L’Oréal has officially selected the first 13 startups to join its flagship sustainable innovation program, L’AcceleratOR. After reviewing nearly 1,000 applications from 101 countries, these “Change Makers” will now work to solve pressing environmental challenges in climate, nature, and circularity.
The initiative, backed by a €100 million commitment over five years, is run in partnership with the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL).
The selected companies are categorized by their focus on reshaping the industry:
- Next-Gen Packaging: Six startups are leading the charge to replace traditional plastics. These include Kelpi (seaweed-based packaging), Bioworks (sugarcane bioplastics), Blue Ocean Closures (fiber caps), Pulpex (paper bottles), PULPAC (low-carbon paper processes), and RAIKU (protective wood packaging).
- Nature-Sourced Ingredients: To create cleaner formulas, L’Oréal is partnering with Biosynthis (renewable raw materials), P2 Science (green chemistry), and Oberon Fuels (waste-to-ingredient conversion).
- Circular Solutions: Focus shifts to waste recovery with Novobiom (fungi-based recycling), REPLACE (multi-layer waste transformation), and Gàs Verde (biomethane production).
- Data Intelligence: Finally, Neutreeno provides a digital system to calculate and cut supply chain emissions.
These partners will enter an intensive support phase with CISL to launch 6-to-9-month pilot projects. If successful, their solutions could be scaled across L’Oréal’s massive international operations.
Ezgi Barcenas, L’Oréal’s Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer, noted that the program is designed to “co-design the future of beauty” by bringing disruptive, nature-positive innovation to the world stage.
