L’Oréal acquires a stake in Ile-de-France biotech Abolis

L’Oréal is once again strengthening its expertise in biotechnologies. Alongside German speciality chemical ingredients manufacturer Evonik, the global beauty giant has taken a minority stake in Abolis Biotechnologies, a company based in Evry (Essonne), near Paris, specialising in the manufacture of ingredients derived from micro-organisms for the cosmetics, pharmaceutical and food markets.

The investment companies Deep Tech & Climate Fund, Clay Partners, Icos Capital and Liberset are also taking part in this €35 million fund-raising.

This equity investment, which is being made via BOLD, L’Oréal’s private equity fund, is also accompanied by an industrial partnership aimed at producing “specific, sustainable ingredients in the quantities needed to meet global demand for responsible beauty,” says the L’Oréal group, which has started working with Abolis from 2019. 

According to Reuters, since its creation in 2014 Abolis had only raised €1.1 million.

In 2023, L’Oréal, which has 20 research centres in 11 countries, had sales of €41 billion.