access, and hands-on support to the Brand Lab cohort.
Dave De Csepel
CEO at Alliance for SoCal
Sophie Zhu
Head of Partnership at SHOPLINE
Disha Gulati
CEO at Here Here Market
Sarah Choi
Attorney at Cooley
Paul Shrater
Founder of Minimus Brand
Sylvia Wu
Category Manager at TikTok Shop
Connie Shih
VP, Startup Banking at J.P. Morgan
Chris Sun
CEO at BrandPal
Adam Carrillo
CEO at Partake Collective
Greg Manly
HR Consultant at TriNet
Gene Cao
Director at Insta360
Alex Hejazi
CEO at Placement
Jenny Hsu
Founder of Day2 Studio
Ken Xu
Senior Product Manager at Devz AI
Bianca Jeanty
Client Partner at Snap Inc
Logos indicate collaborators in the Sunstone ecosystem. Relationships are non-exclusive and do not imply endorsement of the Brand Lab.