Beiersdorf has acquired a majority stake in Belgian life sciences company S-Biomedic for an undisclosed sum.
S-Biomedic, a pioneer in skin microbiome research and development, will continue to be managed as a standalone entity under Beiersdorf’s existing microbiome programme and will complement the company’s own research activities in this field.
The Nivea and La Prairie owner has long had S-Biomedic on its radar, following an initial investment in 2018 as part of the young company’s corporate venture activities.
Founded in 2014 by Veronika Oudova and Bernhard Paetzold, S-Biomedic develops active ingredients for cosmetic products by making use of living skin bacteria.
“As skin care experts, research has been at the heart of what we have been doing for 140 years,” said Dr Gitta Neufang, Senior Vice President of Research & Development at Beiersdorf. “Therefore, the acquisition of S-Biomedic is an ideal strategic fit.”
She added: “Together with the pioneers of S-Biomedic we are taking skin care to the next level and will foster the development of solutions for unmet consumer needs.”
“We are pleased to welcome S-Biomedic and its dedicated team to the Beiersdorf Group to join forces in this dynamic and highly promising research area,” Jörn Hendrik Reuter, Manager Microbiome Accelerator at Beiersdorf, commented.
“The advances of S-Biomedic in biomedical research complement our own efforts in this field and open the door to develop products that work in harmony with the natural skin processes.”
S-Biomedic’s Oudova added: “Our vision since 2014 when we started S-Biomedic has been to build and promote skin microbiome technologies and make them to the new frontier in skin health.
“I am very excited that together with the team we have achieved a very important milestone on that journey. By joining Beiersdorf our novel approach has its path to consumers all over the world.”
Beiersdorf is not the first major beauty brand owner to invest in the microbiome via a high-profile acquisition this year.
In September, Japanese beauty giant Shiseido announced it was to buy London-based microbiome skin care brand Gallinée.
Gallinée was founded in 2014 by Dr Marie Drago, a skin microbiome specialist, offering beauty products featuring a patented complex of prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics that strengthen the skin’s microbiome.