What Biolie does

Biolie is a French industrial biotechnology company founded in 2012 that specializes in white biotechnology and solvent-free enzymatic extraction of natural, plant-based ingredients for the cosmetics and nutrition-health sectors. The company's proprietary process uses only water as an extraction medium in thermostatic, agitated aqueous reactors, employing patented non-GMO food-grade enzyme blends (Sensizyme technology) to extract actives from a broad range of botanicals including seeds, leaves, stems, roots, flowers, fruits, vegetables, algae, and fungi. Operating on a total biorefinery model, Biolie produces three outputs from a single plant input: oil, aqueous extract, and residual cake, with a stated annual processing capacity of approximately 100 tonnes across roughly 400 plant species. The company holds 6 granted patents covering its extraction processes and enzyme formulations, and its outputs are compatible with COSMOS, NATRUE, Halal, Kosher, and non-GMO standards.

Biolie's product portfolio includes the Sensizyme range of natural colored extracts, Active Oils & Waters, Biolie Actives (botanical extracts), and specific branded ingredients such as Fucosorb. The company runs a B2B raw-material supply model, selling bespoke and catalog ingredients to cosmetics and personal care manufacturers, with secondary exposure to the nutrition-health sector. Its customer base consists of cosmetics and personal care brands seeking natural, sustainable, and high-performance ingredient alternatives to traditional solvent extraction, supplied both directly and through regional distributors.

On February 14, 2025, Sensient Technologies Corporation acquired Biolie to expand its active color portfolio, and the company now operates as "Biolie by Sensient" within Sensient Beauty's personal care division. The acquisition gives the technology access to Sensient Beauty's global distribution across APAC, EMEA, LATAM, and North America and to its formulation, digital learning, and trade-show marketing infrastructure. The company is headquartered in Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France, and was built on a decade of foundational research at Lorraine University. Founder, President, and Head of Operations Nicolas Attenot continues in his leadership role post-acquisition.

Name

Biolie

Legal name

BIOLIE

Website

https://biolie.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Biolie is a French white biotechnology company that uses patented solvent-free enzymatic extraction to produce natural, plant-based active ingredients for cosmetics and nutrition-health brands. Acquired by Sensient Technologies in February 2025, it now operates as Biolie by Sensient.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cosmetic and Personal Care Ingredients

NAICS

Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing (325411)

SIC

Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833)

akta.pro primary industry

Bio-based Food & Flavor Ingredients (Non-fuel Co-products: sweeteners, organic acids, flavors) (EUAAAIAJ)

Keywords

• Enzymatic extraction ingredients
• Natural cosmetic actives
• Upcycled botanical extracts
• White biotechnology ingredients
• Biorefinery plant extracts

Headquarters

HQ city

Vandoeuvre-lès-nancy

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Active and Functional Ingredients: Develops, produces, and markets innovative active and functional ingredients for cosmetics and nutrition-health sectors. Offers both bespoke custom ingredients and catalog products.
2. Naturally Derived Active Color Ingredients: Provides naturally derived active color ingredients to expand Sensient Beauty's active color portfolio following acquisition.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Biolie develops, produces, and markets natural, plant-based active and functional ingredients for the cosmetics and nutrition-health sectors using a patented solvent-free enzymatic extraction technology that uses only water. Operating on a biorefinery model, the company yields three outputs (oil, aqueous extract, and residual cake) from upcycled industrial co-products across 400 plant species, with annual processing capacity of 100 tonnes and 6 supporting patents. The portfolio includes the Sensizyme range, Active Oils & Waters, Biolie Actives botanical extracts, and individual ingredients such as Fucosorb, sold both as bespoke and catalog offerings through direct sales and Sensient Beauty's global distribution network.

