Bold, L'Oréal's strategic venture capital fund, acquires a minority stake in Timeline, a Swiss biotechnology company specializing in longevity.
A spin-off from the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Timeline was created in 2007 by Chris Rinsch (co-founder and President) and Patrick Aebischer (co-founder and Chairman), to develop innovative longevity solutions in the food, beauty and health sectors.
Timeline has developed Mitopure, an exclusive molecule whose claimed property is to recycle and rejuvenate mitochondria, the energy powerhouses of cells that tend to malfunction with age.
This technology is the fruit of over a decade of research, multiple landmark clinical studies and an extensive patent portfolio.
Bold's investment will enable Timeline to further develop its technology and expand its business, while paving the way for future collaboration with L'Oréal.
"Longevity means living longer in better health. L'Oréal has been working for over ten years to understand and anticipate this approach to beauty, said Barbara Lavernos, L'Oréal Group Executive Vice President, Research, Innovation and Technology. Longevity adds a new dimension to beauty by preventing, correcting and even reversing the aging cycle of skin, scalp and hair. We are delighted with our investment in Timeline, which should enable us to transpose the key characteristics of longevity to skin health and beauty."
"This strategic collaboration reflects the revolutionary multidimensional approach we have always believed is necessary to achieve significant progress in longevity and healthy life spans, said Patrick Aebischer, co-founder and Chairman of Timeline. I would like to thank L'Oréal for its commitment to longevity solutions driven by scientific excellence."
In total, Timeline raised 56 million Swiss francs ($66 million) in a financing round in which Nestlé also participated. "We have been investing in Timeline since 2019 and continue to be very impressed with the team and support the exponential potential that Mitopure technology represents for nutrition to help people age better, said Anna Mohl, CEO of Nestlé Health Science. We are delighted that L'Oréal is joining us as an investor and strategic partner to take this technology to new heights and extend its applications."
