Ignae Skincare

What Ignae Skincare does

Ignae Skincare is a private, founder-led clean beauty brand founded in 2017 and headquartered in Lagoa in the Azores, Portugal, operating with a reported 1-10 employee headcount under co-founder and CEO Claire Chung and co-founder Miguel Borges Pombo. The company develops plant-based, cruelty-free skincare formulations that leverage proprietary biotechnology — most notably its registered EPC Factor® platform — combined with botanic liposomes derived from endemic Azorean camellia and algae species, and a nanosome delivery system. Its commercial product line is narrow, centered on two flagship SKUs: the Regenerating Body Oil and the Volcanic Clay Mask, with the EPC Factor® positioned as the underlying biotechnology platform.

Ignae monetizes through a direct-to-consumer Shopify storefront (ignae.com) offering global shipping on orders above €300 and free domestic shipping in Portugal above €150, supplemented by a B2B channel supplying spa and wellness/longevity clubs — CORTHEA is the named core partner — and an endorsement pipeline that includes celebrity aesthetician Joanna Czech. Marketing relies on organic social (Instagram, Facebook), an email newsletter with a 10% opt-in incentive, blogger and affiliate programs, a refer-a-friend loop, and an AI Skin Analysis computer-vision tool for mid-funnel engagement. The brand has received recognition in Wallpaper, Vogue Hong Kong, and Country and Town House.

On the strategic and capital side, Ignae received backing from Portugal Ventures (recorded 2024-01-22, undisclosed amount), participates in the regional ACORES2020 blue bioeconomy initiative, and maintains a community partnership with Terra Nostra. Ownership is reported as independent and founder-led with no disclosed parent company, subsidiaries, or further institutional cap-table detail. The company has no disclosed revenue, no disclosed funding totals beyond the Portugal Ventures entry, and operates without certifications, formal leadership-team disclosures, or evidence of M&A activity.

Name

Ignae Skincare

Legal name

Ignae Skincare

Website

https://ignae-skincare.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ignae Skincare is a founder-led, Azores-based clean beauty brand selling plant-based skincare — Regenerating Body Oil and Volcanic Clay Mask — powered by its proprietary EPC Factor® biotechnology, via DTC e-commerce and spa/wellness club partnerships targeting conscious luxury consumers globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Premium Clean Beauty Skincare

NAICS

Soap and Cleaning Compound Manufacturing (32561), Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (456120)

SIC

Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)

akta.pro primary industry

Natural/Organic & Clean Skincare (CRABAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Treatment Skincare (Serums, Actives, Acne & Anti-aging) (CRABAAAB), Professional Skincare & Facial Treatments (CRABALAF)

Keywords

• Clean beauty skincare
• Plant-based anti-aging
• Biotechnology skincare
• Volcanic clay skincare
• Vegan luxury skincare

Headquarters

HQ city

Ponta

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Product Sales: Ignae generates revenue through direct-to-consumer sales of skincare products via its e-commerce platform. Products include the Regenerating Body Oil and Volcanic Clay Mask, with global shipping available on orders €300+.
2. Spa and Wellness Partnership Distribution: Revenue is generated through supplying products to partner spas and wellness/longevity clubs, such as CORTHEA, where Ignae products are offered as part of their service offerings.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ignae Skincare develops, manufactures, and sells plant-based, clean, cruelty-free luxury skincare products formulated with its proprietary EPC Factor® biotechnology, including the Regenerating Body Oil and Volcanic Clay Mask. The products are powered by botanic liposomes and nanosome delivery systems sourced from endemic Azorean volcanic island botanicals, targeting conscious luxury consumers seeking high-performance anti-aging results from vegan formulations.

Product overview

Ignae is a clean beauty, plant-based skincare brand from the Azores, Portugal, offering high-performance transformative skincare products powered by their proprietary EPC Factor biotechnology. The product portfolio includes the Regenerating Body Oil (featured product) and Volcanic Clay Mask (powered by EPC Factor), both formulated with sustainably sourced ingredients from the volcanic Azores environment. The company also provides an AI Skin Analysis tool for personalized skin evaluation. All products are clean, cruelty-free, and crafted with biotechnology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EPC Factor®: Proprietary biotechnology that accelerates skin regeneration, featured as the core technology powering Ignae skincare products.

