Arterra Bioscience

What Arterra Bioscience does

Arterra Bioscience S.p.A. is a Naples-based Italian biotechnology company founded in 2004 that develops plant cell culture-derived bioactive ingredients and contract research services for six end markets: agriculture, food, cosmetics, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and nutraceuticals. Its core technology platform combines controlled-environment plant cell culture (in vitro plants, stem cells, and root cultures grown in flasks and bioreactors, from gram to ton scale), freeze-drying for stable preservative-free raw materials, a proprietary 100+ assay in vitro bioassay platform, recombinant protein expression across bacteria/yeast/insect/mammalian/plant systems, and 3D skin and intestinal tissue models for compound screening.

The company monetizes this stack through four complementary streams: (1) licensing and sale of proprietary plant cell extracts to cosmetics, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical manufacturers, channeled through a joint venture (Vitalab S.r.l.) with Intercos S.p.A. — which also holds an 8.65% equity stake in Arterra — for branded skincare ingredients used in prestigious international cosmetics brands; (2) contract research services using the bioassay platform and tissue models for industrial and academic clients; (3) commercialization of active ingredients for medical devices via ADL Farmaceutici (since June 2021), including the ArterraBio Complex I product; and (4) a small direct-to-consumer e-commerce line selling 'Uno' and 'Due' skincare products at €25 per unit.

Arterra is publicly listed on Euronext Growth Milan (ticker formerly on AIM Italia since October 2019, IPO oversubscribed 7x), holds 25 patents and 69 scientific publications, maintains integrated ISO 9001/14001/45001 and EFfCI GMP certifications, and operates a team of 40-50 employees led by founder/CEO M. Gabriella Colucci alongside a researcher-heavy management including CSO Vincenzo Fogliano (Clarivate top-cited Agri-Food scientist since 2013). FY2025 revenue reached €4.6 million (+11.42% YoY).

Name

Arterra Bioscience

Legal name

Arterra Bioscience S.p.A.

Website

https://arterrabio.it

Company type

Public

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Arterra Bioscience is a Naples-based biotech that develops plant cell culture-derived bioactive ingredients, in vitro bioassay services, and tissue models for cosmetics, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, medical device, agriculture, and food industries, with a small DTC skincare line.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biotechnology Ingredients

NAICS

Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing (325411)

SIC

Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833)

akta.pro primary industry

Bio-based Pharmaceuticals, Nutraceuticals & Specialty Bioactives (EUAAAIAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Condition-Specific Bioactives (Glucosamine/Chondroitin, Plant Sterols, Melatonin, Lutein/Zeaxanthin) (AFAJAKAK), Herbal & Botanical Supplements (CRADAGAD)

Keywords

• Plant cell cultures
• Bioactive ingredients
• Biotechnology research services
• Natural cosmetic ingredients
• Skincare product manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Napoli

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Active Ingredient Licensing and Sales: Licensing and sale of proprietary plant cell extracts and active ingredients to cosmetics, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical companies. Ingredients are used in finished products by clients like Vitalab and through partnerships with Intercos.
2. Contract Research Services: Fee-for-service research collaborations with industrial partners and academic institutions, including screening services using proprietary bioassay platforms and product validation studies.
3. Direct Consumer Product Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of branded skincare products through the company's e-commerce platform, including 'Uno' and 'Due' product lines priced at €25 per unit.
4. Medical Device Component Sales: Sale of active ingredients and formulations for medical devices through partnership with ADL Farmaceutici, including ArterraBio Complex I for medical devices.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Arterra Bioscience develops and manufactures standardized bioactive ingredients derived from proprietary plant cell cultures, leveraging a 100+ in vitro bioassay platform to identify and validate actives for cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, medical devices, agriculture, and food. The company supplies these ingredients under licensing/sales agreements to industrial clients, performs fee-for-service contract research, and sells a small line of branded skincare products (Uno, Due) direct-to-consumer at €25 per unit.

Product overview

Arterra Bioscience operates as a biotechnology company offering a portfolio of research services and consumer products. The research services include an In Vitro Bioassay Platform (100+ assays), Plant Cultures, Intestine In Vitro Models, Skin In Vitro/Ex Vivo Models, and Recombinant Protein Expression services. Consumer products include the skincare line UNO and Due (DAILY YOUTH DEFENSE) sold through the online shop. Additionally, through its joint venture Vitalab, the company offers cosmetic ingredient sub-brands used in prestigious skincare products. The company also supplies bioactive ingredient complexes like ArterraBio Complex I for medical devices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Vitalab: Joint venture brand with Intercos S.p.A. for cosmetic active ingredients and skincare products. Present in prestigious skincare and make-up brands. Website: www.vitalabactive.com
• Vitalabactive

