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L’Oréal Invests in Chinese Biotech Company

Takes a minority stake in Shinehigh Innovation, a firm specializing in supramolecular chemistry, to overcome common formulating challenges.

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By: TOM BRANNA

Chief Content Officer

L’Oréal has made a minority investment in Shinehigh Innovation, a biotechnology company in China. The move establishes a long-term partnership for the co-development of novel and sustainable beauty solutions, according to L'Oréal.

This is L’Oréal’s first open innovation investment in China through Shanghai Meicifang Investment Co., Ltd (Meicifang), with the support from BOLD (Business Opportunities for L’Oréal Development), L'Oréal Groupe’s strategic innovation venture capital fund company. It is also the first investment from L’Oréal’s well-known Big Bang Beauty Tech Innovation Challenge initiated four years ago in China, proving the successful achievement in China’s open innovation ecosystem.

“The fast paced and unique ecosystem of startups in China is an incredibly important enabler of our future strategy of innovation at L’Oréal,” explained Barbara Lavernos, Deputy CEO of L'Oréal Groupe in charge of Research, Innovation and Technology. “This is why we are extremely excited to pursue this new investment and partnership with one of these highly innovative Chinese Biotech Startups: ShineHigh. This partnership which will enable us, thanks to their world-leading application of supramolecular technology in the beauty industry, to bring breakthrough new performances to the beauty market. We are delighted to enter this exclusive beauty partnership with the pioneering team of Shinehigh.”

Shinehigh Innovation is a Chinese startup created in 2017 by Prof. Jiaheng Zhang that specializes in cutting-edge supramolecular chemistry. Its breakthrough smart self-assembling technology allows previously impossible ingredient combinations, resulting in end-products with greater efficacy and sustainability. The partnership will enable L'Oréal to unlock the full potential of raw materials, overcoming known limitations such as incompatibility, instability and delivery, to develop innovative skin, hair and scalp formulations with a wider range of benefits, according to L'Oréal executives.

“We have long-term confidence in the Chinese market,” said Fabrice Megarbane, president of L'Oréal North Asia Zone and CEO of L'Oréal China. “After 25 years’ development, China has become the Groupe’s inspiration cradle of future innovation. Under our firm belief in co-creation, we initiated Big Bang four years ago, and founded L'Oréal China’s investment company Meicifang last year. I am so thrilled to see all our efforts have harvested fruits today: investing in Shinehigh Innovation, our 2022 Big Bang winner. Now Big Bang has been extended to the North Asia Zone, and we expect to invent the future of beauty with more partners for North Asia and the global beauty market.”

Started in 2020, Big Bang aims to work with startups to co-create innovative solutions to more personalized products, services and experiences for consumers. During the four-year journey, Big Bang has attracted more than 1,500 Chinese startups and nearly 20 French startups in China, with 30 winners and more than 50 pilots launched. The five tracks of Big Bang are Phygital Consumer, Operation 4.0, Future Science, Generative AI and Sustainability, with one special “France” track. This program has now become a benchmark for Sino-French cosmetic industry cooperation.

L'Oréal has now rolled out Big Bang across the whole North Asia, with MOU signed with Korean Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) on 2023 VivaTech. This is the first regional beauty tech innovation challenge, aiming to leverage the unique strength of each market and the dynamic ecosystem of the Beauty Triangle to co-create the future of beauty for North Asia and the world

“I am delighted to cooperate with L’Oréal Groupe, a global leader in the beauty industry,” said Jiaheng Zhang, founder and CEO of Shinehigh Innovation. “We have jointly conducted research on the supramolecular development of multiple active raw materials in the fields of skincare, makeup, hair care, and hair coloration. This is of great significance for the industrialization and landing of cutting-edge supramolecular technology. We look forward to exploring more possibilities in raw material research and development, application, and global market development together!”

To learn more about the growing role of biotech in beauty, and to learn more about the latest L'Oréal innovations from L'Oréal President Nathalie Gerschtein, register today for Happi's Wellness Conference, November 3 in New York City.

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