L’Oréal has announced the first 13 startups and small-to-medium enterprises selected to participate in L’AcceleratOR, the company’s sustainable innovation accelerator focused on packaging, ingredients, circularity, energy and data intelligence.
Launched in April 2025, the program is funded with €100 million over five years and is operated in partnership with the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL). The inaugural cohort was selected from nearly 1,000 applicants across 101 countries.
The selected companies were evaluated based on technical readiness, scalability, and relevance to L’Oréal’s sustainability priorities, including reducing fossil-based materials, lowering emissions, improving circularity, and increasing supply-chain transparency.
Selected Companies and Sustainability Focus
Packaging and Materials
- Kelpi (United Kingdom): Seaweed-based, recyclable packaging materials
- Bioworks (Japan): Plant-derived bioplastics from sugarcane and renewable feedstocks
- Blue Ocean Closures (Sweden): Fiber-based caps and lids replacing plastic closures
- Pulpex (UK): Recyclable paper bottle technology
- PULPAC (Sweden): Low-carbon, paper-based packaging manufacturing processes
- RAIKU (Estonia): Wood-based protective packaging designed to replace plastic foams
Nature-Sourced and Bio-Based Ingredients
- Biosynthis (France): Renewable and biodegradable cosmetic raw materials
- P2 Science (United States): Bio-sourced ingredients developed through green chemistry
- Oberon Fuels (United States): Renewable inputs produced from wood and pulp waste
Circularity and Waste Conversion
- Novobiom (Belgium): Fungal-based systems converting complex waste into usable materials
- REPLACE (France): Single-step recycling for complex and multi-layer waste streams
- Gàs Verde (Brazil): Biomethane production for industrial energy and transport
Data and Emissions Intelligence
- Neutreeno (United Kingdom): Digital tools for measuring and reducing supply-chain emissions
Pilot Program and Scaling Path
The 13 participants will enter a CISL-led acceleration phase focused on pilot readiness and operational integration. Each company will have the opportunity to collaborate with L’Oréal teams on 6-to-9-month pilot projects, with potential for broader deployment across L’Oréal’s global brands, manufacturing sites, and supply network.
L’Oréal stated that results from these pilots will inform future decisions related to material selection, ingredient sourcing, manufacturing processes, energy use, and supplier partnerships, supporting the company’s long-term sustainability objectives.
