Beiersdorf has acquired a majority stake in S-Biomedic, a life-science company and frontrunner in the field of skin microbiome research. The German group already hold a minority stake in S-Biomedic after an initial investment in in 2018 as part of its corporate venture capital activities.

Founded by Veronika Oudova and Bernhard Paetzold in 2014, S-Biomedic researches the delicate balance of the skin’s microbiome and develops active ingredients for cosmetic products by making use of living skin bacteria.

In the last few years, microbiome research has become one of the spotlight topics in science and offers unique starting points for break-through skin care innovations. The microbiome of the skin is a habitat of billions of bacteria and an essential factor for skin health. Maintaining a healthy skin microbiome is important because - if out of balance - it can trigger skin discomfort or even diseases like acne.

S-Biomedic will continue to be managed as a standalone entity under Beiersdorf’s existing microbiome program and will complement the company’s own research activities in this field. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.