What Solabia Group does

Solabia Group is a privately-held French biotechnology platform founded in 1972 and headquartered in Pantin, France, operating across five divisions: Cosmetics, Nutrition, Pharmaceuticals, Peptones & Hydrolysates, and BIOKAR Diagnostics. The company develops, produces, and distributes specialty ingredients, including active and functional cosmetic ingredients (61 actives, 33 functionals), botanical extracts from nearly 200 plant species, beauty pearls (SolaPearls, CrazySpheres), pharmaceutical-grade pidolates and chondroitin sulfate, peptones and hydrolysates for industrial fermentation, and more than 350 microbiological diagnostic products for culture media and alternative validated methods. Its underlying technology stack is built on fermentation, enzymatic biocatalysis and bioconversion, green chemistry (L-PCA), vegetal and marine extraction, and macro-inclusion, supported by 11 production sites and 7 R&D centers across France, Brazil, the United States, Israel, Germany, and the Netherlands.

Solabia generates revenue primarily through B2B ingredient sales to cosmetics manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, nutraceutical brands, fermentation/cell culture industry players, and microbiological diagnostics laboratories in over 40 countries (cosmetics) and 50+ countries (via Mibelle Biochemistry). The company employs an enterprise sales model with direct subsidiaries in Brazil, the United States, and Germany, complemented by distributor networks across five continents. Pricing is quote-based and negotiated on multi-year contracts for enterprise customers, with no public list prices. Member-area portals serve each of the five divisions (Cosmetics, Pharma, Peptones, BIOKAR Diagnostics). In October 2025, the company was acquired by private equity firm Astorg in a €1.1 billion leveraged buyout alongside TA Associates, Téthys, and founder reinvestment, and subsequently completed three additional acquisitions in early 2026: Mibelle Biochemistry (Switzerland), Xebios Diagnostics Group (Germany/Netherlands), and Seqens' Botanical Actives and In-Vitro Diagnostics Activity (France).

The company's competitive position rests on a 50+ year track record, an extensive certification portfolio (ISO 9001, ISO 45001, ISO 17025, GMP Pharma, continuous Halal and Kosher certifications, COSMOS, RSPO, NF VALIDATION by AFNOR, EDQM), and a high innovation cadence evidenced by consecutive Double Gold Awards at In-Cosmetics Global in 2025 and 2026. Awards include ViscoPure (Best Functional) and OleoVeil Care (Make-up Bar) in 2026, alongside the Ecovadis Gold Medal for ESG performance in 2023. Recent strategic moves include a partnership with Interscience announced in April 2026 to integrate AI-powered colony counting into Biokar's microbiology workflow, marking a measured entry into AI-assisted diagnostics.

Name

Solabia Group

Legal name

SOLABIA SAS

Website

http://www.solabia.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Solabia Group is a French biotechnology platform founded in 1972 that develops and produces specialty ingredients for cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, nutrition, peptones, and microbiological diagnostics industries, serving enterprise customers in over 40 countries through direct sales and distributors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Biotechnology Ingredients

NAICS

Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing (325411), Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414)

SIC

Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833), Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860)

akta.pro primary industry

Agar, Carrageenan & Alginates (Seaweed Hydrocolloids) (AFAJABAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Biological Formulation, Fermentation & Scale-Up Manufacturing (AFABAEAM)

Keywords

• Specialty cosmetic ingredients
• Biotechnology fermentation platform
• Pharmaceutical active ingredients
• Microbiological culture media
• Plant extract manufacturer

Headquarters

HQ city

Pantin

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices16 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. B2B Ingredients Sales (Cosmetics, Pharma, Nutrition): Solabia develops, produces and distributes raw material ingredients for cosmetics, pharmaceutical, nutrition and biotechnology industries. Revenue is generated through direct B2B sales of active ingredients, functional ingredients, plant extracts, beauty pearls, peptones, and culture media to manufacturers. Pricing is quote-based and typically negotiated on a per-contract basis for enterprise customers.
2. Diagnostics Products and Culture Media: BIOKAR Diagnostics division generates revenue from sale of culture media, reagents, supplements and diagnostic kits to microbiology laboratories in food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and water testing industries. Products include over 350 catalog items in various formats.
3. Cosmetic Active Ingredients for Leading Brands: Products commercialized worldwide to leading cosmetics brands, including botanical actives, biotech ingredients, and high-performance functional ingredients. Mibelle Biochemistry products distributed in over 50 countries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Solabia Group develops, produces, and distributes raw material ingredients for the cosmetics, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, biotechnology, and microbiological diagnostics industries. Its portfolio spans active and functional cosmetic ingredients, plant and marine extracts, beauty pearls, pharmaceutical-grade pidolates and chondroitin sulfate, peptones and hydrolysates for fermentation, and culture media and diagnostic kits for industrial and clinical microbiology. The company operates 11 production sites and 7 R&D centers across France, Brazil, the United States, Israel, Germany, and the Netherlands.

