Japanese cosmetics group Shiseido has announced the results of the second edition of its EMEA Open Innovation program, fibona. 

The young Italian company Bacfarm won over the ten-strong jury, which included members of the Shiseido Executive Committee as well as experts from the beauty and innovation sectors. The innovative solution presented by the winning startup will be tested in prototype form for the Gallinée brand's skincare range. 

For this second edition, six startups from around the world were selected from 60 applications. The aim of the competition: to develop new sustainable suncare products, through innovations in UV filters and protection boosters. 

In 2024, the global market for sun protection products will increase by almost $7.9 billion compared to 2023. This growth is linked to the fact that consumers are increasingly aware of the need to protect their skin. 

Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the need to use products that respect the environment. With the fibona program, Shiseido aims to meet the challenges and expectations of the market.

A spin-off from the University of Cagliari in Italy, Bacfarm is an innovative biotech start-up founded by Giulia Guadalupi, Samuele Antonio Gaviano and Davide Emilio Lobina. The company draws on its specific know-how and patents to commercialize new molecules extracted from bacteria. 

These versatile ingredients, with their antioxidant, filtering, coloring and other properties, can be used in the design of cosmetics, nutraceuticals and animal feed, among others.

Bacfarm is responding to growing demand from European and global markets for raw materials from alternative, sustainable sources. "We are very honored to have been selected by the Shiseido group as part of its Open Innovation program, fibona. Having the opportunity to present our solution in front of a panel of industry experts has really taken us to the next level, says Giulia Guadalupi, CEO and co-founder of Bacfarm. Having the opportunity to prototype our solution for the Gallinée brand will not only bring visibility to our project, but will also help us share all our research with a wider audience. The Gallinée brand has inspired us from day one, so working with Dr Marie Drago will be a unique opportunity."

"This program is a great opportunity to create the beauty products of tomorrow. There's a lot going on in beauty and science, and the race for the best sustainable suncare products is spearheading it. Partnering with other founders and the next generation of innovators is what Gallinée is all about."comments Marie Drago, founder and Creative Director of Gallinée.

Open Innovation fibona is a program initiated by Shiseido's Global Innovation Center (GIC) in 2019. It is coordinated by the European Innovation Center (EIC), based in France's Cosmetic Valley in Ormes (45). The EMEA edition follows on from the program's success in Asia, with a focus on accelerating innovation strategy and sustainability. 

Active Concepts presents AC ExoCalm, the latest innovation in its range of natural bio-authentic exosomes, designed to inhibit inflammation and promote overall skin health. AC ExoCalm reduces pro-inflammatory cytokines to relieve irritated skin. 

Active Concepts harnesses the potential of licorice pomace, characterized by glycyrrhetinic acid, for its well-known antioxidant, softening and antimicrobial activities. The company has teamed up with a renowned licorice producer in Calabria, where the microclimate of the Sibari plain and the nutrient-rich clay soils create a favorable environment for this root to flourish, to recover the pomace, the solid residue left when licorice root is extracted.

In 2023, the company launched its BioAuthentic Exosomes, all-natural vesicles functionally identical to exosomes, extracted from natural sources and targeting specific benefits. By encapsulating actives held together by proteins for better stabilization, these natural delivery systems guarantee enhanced activity of personal care benefits, according to the company.

Inflammation of the skin is a common problem for many people, leading to red patches, redness and loss of self-confidence. BioAuthentic Exosomal aims to deliver inflammatory benefits by making active ingredients more bioavailable.

_{Photo : gate74 / Pixabay}

Global Bioenergies produces a biobased isobutene offering an alternative to petroleum-derived isobutene. The company announces that it has been unable to finance its 2,500-ton plant dedicated to the cosmetics market, in a general context described by the company as highly unfavorable to the financing of industrial firsts. 

Global Bioenergies now wishes to focus its activities primarily on the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), with a model of industrial partnerships.

"Despite all our efforts over the last few months, and in the conviction that we have presented the most mature case possible, we have come to the realization that we are unable to finance our plant project. Like all industrial firsts, this project necessarily involves risks at various levels. The prospect of a significant return on investment linked to the cosmetics market should have helped convince private investors to commit to the project, but we have to admit that this is not enough under current political, economic and financial conditions. Today, infrastructure investors are limited to less risky industrial replica projects.¹ and projects more directly focused on energy markets", says Samuel Dubruque, Chief Financial Officer of Global Bioenergies.

"Global Bioenergies regrets that this project has not been carried out, and draws the necessary conclusions: the Company will not be carrying out its own plant project in the short or medium term, and will focus all its efforts on a partnership model. The intrinsic value of the process developed by Global Bioenergies is not diminished by the non-realization of this first industrial project designed to meet the needs of the niche cosmetics market. Our main ambition remains to produce much larger volumes of SAF, in order to reduce the carbon footprint of the aviation sector and combat global warming, now an absolute priority. To achieve this, a technology partnership is the best way forward.explains Marc Delcourt, the company's co-founder and CEO.

The technology developed by Global Bioenergies to produce isobutene from natural resources is one of the solutions certified by ASTM, a global standards organization. According to the company, the market for sustainable aviation fuel is now in the start-up phase, and will really accelerate in 2030, when the European mandate increases to 6 % (i.e. around 3 million tons/year) and US production reaches the "Grand Challenge" target of 3 billion gallons per year (i.e. 9 million tons/year).².

The French biotech company, which aims to contribute to the achievement of these objectives on both sides of the Atlantic, maintains its intention to serve niche markets, particularly cosmetics.

_{1- Successfully scaling up cleantech in France (website-files.com) - Cleantech for France}

_{2- Sustainable Aviation Fuel Market Outlook - June 2024, SkyNRG}