P&K Skin Research Center

What P&K Skin Research Center does

P&K Skin Research Center is a KOSDAQ-listed dermatological clinical research organization headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, founded in 2010 through a strategic alliance between raw pharmaceutical manufacturer DaebongLS and university hospital research institutes. It is the first publicly listed company among approximately 30 human application testing institutions in Korea and operates the No. 1 facility by market position, executing clinical safety and efficacy studies for cosmetics brands, health functional food companies, beauty device manufacturers, and quasi-drug producers. The company runs two clinical trial facilities - the Vision Center in Yeouido, Seoul and the Dream Center in Bupyeong, Incheon - and conducts 309 proprietary human application testing methods across 34 categories, supplemented by in vitro assays, sensory testing, and IRB review services via its P&K-IRB subsidiary brand.

Revenue is generated primarily through professional-services fees for human application testing (safety, efficacy, functional claims, cosmeceuticals, health functional foods, beauty devices, and sensory studies), with additional contributions from in vitro testing, a consumer-facing P&K Certification Mark licensing program, and color cosmetics R&D through its Keonilika subsidiary. Go-to-market is direct sales-led: enterprise field sales target major Korean cosmetics conglomerates (AmorePacific, LG Household & Health Care, Aekyung) while an inside sales team handles inbound inquiries from domestic and international brands. The technology stack includes clinical dermatology testing compliant with MFDS, European, and US standards, advanced skin imaging and measurement equipment, the proprietary SAI big-data diagnostic, and the DeepZema AI formulation platform. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; test subject compensation ranges from KRW 60,000 to KRW 1,000,000 per study. P&K reached record revenue of KRW 228 billion in 2025 (+28% YoY) and Q1 2026 consolidated revenue of KRW 62 billion with a KRW 60 billion order backlog.

Name

P&K Skin Research Center

Legal name

피엔케이피부임상연구센타 주식회사 (P&K Skin Research Center Co., Ltd.)

Website

https://pnkskin.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

P&K Skin Research Center is a KOSDAQ-listed Korean dermatological CRO and the first listed human application testing institution in Korea, providing clinical safety, efficacy, and functional claims testing for cosmetics, health functional food, beauty device, and quasi-drug manufacturers including AmorePacific and LG H&H.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Clinical Research Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Testing Laboratories and Services (541380), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Clinical Quality Assurance (GCP QA, TMF/QMS oversight) (HLAGAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Quality Engineering & Risk Management (ICH Q9/Q10, validation, change control) (HLAGAKAL), Allergy & Immunology Diagnostic Testing Centers (Skin/Challenge/PFT) (HLAKAAAL)

Keywords

• Clinical testing services
• Cosmetic efficacy evaluation
• Human application testing
• Skin safety assessment
• Health functional food testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Yongdungpo

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Human Application Testing Services: Primary revenue stream from conducting clinical tests for cosmetics, functional cosmetics, quasi-drugs, health functional foods, and beauty devices. Services include safety assessment, efficacy evaluation, and functional claims testing for regulatory compliance.
2. In-Vitro Testing Services: Pre-clinical testing services including whitening, anti-wrinkle, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hydration, eye irritation, and sebum control evaluations using cell-based assays.
3. P&K Certification Mark: Certification mark issued to products that pass safety and efficacy evaluations, providing brand differentiation and consumer trust value.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

P&K Skin Research Center is Korea's first KOSDAQ-listed skin clinical trial institution, providing human application testing, safety assessment, efficacy evaluation, and functional claims testing for cosmetics, functional cosmetics (cosmeceuticals), quasi-drugs, health functional foods, and beauty devices. The company operates clinical trial facilities in Seoul (Vision Center, Yeouido) and Incheon (Dream Center, Bupyeong), conducting 309 proprietary testing methods across 34 categories compliant with MFDS, European, and US standards. Beyond clinical testing, P&K also issues the P&K Certification Mark for validated products and operates a wholly-owned color cosmetics R&D subsidiary (Keonilika).

