Core Biogenesis Wins the L’Oréal Big Bang Beauty Tech Innovation Challenge 2025
Core Biogenesis has won the L’Oréal Big Bang Beauty Tech Innovation Challenge 2025 in the Future Science and Sustainability category. The award was presented by Barbara Lavernos, Deputy CEO in charge of Research, Innovation and Technology at L’Oréal, during the grand finale of this year’s challenge.
The winning innovations, Peauvita™ and Peauforia™, embody Core Biogenesis’ mission to merge cutting-edge biotechnology with sustainable beauty. These breakthrough bioactive platforms are designed to support skin vitality and advance a new generation of science-driven skincare, reflecting a future where biotechnology and sustainability redefine modern beauty.
"Core Biogenesis uses plants as biofactories to scale the production of high-value recombinant proteins for the Life Science industry & the Beauty & Wellness industry. Their proprietary platform technology allows for precise targeting of peptides & proteins to our plant’s oleosomes, which improves the protein’s stability."
Now in its sixth year, the L’Oréal Big Bang Beauty Tech Innovation Challenge is one of the world’s most influential open-innovation platforms for beauty technology. Founded by L’Oréal China and co-organised with Business France and the Oriental Beauty Valley, the challenge identifies and supports pioneering startups developing technologies that drive the future of beauty — spanning AI, green science, and sustainability.
The Future Science and Sustainability track honours startups developing breakthrough technologies that address key challenges in climate change, biodiversity, and social impact while advancing scientific innovation in skin and personal care.
"In 2020, we started Core Biogenesis to reinvent how this industry uses proteins, making them stable, bioavailable, and clinically superior. Five years later, our technology powers the next generation of science-driven, results-focused beauty brands."— Alexandre Reeber, CEO & Co-Founder, Core Biogenesis
"At L’Oréal, science is our foundation and innovation is our driving force. We deeply believe in the extraordinary power of open innovation. For L’Oréal, the BIG BANG Challenge lies at the heart of this strategy: it serves as an essential bridge between our group and dynamic start-ups around the world, fostering cross-sector collaboration and accelerating the emergence of disruptive solutions. We are convinced that the future of beauty lies not only in the breakthroughs we create, but also in the strength of cooperation — it is through open innovation that we can, together, ‘create the beauty that moves the world’."- Barbara Lavernos, Executive Vice President in charge of Research, Innovation, and Technology, L’Oréal
“Congratulations to Core Biogenesis, the French winner of the L’Oréal North Asia 2025 Big Bang Challenge. This award, presented at the CIIE in Shanghai, recognizes a French biotech company that is reinventing the production of active proteins through plants. A major breakthrough for more sustainable beauty tech, driven by a scientific, agile, and international vision.”- Pascal GONDRAND, director Business France, China
“Winning the L’Oréal Big Bang Challenge is a powerful recognition of our vision at Core Biogenesis — harnessing the power of nature through plant-based biotechnology to reinvent the future of skincare. We are deeply grateful to the L’Oréal teams, to Barbara Lavernos, and to Business France, for believing in innovation that’s both scientific and sustainable. With our active ingredients Peauvita™ and Peauforia™, we’re proving that the beauty of tomorrow can be both high-performance and deeply respectful of the planet.” -Marion Audemard, Technical Sales Lead, Europe, Core Biogenesis
The Big Bang Challenge offers winners strategic mentorship, access to L’Oréal’s research and innovation ecosystem, and potential investment opportunities through Meicifang, L’Oréal’s venture capital arm in China. Core Biogenesis presented its innovations at the China International Import Expo (CIIE) as part of the L’Oréal North Asia Big Bang Beauty Tech Innovation Exhibition.
With this recognition, Core Biogenesis joins a global network of innovators shaping the future of sustainable beauty through science, technology, and collaboration.