Products and services

• Uno (Daily Youth Defense) A nutrient-rich skincare cream enriched with natural peptides that stimulate cellular metabolism and microcirculation, providing hydration, nutrition and a rejuvenated complexion. Sold direct-to-consumer via the Arterra online shop at €25 per unit including VAT, targeting individual skincare consumers seeking biotech-derived actives.
• Due A skincare product priced at €25 per unit including VAT, available for purchase online through the Arterra online shop alongside the Uno cream. Targets end-consumers seeking biotech-derived skincare based on Arterra's plant-cell culture actives.
• In Vitro Bioassay Services Fee-for-service screening using Arterra's proprietary 100+ in vitro bioassay platform covering gene synthesis, key proteins in cellular processes, enzyme activities, metabolic processes and different physiological states of cells. Used to identify effects of actives for industrial partners across agriculture, food, cosmetics, medical devices, pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals.
• Plant Cell Culture Production Services Industrial-scale supply of plant cell cultures and extracts from in vitro plants, stem cells and root cultures grown in flasks and bioreactors. Used to produce specific secondary metabolites for cosmetics, medical devices and nutraceutical applications, with gram-to-ton scalability via freeze-drying technology.
• Intestine In Vitro Model Screening Services In vitro intestinal models using co-cultures of different human cell lines to reproduce differentiated intestinal epithelium, used for simulating inflammatory processes and screening compounds for intestinal health applications. Targets medical device, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical customers.
• 3D Skin and Ex Vivo Skin Assay Services Ex vivo assay platform based on manipulation of skin explants with cryopreservation and analysis capabilities, plus 3D reconstituted skin models simulating pathological inflammatory processes such as atopic dermatitis. Applied to cosmetics, medical device and pharmaceutical customers.
• Recombinant Protein Expression Services Recombinant protein expression in bacteria, yeasts, insect cells, mammalian cells and plant cells, including stable expression in plant cell cultures and transient expression via agro-infiltration for molecular farming applications. Includes production of extremozymes from extremophilic bacteria in tomato cells for food processing.
• ArterraBio Complex I for Medical Devices A proprietary bioactive ingredient complex for medical device applications, commercialized through ADL Farmaceutici (partnership active since June 2021), along with new raw materials co-developed for the nutraceutical and medical device sectors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Revenue growth of 11.42% YoY reaching €4.6 million in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Isagro S.p.A.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Long-standing research partnership since 2004 for agricultural biotechnology solutions. Development of solutions to improve nutrient assimilation and plant defense against insects and pathogenic microorganisms. Isagro is now owned by Gowan Company, L.L.C.
• Intercos S.p.A.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopment of cosmetic ingredients and partner of the joint venture Vitalab. Collaboration for innovative cosmetic active ingredient development. Intercos holds 8.65% equity stake in Arterra.
• Vitalab s.r.l.coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerJoint venture for development and licensing of cosmetic ingredients and branded skincare products. License agreement for commercializing plant cell culture extracts under Vitalab brand in prestigious international markets.
• ADL Farmaceutici s.r.l.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMarketing partnership for commercialization of ArterraBio Complex I for medical devices and development of new raw materials in the nutraceutical sector for medical devices. Active since June 2021.
• Montecarlofruit S.a.r.l.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch project on mango by-products in the food sector. Circular economy approach to valorize agricultural waste streams.
• Wageningen University & ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration in cosmetics and nutraceutics fields. Prof. Vincenzo Fogliano serves as Director of Food Quality & Design Department at Wageningen University and part-time Research Coordinator at Arterra.
• University of Naples Federico IIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-financing of PhD programs in Science and Technology of agro-food productions and Materials and Structural Engineering. Research projects in cosmetics and nutraceutics.
• CRB SA (Biocosmetic Research Center)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-development of innovative cosmetic active ingredients for skin care. Co-owner of patent MI2009A 000905 for Rubus cell culture extracts.
• ENEA (National Agency for New Technologies)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration in the cosmetics field through InnCoCells project for innovative cosmetic products from plants and plant cells.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Givaudan: Swiss fragrance and beauty major with expanding active ingredients division including biotech and natural actives. Increasingly overlapping with Arterra's cosmetic actives business as it moves into prestige skincare.
• DSM-Firmenich: Global nutrition, health, and beauty ingredients major with botanical and biotech actives for personal care and nutraceuticals. Competes in same end markets with much broader portfolio and global distribution.
• Sederma (Croda Beauty): Croda subsidiary producing bioactive cosmetic ingredients including peptides and plant-derived actives. Larger incumbent with overlapping bioactives portfolio for skincare applications.
• Evonik Industries: German specialty chemicals giant with significant cosmetic and nutraceutical ingredient portfolio including biotech-derived actives. Overlaps with Arterra in specialty cosmetic actives but operates at vastly larger scale across many industries.

Direct peers

• Mibelle Biochemistry: Swiss producer of plant cell culture extracts and bioactive ingredients for cosmetics and nutraceuticals. Direct competitor in plant cell-derived cosmetic actives with similar B2B ingredient licensing model.
• Euromed: Spanish producer of standardized botanical extracts for pharma, nutraceutical, and cosmeceutical markets. Comparable in standardized botanical actives for regulated health applications.
• Provital Group: Spanish specialty ingredients company focused on plant-based cosmetic active ingredients. Similar B2B model supplying cosmetic formulators with bioactive ingredients derived from botanical sources.
• Naolys: French biotech specializing in plant cell culture for cosmetic active ingredients. Directly comparable technology platform (undifferentiated plant cells for skincare actives) and customer base (prestigious cosmetic brands).
• Indena: Italian company producing botanical active ingredients for pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmetic applications. Closely comparable in geography (Italy), botanical extraction focus, and multi-vertical ingredient licensing.
• Active Concepts: US-based supplier of specialty cosmetic active ingredients including plant-derived and biotechnology-based materials. Comparable as a specialty cosmetic ingredient supplier serving prestige beauty brands.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arterra-bioscience

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Arterra Bioscience