Symrise invests in Cellibre to boost fermented cosmetic ingredient innovation

Symrise has announced it will invest in US-based biotech company Cellibre to advance innovation in sustainable precision fermentation for cosmetic active ingredients. The companies aim to accelerate the commercialization of natural and bioactive compounds for clean beauty markets.

Through the partnership, Symrise will gain preferred access to Cellibre’s biotechnology platform. The company hopes the platform will help strengthen its supply chain resilience and reduce reliance on seasonal crop production.

“This investment accelerates our biotechnology roadmap and strengthens our ability to deliver sustainable, high-quality solutions to our customers,” says Imke Meyer, project lead for Biotechnology at Symrise.

Symrise will combine its global market reach, formulation expertise, and customer relationships with Cellibre’s capabilities in engineering microorganisms and optimizing fermentation-based production.

“We have been led by the belief that biology is the future of manufacturing, and we are committed to creating more resilient supply chains, delivering products that are lower cost and higher quality while limiting the impact on natural ecosystems,” says Ben Chiarelli, CEO of Cellibre.

Alongside cosmetic ingredients, the partnership will also co-develop natural flavor ingredients used for taste balancing.

Fermentation frenzy

Symrise intends to expand its portfolio with ingredients produced through precision fermentation. The technology offers a scalable alternative to traditional agricultural sourcing, which could cause market disruptions linked to harvest conditions.

Fermentation-derived actives also address consumers’ increasing demand for transparent and responsible ingredient sourcing amid the rise of “clean” beauty claims.

We recently spoke with Sophi Roelants, Amphistar’s COO, about the environmental impact of fermentation-derived ingredients compared to traditionally sourced alternatives.

Across the board, companies are partnering to advance fermentation tech for cosmetic innovation. Last month, Croda, The Hut Group, and Clean Food Group announced that their joint fermented ingredient, Clean Oil 25, was approved for cosmetic formulations in the UK, US, and Europe. 

Moreover, biotech company Äio received a grant from the Estonian government earlier this year to speed up production of its yeast-derived sustainable fat alternative for cosmetic formulations.