Product overview

Solabia Group is a multi-sector biotechnology platform founded in 1972, operating across five divisions: Cosmetics, Nutrition, Pharma, Peptones & Hydrolysates, and BIOKAR Diagnostics. The company develops, produces, and distributes ingredients for cosmetics (active and functional ingredients, plant extracts, beauty pearls), pharmaceuticals (pidolates, chondroitin sulfate), nutrition, and microbiological diagnostics (culture media, reagents, microplates). The portfolio includes flagship products like Fucogel®, ViscoPure®, and OleoVeil® Care, complemented by acquired brands including Mibelle Biochemistry (PhytoCellTec™, SenoCellTec™), PolymerExpert, and multiple regional diagnostics companies. The company serves cosmetics, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, food testing, and clinical diagnostics industries with operations spanning France, Brazil, USA, Germany, Netherlands, and Israel.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fucogel: Universal and multifunctional cosmetic ingredient reference with active and sensory properties
• SolaPearls
• SolaPearls Active Color
• CrazySpheres
• ViscoPure
• OleoVeil Care

Products and services

• Actives & Functional Cosmetic Ingredients
• Plant Extracts
• Fucogel
• SolaPearls Beauty Pearls
• ViscoPure
• OleoVeil Care
• Bloomlight
• Pro-longevia
• Serenibiome
• BlueShield
• Bioecolia
• Applecare Pigment Dispersants (A-100 and PDS 300)
• PhytoCellTec Plant Stem Cell Ingredients
• SenoCellTec Ingredient Technology
• Pidolates (Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Zinc)
• Chondroitin Sulfate
• L-Pidolic Acid
• Peptones and Hydrolysates
• BIOKAR Culture Media and Diagnostic Products
• Biokar Microplates (MUG/EC and MUD/SF)
• IRIS Salmonella
• PERFECTO Duo

Quantifiable outcome

• Biotechnology actives market estimated at over $800 million in 2025 with 3.9% CAGR, market size growth opportunity
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• IntersciencecoreTechnology or Integration · 16 April 2026Solabia and Interscience announced a strategic partnership to develop innovative solutions in microbiology. The partnership combines Biokar Diagnostics' expertise in culture media formulation and production with Interscience's equipment portfolio and AI-powered colony counting solutions (Scan AI, ScanStation). The collaboration aims to enhance traditional culture methods with artificial intelligence tools, delivering more efficient and reproducible results for industrial microbiology laboratories.
• Xebios Diagnostics GroupflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Xebios Diagnostics Group, a leading microbiological diagnostics solution provider with operations in Germany and the Netherlands, was acquired by Solabia. Xebios specializes in diagnostic culture media and reagents for water, food, beverages, cosmetics, and clinical samples, operating three production sites with over 25 years of expertise.
• HFFIA (Halal Food & Feed Inspection Authority)coreOthersHFFIA, based in The Hague, Netherlands, provides Halal certification for Solabia's peptone production facility in Beauvais, France. This partnership enables continuous Halal certification of plant peptones, an industry-first achievement allowing uninterrupted supply to Halal markets worldwide.
• Orthodox Union (Kashruth Division)coreOthersThe Orthodox Union's Kashruth division provides Kosher certification for Solabia's UCIB manufacturing site in Anet, France, and for various peptone products. This enables supply of Kosher-certified ingredients to markets requiring religious dietary compliance.
• Cosmetic ValleyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBioEurope R&D center is an active member of Cosmetic Valley, participating in research programs with manufacturers, universities, and laboratories to advance understanding of biological skin mechanisms and active ingredient development.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• bioMérieux: French in vitro diagnostics leader with major microbiology and industrial microbiology businesses. Directly comparable to Solabia's BIOKAR Diagnostics and newly acquired Xebios — same microbiology culture media foundations and similar French industrial-microbiology customer base.
• Silab: Privately held French company specializing in botanical and biotech-derived active ingredients for the cosmetics industry. Closest direct competitor to Solabia's cosmetics division: same France-based specialty ingredient supplier model, similar biotech (fermentation, enzymatic) platform, and similar dependency on independent cosmetic brands for volume.
• Seppic (Air Liquide Healthcare Specialty Ingredients): Air Liquide subsidiary producing specialty ingredients for cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and nutrition, including excipients and actives. Direct overlap with Solabia's pharma excipient / cosmetic ingredient portfolio and a like-for-like French specialty ingredients competitor.
• Lucas Meyer Cosmetics (IFF): IFF subsidiary focused on phospholipids, peptides and biotech-derived actives for skincare and makeup formulations. Direct overlap with Solabia's biotech active and functional ingredient portfolio, particularly in cosmetic delivery systems.

Broad incumbents

• Symrise: German specialty ingredients group whose Scent & Care and Food & Beverage divisions include cosmetic actives, microalgae-derived ingredients (similar to Solabia's Algatech) and nutrition ingredients. Overlaps with Solabia's cosmetics, nutrition and microalgae businesses but at much larger scale.
• Croda International: UK-listed global specialty chemical company whose Personal Care division supplies bio-based and specialty actives to leading cosmetics brands. Much larger and broader than Solabia, but directly overlaps in cosmetic active ingredients, botanical extracts and biotech-derived conditioning actives.
• Evonik: German specialty chemicals group whose Care Solutions and Specialty Additives lines include personal care actives, biotech-based ingredients and fermentation-derived specialty products. Competitor in cosmetic and industrial biotech actives, though Evonik's breadth extends well beyond Solabia's portfolio.
• Lonza Personal Care: Swiss biotech manufacturer with a personal care business producing specialty actives, peptides and fermentation-derived ingredients. Overlaps with Solabia's biotech and peptone-derived ingredient capabilities, although Lonza operates across pharma, cell and gene therapy and many other adjacencies.
• Givaudan: Swiss global leader in flavors, fragrances and active beauty ingredients. Its Active Beauty category competes head-on with Solabia's botanical and biotech cosmetic actives, but Givaudan operates across many more categories at a far greater scale.
• BASF Care Chemicals: German chemicals major with a large Care Chemicals division producing cosmetic ingredients, actives and personal care specialties. Overlaps with Solabia's cosmetics division across multiple ingredient families but ships at vastly greater scale and geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@solabiacosmetics6327
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/solabia

Compliance11 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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

M&A7 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Solabia Group