Unilever is searching for the best startups, scaleups and academic spinouts to partner with its teams to bring brilliant functional ingredients that work with nature to its Beauty & Personal Care products and packaging.  

The Positive Beauty Growth Platform was launched last year to support Unilever’s Positive Beauty vision – a series of progressive commitments and actions designed to champion a new era of beauty which is equitable and inclusive, as well as sustainable for the planet. 

The Positive Beauty Growth Platform sets out to accelerate Unilever’s science and technology programmes and innovation partnerships, delivering real and meaningful consumer benefits backed by cutting edge science.

The Growth Platform’s latest challenge aims to find the next generation of biodegradable and sustainable ingredients and packaging, looking for materials that deliver incredible benefits to consumers, while supporting the company’s vision to do more good for the planet.

Innovative scaleups, startups and spinout companies will have the opportunity to present their unique biodegradable and sustainable cosmetic ingredients or packaging solutions to the Unilever Beauty & Personal Care team.

The leading ideas will be given the chance to explore partnership opportunities within Unilever’s Beauty & Personal Care business, worth over €20 billion, and operating some of the world’s most loved brands including Dove, Axe, Rexona, TRESemmé, Vaseline and Love Beauty & Planet. 

Last year almost 300 startups and scaleups from the fast-growing and ever-evolving world of social commerce applied to get involved in the Platform’s first challenge. A panel of Unilever’s leaders and experts shortlisted 33 candidates: seed-stage to billion-dollar businesses from Silicon Valley to Singapore. Many are now kicking off pilot projects with Unilever’s leading Beauty & Personal Care brands, helping to deliver business solutions and pioneer consumer experiences in new spaces.

Unilever’s Chief Research and Development Officer, Richard Slater, says: “We’re creating the next generation of technologies and ingredients for our beauty and personal care products that are not only highly effective, but also natural and sustainable. Collaborating with disruptive new players in this space is going to lead to even more breakthroughs as we grow our business and portfolio for a future where people and planet can thrive together.”

Global Head of the Unilever Foundry, Baz Saidieh, adds: “Startup-led partnerships are an important pillar to drive growth and innovation. The Positive Beauty Growth Platform is proving a catalyst of finding the greatest startup innovations and powering experimentation at scale. For our latest challenge, we’re keen to engage and explore partnerships with innovators developing biodegradable and sustainable ingredients and packaging for the future – something we know is increasingly important to people around the world. If this call-out is half as successful as our last challenge, we should be in for some stunning collaborations.” 

Application submissions are open now until 11th April 2022, and virtual live presentations will take place from 23-27th May. Click here more information on the challenge or to apply.