There have always been start-ups; the biggest and best-known global companies were once pioneers.
But Silicon Valley took the concept from random and varied to a new level.
California boasts excellent academic centres like Stanford and Caltech, which act as magnets for the best young talent.
It is an area that's spawned a high proportion of today's disruptive internet companies, with Apple and Google just two out of thousands.
It's a world where incubators, accelerators, co-working office spaces, seed funding, venture capital, development capital, mentoring and networks all mix to attract the very best minds and entrepreneurs.
But how might beauty benefit from the Silicon Valley model?
Not yet a Subscriber?
This is a small extract of the full article which is available ONLY to premium content subscribers. Click below to get premium content on Cosmetics Business.
Subscribe now Already a subscriber? Sign in here.