The Smell & Taste Lab Innovation Fragrance & Cosmetic for Beauty & Healthcare

What The Smell & Taste Lab Innovation Fragrance & Cosmetic for Beauty & Healthcare does

The Smell & Taste Lab Sàrl is a Geneva-based Swiss consultancy firm founded in July 2017 by Anne Abriat, operating from Rue Cramer 6, 1202 Geneva. The firm specialises in sensory science — primarily olfaction and taste — combined with business development services for the cosmetics, fragrance, nutraceutical, and broader beauty-and-health industries. It was incubated by Innopark in French-speaking Switzerland and maintains a private, founder-led structure with no parent company, no institutional investors, and no disclosed funding rounds.

The firm's offering is organised into three pillars. Business Development covers strategic partner selection and startup due diligence, innovation strategy and implementation, product development (including ingredient sourcing, lab coordination, manufacturing, and regulatory), and a "Competitive Watch 360" intelligence service. Scientific/Sensory Science services include neuroscience research guidance and project support, cosmetic and nutraceutical formulation, fragrance development, and ingredient selection backed by tailored scientific proofs. Education services include team workshops on fragrance, flavour, and cosmetics, plus an "Olfactive Reeducation" training programme. A separate subscription service offers clients attendance at major industry conferences and symposia, with introductions to worldwide experts.

The business model is professional services consultancy sold on a direct, sales-led basis. The default commercial terms are a daily rate of CHF 1,500 excluding tax, with a 30% deposit on quote acceptance, balance invoiced at end of service, and 30-day payment terms. The firm markets primarily through LinkedIn, an active blog, scientific publications, and participation in industry events (IFSCC, ECRO, SIMPPAR, Vitafoods Europe, In Cosmetics Global, Olfaction & Perspectives). Its credibility rests on 30+ years of founder expertise, 30+ scientific publications in sensory neurosciences, 2–3 patents in cosmetics and fragrance, and a strategic research partnership with Pr. Thomas Hummel of the Smell and Taste Clinic in Dresden. Customer segments span startups, SMEs, and large corporates across beauty, fragrance, health, and corporate training use cases.

Name

The Smell & Taste Lab Innovation Fragrance & Cosmetic for Beauty & Healthcare

Legal name

THE SMELL & TASTE LAB Sàrl

Website

https://thesmellandtastelab.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Smell & Taste Lab is a Geneva-based Swiss consultancy founded in 2017 by Anne Abriat, providing sensory science, neuroscience research, formulation, fragrancing, and business development services to cosmetics, fragrance, nutraceutical, and health companies through expert direct-consultancy engagements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fragrance & Cosmetics Sensory Science Consultancy

NAICS

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54), Testing Laboratories and Services (541380)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Flavors, Fragrances & Aroma Chemicals (IMAEABAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Personal Fragrances (Perfume, Cologne, Body Sprays) (CRADANAD), Hand & Body Care (Lotions, Creams, Body Oils) (CRADANAC)

Keywords

• Sensory science consulting
• Cosmetic formulation services
• Fragrance development
• Beauty innovation consulting
• Nutraceutical formulation

Headquarters

HQ city

Geneva

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Consultancy Services: Strategy consultancy in research innovation and marketing, product development consultancy, marketing innovation consultancy, support in qualitative market studies, creation of open-innovation centers and scientific committees
2. Training & Seminars: Training/seminar management, plenaries, debate evenings, round tables, thematic workshops, creativity sessions on Olfaction and Taste, definition of olfactory profiles, creation of custom perfumes
3. Scientific Communication & Collaboration: Scientific communication, organization of communications, preparation of publications and conferences, expert identification, collaboration setup, search for financial partners

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Smell & Taste Lab is a Geneva-based consultancy that provides specialized services at the intersection of sensory science and business for the beauty, fragrance, cosmetics, nutraceutical, and healthcare industries. Its offerings span three pillars: Business Development (strategic partner selection, innovation strategy, product development, competitive watch), Sensory Science (neuroscience research, formulation, fragrancing, ingredient selection with scientific proofs), and Education (workshops, olfactive reeducation). Services are delivered via expert-led consulting engagements at a standard daily rate.