Product overview

P&K Skin Research Center is a comprehensive dermatological clinical research organization offering human application testing services for cosmetics, health functional foods, beauty devices, and quasi-drugs. The company's core offerings include safety assessment testing (primary skin irritation, sensitization, usability), cosmetic efficacy evaluation (hydration, wrinkle, whitening, elasticity, lifting, tone), cosmeceuticals functional claims testing, health functional food assessment, and in vitro testing. The center operates through three facilities in Seoul and Incheon, provides test reports in Korean and English, and offers the P&K Certification Mark as a consumer-facing quality indicator. The company utilizes the DeepZema AI platform for formulation development and has developed proprietary testing protocols including the Skin Aging Index (SAI) diagnostic system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• P&K-IRB: Clinical Trial Review Committee/IRB service for human application testing oversight
• P&K 건강기능식품센터
• Keonilika Cosmetics (케이오니리카)

Products and services

• Human Application Testing Services
• Safety Assessment
• Cosmetic Efficacy Assessment
• Cosmeceuticals Functional Assessment
• Health Functional Food Assessment
• Sensory/Evaluation Services
• In Vitro Testing
• P&K Certification Mark

Quantifiable outcome

• 28% YoY revenue increase in 2025 reaching KRW 228 billion
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DaebongLS (대봉엘에스)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company and founding partner. Established P&K in 2010 through strategic alliance with university hospitals. DaebongLS provides 30+ years of technology and experience in cosmetic and pharmaceutical raw materials research, analysis, and manufacturing.
• Lab2Medi CRO (랩투메디 CRO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic business partnership for health functional food clinical testing. Combined expertise enables effective efficacy verification for health functional food products.
• Viber Company (바이브컴퍼니)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOU partnership for collaborative business development.
• Goodwill Store (굿윌스토어)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerESG partnership for social contribution activities. P&K participates in Goodwill Store's sharing programs.
• SalesforceminorOthersCRM database maintenance, marketing advertising messages, and KakaoTalk Plus Friend services for customer relationship management.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Intertek: Global testing and assurance provider with cosmetics and personal-care testing services that overlap with P&K's regulatory-compliance testing offering.
• Eurofins Cosmetics & Personal Care: Global testing giant with a dedicated cosmetics and personal-care division offering clinical, in-vitro and safety testing; overlaps with P&K but as part of a much broader testing portfolio.
• SGS: Global testing, inspection and certification leader offering cosmetic and consumer-product safety/efficacy testing, competing with P&K's testing and certification services at scale.

Direct peers

• Spincontrol: French CRO focused on cosmetic efficacy and claims-substantiation testing, comparable to P&K's cosmetic efficacy and functional claims evaluation services.
• Ellead: Korean skin clinical research organization offering cosmetic efficacy and safety human application testing, competing directly with P&K for Korean brand clients.
• Complife Group: Italian testing group specializing in clinical, in-vitro and consumer testing of cosmetics and nutraceuticals, offering the same service mix as P&K in the European market.
• Institut d'Expertise Clinique (IEC, Eurofins): French clinical testing institute specializing in dermatological and cosmetic efficacy/tolerance studies on human subjects, directly analogous to P&K's human application testing.
• proDERM (SGS proderm): German institute for applied dermatological research performing cosmetic and consumer-product clinical/efficacy testing, directly comparable to P&K's human application testing but based in Europe.
• Dermapro (Korea Dermatology Research Institute): Korean dermatological clinical testing institution providing human application, efficacy and safety testing for cosmetics; the closest domestic competitor to P&K in the same ~30-institution Korean market.

Regional players

• Dermatest: German dermatological testing institute known for skin-compatibility and efficacy seals for cosmetics, similar to P&K's certification mark model but serving primarily European markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCzHy05UR7bSkTE1gMXQ-CCQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/%ED%94%BC%EC%97%90%EC%BC%80%EC%9D%B4%ED%94%BC%EB%B6%80%EC%9E%84%EC%8B%81%EC%97%B0%EA%B5%AC%EC%84%BC%ED%83%80-108460908126075
• Instagraminstagram.com/pnkskin

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about P&K Skin Research Center