Beiersdorf €100M skin care fund signals big bet on science-driven innovation

Beiersdorf has launched the second iteration of its corporate venture capital fund for skin care innovation with a €100 million (US$116 million) commitment, double the amount from 2020. The German consumer goods giant says the new Skin Care Innovation Fund reinforces venture capital as a strategic lever to drive future growth through science-based innovation. 

The fund signifies Beiersdorf’s ambition to lead creation in skin care. 

“Breakthrough innovation in skin care is increasingly driven by the synergy between extensive in-house research expertise and the dynamic advancements of external scientific entrepreneurship,” says Dr. Gitta Neufang, chief R&D officer at Beiersdorf. 

Beiersdorf Venture Capital focuses on companies operating across skin care and its core thesis fields: life sciences and biotechnology, sustainability, AI-enabled technologies, and digital health solutions. 

The fund invests globally in early- to growth-stage companies, with initial investments typically ranging from €0.5–5 million (US$580,000–5.8 million). 

“Through our Skin Care Innovation Fund, we connect scientific advances from start-ups with Beiersdorf’s global R&D capabilities to translate scientific progress into effective skin care solutions for consumers worldwide,” adds Neufang. 

Doubling down on skin care

The fund, twice the size of the original launch in 2020, underscores that the Nivea and Eucerin owner sees significant growth and potential in the skin care space. The brand investment search is prioritizing science — from longevity biology to AI‑driven ingredient discovery.

Ascan Voswinckel, head of Beiersdorf Venture Capital, says that the €100 million (US$116 million) commitment builds on the company’s conviction that pioneering ideas need both capital and the right partners.Beiersdorf expands skin care innovation through strategic partnerships. 

“In addition to funding, we provide access to Beiersdorf’s R&D expertise and global brand platforms, a combination that creates sustainable value for both sides. This comes together with a considerable innovation momentum in our key fields, leading to attractive investment opportunities, for example, in longevity science or AI-enabled actives discovery,” explains Voswinckel. 

Beiersdorf’s approach of pairing capital with access to global R&D and go‑to‑market platforms is increasingly how large consumer packaged goods players aim to stay competitive with digitally native and biotech‑focused entrants, which threaten legacy players. 

The move represents a maturation of personal care industry innovation models: blending external scientific entrepreneurship with established brand and distribution power to shape the future of skin care products. 

Investing in innovation

Since 2020, Beiersdorf Venture Capital has built a portfolio of over 15 “leading” companies across life science, sustainability, and digital health.

Beiersdorf highlights S‑Biomedic, a Belgian skin microbiome science brand. After a venture capital investment and a multi‑year strategic partnership, the technology was integrated into Beiersdorf’s microbiome design platform, where it is now a fundamental part of the global innovation pipeline in microbiome‑based skin care. The company eventually became part of Beiersdorf through acquisition.

In longevity science, the fund backs start-ups such as Vincere Biosciences in mitophagy research, and Turbine working in AI-based cell simulation, to explore scientifically validated approaches to skin aging.

Investments in DePoly’s PET recycling technology and Melt&Marble’s precision fermented lipids are said to be an integral part of Beiersdorf’s efforts to reduce emissions and support the development of more sustainable solutions along its value chain.

With the new Skin Care Innovation Fund, Beiersdorf deepens its engagement in the global innovation ecosystem, investing early in technologies and business models that strengthen its ability to translate science into scalable skin care solutions. Beiersdorf integrates microbiome science into its skin care innovation pipeline. 

Consumer goods company competition

The Skin Care Innovation Fund comes as another consumer goods company, Unilever, has been honing in on and refreshing its home and personal care brands to be more aligned with the digital age. 

Yesterday, the British-Dutch multinational announced it will become a pure-play home and personal care (HPC) business following an agreement to combine its Foods business with McCormick. Post-completion, Unilever will only operate across Beauty, Wellbeing, Personal Care, and Home Care. 

Unilever has been slowly divesting its food portfolio and highlighting its personal care and home offerings over the past year. A large signifier of this was its SASSY campaign launched last year, which resulted in rolling revamps of heritage brands such as Vaseline and Lifebuoy to cater to a younger and trend-driven audience.