Product overview

The Smell & Taste Lab is a Swiss consultancy firm specializing in sensory science and business development for the cosmetics, fragrance, and health industries. The company operates as a single unified service offering organized across three main pillars: Business Development Services (Strategic Partner Selection, Innovation Strategy, Product Development, Competitive Watch), Scientific/Sensory Science Services (Neuroscience Research, Formulation, Fragrancing, Ingredient Selection), and Education Services (Team Workshops, Olfactive Reeducation). Additionally, they offer a conference attendance subscription service. All services are delivered through expert consultancy rather than software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategic Partner Selection & Startup Due Diligence Consultancy service guiding partnerships and supporting investors with due diligence in beauty and health sectors.
• Innovation Strategy & Implementation Defining and implementing innovation strategy for fragrance and sensory science projects.
• Product Development Sourcing ingredients, coordinating labs, manufacturing, and regulatory compliance for beauty and health products.
• Competitive Watch 360 Key industry insights, conference reports, custom competitor or financial report analysis.
• Neuroscience Research Guidance & Project Support R&D guidance, methods, SOPs, tools, academic partner selection, proof of concepts, and publications support for sensory neuroscience research projects.
• Formulation Services Crafting formulas for cosmetics and nutraceuticals tailored to client needs and consumer expectations.
• Fragrancing Services Developing distinctive olfactory signatures and relevant fragrances depending on product category.
• Ingredient Selection & Tailored Scientific Proofs Identifying and creating a tailored shortlist of ingredients with scientific proofs to meet client needs.
• Team Workshops Workshops on fragrance, flavor, and cosmetic topics for professional teams.
• Olfactive Reeducation Training programs focused on olfactory education and sensory retraining.
• Conference & Exhibition Attendance Subscription Service Attending major exhibitions, conferences and symposia on behalf of clients, with subscription options including à la carte selections for cosmetics and/or olfaction & perfume, including introductions to worldwide experts and tailor-made workshops.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pr. Thomas Hummel - Clinic Smell and Taste DresdencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Collaboration on olfactory training research. Joint poster and full paper 'Olfactory training in older people – positive effects on olfactory function' presented at IFSCC 2020. Research partnership on the importance of odorant selection to optimize recovery of sense of smell.
• InnoparkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Smell & Taste Lab was incubated by Innopark, supporting their development in Swiss Romande region.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Robertet: Robertet is a France-based natural fragrance and flavor house with expertise in natural raw materials, sensory science, and cosmetic formulation support. It is comparable to The Smell & Taste Lab in its focus on fragrance creation and sensory-driven product development, with stronger raw material integration.
• Mane: Mane is a French family-owned fragrance and flavor house serving cosmetics, personal care, and home care clients with fragrance creation, sensory research, and ingredient innovation. It overlaps with The Smell & Taste Lab in sensory-driven fragrance and cosmetic formulation work for beauty brands.
• CPL Aromas: CPL Aromas is an independent fragrance house specializing in creative perfumery for personal care, home care, and fine fragrance, with strong sensory and evaluation capabilities. It competes with The Smell & Taste Lab in fragrance development for cosmetics and personal care clients, especially at the boutique end of the market.
• BEAUTYSTREAMS: BEAUTYSTREAMS is a beauty-focused trend forecasting and product development consultancy that helps brands translate cultural and consumer shifts into ingredient, fragrance, and product innovation. Like The Smell & Taste Lab, it bridges scientific/consumer insight with formulation and product strategy for cosmetics and fragrance clients.
• PeclersParis: PeclersParis is a creative trend forecasting and innovation agency that guides beauty, fragrance, and wellness brands on product strategy and consumer trends. Its positioning at the intersection of consumer insight, trend forecasting, and product/brand strategy is closely aligned with The Smell & Taste Lab's hybrid sensory-science-plus-business model.

Broad incumbents

• Givaudan: Givaudan is the world's largest fragrance and flavor house, offering fragrance creation, sensory research, and ingredient innovation to consumer brands globally. It overlaps with The Smell & Taste Lab in olfaction-driven fragrance development and sensory science R&D, but at vastly greater scale and as a vertically integrated manufacturer.
• International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF): IFF is a global leader in flavors, fragrances, cosmetic actives, and sensory science serving consumer goods companies worldwide. Its Scent and Taste divisions directly overlap with The Smell & Taste Lab's fragrance development, sensory, and formulation services.
• DSM-Firmenich: DSM-Firmenich is a major fragrance, taste, and nutrition ingredients company formed from the merger of Firmenich and DSM. It competes in fragrance creation, sensory science, and cosmetic formulation support, serving the same beauty and well-being end markets as The Smell & Taste Lab.
• Symrise: Symrise is a global flavor, fragrance, and cosmetic ingredients manufacturer with deep capabilities in sensory science, cosmetic formulations, and nutraceuticals. It competes broadly with The Smell & Taste Lab in olfactory science and cosmetic product development, though as a much larger ingredient and formulation supplier.

Emerging players

• Mintel: Mintel is a global market research firm providing category insights, product innovation tracking, and competitor analysis to consumer goods companies, including cosmetics and fragrance. Its Competitive Watch and category insight offerings overlap with The Smell & Taste Lab's Competitive Watch 360 and innovation strategy services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-smell-taste-lab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 The Smell & Taste Lab Innovation Fragrance & Cosmetic for Beauty & Healthcare