Product overview

Biolie, now a subsidiary of Sensient Technologies Corporation following its February 2025 acquisition, operates as an industrial biotechnology company specializing in white biotechnology and enzymatic extraction of natural, plant-based ingredients. The company's core offering is its proprietary solvent-free enzymatic extraction platform, which uses only water in a gentle, eco-friendly process to extract active and functional ingredients from diverse botanicals including seeds, leaves, stems, roots, flowers, fruits, vegetables, algae, and fungi. Operating on a biorefinery model, this technology produces three simultaneous outputs: oil, aqueous extract, and residual cake, maximizing resource valorization. The product portfolio encompasses the Sensizyme™ range of natural extracts with inherent color, Active Oils & Waters, and Biolie Actives—all positioned for cosmetics and nutrition-health applications. Key differentiators include compatibility with COSMOS, NATRUE, Halal, and Kosher standards, and the use of patented non-GMO food-grade enzyme blends. The company is headquartered in Vandœuvre-Lès-Nancy (54), France, with an annual production capacity of 100 tonnes across 400 plant varieties and holds 6 patents.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Biolie by Sensient (Enzymatic Extraction Platform) Industrial enzymatic extraction technology platform that produces natural, plant-based active and functional ingredients for cosmetics and nutrition-health manufacturers using a patented solvent-free process that uses only water, yielding three biorefinery outputs per plant input.
• Sensizyme™ Range Innovative range of natural extracts with inherent color, crafted using patented solvent-free enzymatic extraction from upcycled botanicals, preserving compounds of each botanical source without harsh chemicals to deliver pure, vibrant extracts for clean beauty formulations.
• Active Oils & Waters Versatile range of vegetable oils and waters extracted via the patented solvent-free enzymatic process, retaining the full spectrum of beneficial compounds from upcycled plant materials for use as raw materials in beauty and personal care formulations.
• Biolie Actives (Botanical Extracts) High-performance natural botanical extracts delivering targeted skincare benefits, sourced from upcycled plant materials using the patented solvent-free enzymatic extraction process and supplied to cosmetics manufacturers.
• Fucosorb 100% natural water-soluble seaweed extract with soothing and moisturizing properties, tested in-vivo, designed to help strengthen skin's natural barrier and protect from environmental stressors in skincare formulations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Three outputs (oil, aqueous extract, residual cake) from single plant processing

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Sensient Technologies CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 February 2025Sensient Technologies acquired Biolie on February 14, 2025 to expand its active color portfolio. The acquisition combines Biolie's biotechnological process and white biotechnology expertise with Sensient Beauty's global manufacturing and innovation capabilities, creating unmatched expertise in color manufacturing for the global cosmetics market. Sensient expands the global availability of Biolie technology, enabling upcycled-performance naturals to deliver customized innovation to brands worldwide.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Givaudan: Global leader in fragrances, flavors, and active beauty ingredients. Comparable as a major B2B supplier of botanical and natural cosmetic ingredients to enterprise beauty brands, though with a much broader portfolio than Biolie's enzymatic extraction specialty.
• DSM-Firmenich: Major supplier of nutritional, health, and beauty ingredients including botanical actives. Comparable as an enterprise B2B supplier of natural ingredients for cosmetics and nutrition-health sectors, with far broader scale and product breadth.
• Symrise: Global supplier of cosmetic ingredients, flavors, and fragrances. Comparable as a B2B manufacturer of natural and botanical-based ingredients for personal care and nutrition, with overlapping customer base of cosmetics manufacturers.
• Croda International: Specialty chemicals company supplying personal care, beauty, and nutrition ingredients. Comparable as a B2B supplier of natural and sustainable botanical-derived actives to enterprise cosmetics brands, though at much larger scale.
• International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF): Major B2B supplier of flavors, fragrances, and cosmetic active ingredients. Comparable as an enterprise ingredient supplier serving cosmetics and personal care manufacturers with natural and botanical extracts.
• Evonik Industries: Specialty chemicals company with a personal care and cosmetics ingredients business. Comparable as a B2B supplier of specialty natural and bio-based ingredients for beauty and nutrition applications.
• Ashland: Specialty ingredients supplier serving personal care, pharmaceuticals, and industrial markets. Comparable as a B2B supplier of biofunctional and natural actives to cosmetics manufacturers, with broader portfolio and greater scale.

Direct peers

• Sensient Technologies Corporation: Parent company that acquired Biolie and the operator of Sensient Beauty, the color and personal care ingredients business in which Biolie's technology is now embedded. Directly comparable as the platform through which Biolie's products reach global cosmetics manufacturers.
• Bio-Botanica: US-based manufacturer of botanical extracts for personal care, cosmetics, and nutrition. Comparable as a focused B2B supplier of natural botanical ingredients serving similar cosmetics and personal care customer segments.
• Lipotec (Lubrizol): Specialty personal care active ingredients supplier owned by Lubrizol, focused on biotech-derived cosmetic actives. Comparable as a B2B supplier of biotechnology-based active ingredients to cosmetics brands, with emphasis on efficacy-tested natural actives.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/biolie

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Biolie