Products and services

• Regenerating Body Oil An organic regenerating body oil designed to nourish and restore skin using plant-based ingredients sourced from the Azores volcanic environment; flagship product targeted at conscious luxury consumers.
• Volcanic Clay Mask A facial skincare mask powered by Ignae's proprietary EPC Factor biotechnology, formulated with volcanic clay from the Azores and botanic liposomes from camellia and algae for deep permeation and firmer, glowing skin.
• AI Skin Analysis An AI-powered skin analysis tool that uses computer vision to evaluate a selfie of the user's skin, providing personalized insights into skin health and helping recommend appropriate Ignae skincare products.

Quantifiable outcome

• Deep permeation past skin barrier for firmer skin with noticeable glow

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CORTHEAcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCORTHEA is a holistic Health, Wellbeing, and Longevity Club that offers Ignae products to its members. The partnership aligns with CORTHEA's mission to provide scientifically-backed products and technologies in the wellness space. Marie-Haim Swarovski, representing CORTHEA, personally experienced the extraordinary results of Ignae products before deciding to partner.
• AZORES 2020 ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIgnae participates in the ACORES2020 project, a recovery and resilience initiative for the Azorean blue bioeconomy. This partnership supports the company's sustainability and R&D initiatives leveraging Azorean natural resources.
• Terra NostraminorOthersIgnae maintains a connection with Terra Nostra, as evidenced by the 'Ignae & Terra Nostra' page on their website, suggesting a partnership or collaborative relationship.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BioEffect: Icelandic biotech skincare brand using growth-factor-based biotechnology for anti-aging. Comparable to Ignae as a small, premium, biotech-meets-natural European skincare brand with a proprietary core ingredient.
• Codex Beauty: Ireland-based biotech-meets-natural skincare brand with a proprietary PreservX system and clean, plant-based formulations. Highly comparable niche positioning to Ignae's EPC Factor-powered clean biotech story.
• Natura Bissé: Spanish-founded luxury skincare brand with biotech-inspired formulas sold through high-end spas and retailers. Comparable to Ignae in European heritage, premium pricing, and spa-channel distribution.
• Augustinus Bader: Premium biotech skincare brand built around a proprietary cellular renewal technology (TFC8). Most directly comparable to Ignae as a science-led, clean, anti-aging brand targeting conscious luxury consumers at premium price points.
• 111SKIN: Luxury skincare brand developed by a Harley Street surgeon, with a science/clinical positioning and spa-channel distribution. Comparable to Ignae in premium, science-driven, spa-distributed anti-aging skincare.
• Dr. Barbara Sturm: German-founded luxury skincare brand built around proprietary biotech formulations (e.g., 'Molecular Cosmetics'). Comparable to Ignae in combining a doctor-founder narrative with high-performance, premium-positioned anti-aging skincare.
• Tata Harper: Luxury clean beauty brand using botanically derived, farm-sourced ingredients at premium prices. Comparable to Ignae in the clean + high-performance, terroir-anchored, direct-to-consumer luxury positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Drunk Elephant: Acquired by Shiseido, this is a leading clean/biotech skincare brand with a broad multi-SKU portfolio and global distribution. Comparable to Ignae in clean, ingredient-led positioning, but significantly larger and broader in product range.
• Tatcha: Premium skincare brand (Unilever-owned) combining Japanese botanicals with science-led formulations. Comparable to Ignae in the botanic-liposome + luxury positioning and global DTC distribution model.
• La Mer: Estée Lauder-owned ultra-luxury skincare brand with a proprietary fermentation-based Miracle Broth. Comparable to Ignae in the heritage-luxury, biotech-fermented, premium-pricing anti-aging space, though at vastly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ignaeskincare
• Instagraminstagram.com/ignae_official

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Ignae Skincare