Croda International Plc "Croda", creator and manufacturer of high-performance specialty chemicals used by industries and consumers worldwide, today announced its investment in the multi-award-winning company "Cutitronics". The company is known for developing a new digital solution to meet the demands of cosmetics consumers.
In response to the growing demand for personalized skin treatments, Croda recognized the need to seek out more innovative technologies. This led to their taking a minority stake in Cutitronics, whose patented handheld device assesses skin health and prepares it to optimize the action of the skincare formula it releases.
The company, which grew out of the University of Strathcycle in Scotland, was established in 2014. The device developed by Cutitronics, the CutiTron, currently in the prototype stage, analyzes the skin's condition and takes into account aspects that can influence its state, such as the environment. It then offers a tailor-made application to a specifically targeted area of the skin. This device will also help Croda in its future product development. It provides a far greater amount of data than before, and gives Croda a better understanding of consumer needs and the factors that influence those needs.
Croda has a unique commercial agreement with Cutitronics. This relationship is a direct result of Croda's commitment to its open innovation program with UK universities. This remains a key strategic focus for Croda, which will continue to invest in this area.
Sandra Breene, President of Personal Care and North America at Croda, will join the Cutitronics Board of Directors as a non-executive director to share her 25 years of knowledge of the cosmetics market. Cutitronics will also benefit from Croda's formulation expertise, as well as its proven ability to bring new innovations to market.
Breene said: "I'm delighted to be personally involved in this partnership, which will enable Croda not only to be part of this intelligent application platform, but also to use the latest digital technologies and the data recorded on them to enrich its knowledge of consumer behavior."
"We have long known that digitalization will play a key role in our growth strategy. With this wealth of information, we can continue to develop innovative and sustainable ingredients, provide better guiding formulas as well as share our knowledge with our customers to help them develop the next generation of products that will meet the still unmet needs of the market."
Dr David Heath, founder and CEO of Cutitronics: "Having validated the CutiTron technologically and commercially, Croda's support will enable us to bring our technology to market. Their long-standing reputation for delivering innovative solutions to the cosmetics industry is invaluable to us, and we are very much looking forward to working with such a responsive and forward-looking company."
