L’Oréal has acquired Lactobio, a leading probiotic and microbiome research company based in Copenhagen, building on 20 years of research and deepening its knowledge of the microorganisms that live on the skin’s surface.
WHO: Lactobio was founded in 2017 by Søren Kjærulff, PhD, and Charlotte Vedel, PhD, who developed a unique, proprietary microbiome discovery platform and screening method to select the most effective and safe strains. These precision probiotics, created from a large biobank of lactobacillus bacteria, will be used in the development of topical formulations containing live bacteria, taking inspiration from nature to impart numerous benefits to skin and hair.
Founded in 1909, L’Oréal has a portfolio of 37 international brands with 87,400 committed employees, a balanced geographical footprint, and sales across all distribution networks (e-commerce, mass market, department stores, pharmacies, hair salons, branded and travel retail). In 2022, the group generated sales amounting to 38.26 billion euros. With 20 research centers across 11 countries worldwide and a dedicated research and innovation team of over 4,000 scientists and 5,500 tech and digital professionals, L’Oréal is focused on inventing the future of beauty and becoming a beauty tech powerhouse.
WHY: The strategic acquisition builds on 20 years of advanced research by L’Oréal into the scientific territory of the microbiome, deepening its knowledge of the microorganisms that live on the skin’s surface and reinforcing its leadership in this field. The acquisition also opens new scientific opportunities, including leveraging Lactobio’s microbiome expertise and significant IP portfolio to develop safe and effective new cosmetic solutions using live bacteria.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS: “The integration of Lactobio into our advanced research is highly complementary: L’Oréal’s strong scientific knowledge and technological advancements, coupled with Lactobio’s best-in-class formulations using living organisms, will significantly strengthen and accelerate our microbiome research dedicated to beauty,” said Anne Colonna, Global Head of Advanced Research of L’Oréal Groupe. “In joining forces, we aim to develop a new generation of cosmetics that will use cutting-edge innovations in the formulation process to provide science-based, precision probiotic and postbiotic products with new performance levels.”
“Denmark has a long history of innovation based on living microorganisms applied to food, agriculture, and health, and it was against this background that we were inspired to create Lactobio,” said Kjærulff, founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Lactobio. “I am incredibly proud of what our team has achieved and excited for what the future holds as part of L’Oréal Groupe, where together, we can apply microbiome research to new fields of beauty innovation for people all over the world.”
DETAILS:
