Unilever Ventures takes stake in Gallinée

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Jan 29, 2018

Unilever is continuing its pro-active investment programme as it looks for future success stories, with its Unilever Ventures unit being the lead investor in Gallinée Ltd’s series A financing round. We’ve not been told the amounts involved but it hasn’t acquired control of the firm with the stake being a minority one.

Start-up Gallinée makes an innovative skincare range focusing on the skin’s microbiome and claims to be the first personal care brand to focus exclusively on the growing science of the human bacterial ecosystem. This is seen as a major revolution in health, and a new field of research in dermatology for the treatment of acne and eczema. Trend forecasters have also said that microbiome-based beauty is a major direction for 2018 and this is Unilever’s first step into the segment.

Gallinée was launched in 2016 by Marie Drago, a French pharmacist with 15 years’ experience working for skincare brands. It was inspired by her history with autoimmune diseases and her desire to create products that support the skin’s good bacteria. It’s based on a patented combination of probiotics, prebiotics and postbiotics.
 
Unilever said it has been impressed by the brand’s “level of innovation and consistency,” adding that it’s “rare to find such young brands with the right mix of science and consumer focus.”

The Anglo-Dutch consumer products giant is currently extremely active in adding new brands to its portfolio. It recently acquired Schmidt’s naturals as it targets nature-conscious shoppers, as well as buying Sundial Brands, Carver Korea, Bakerie Cosmetics and Hourglass. It also launched eco-friendly brand Love Beauty and Planet.