Inci-experts Gmbh

What Inci-experts Gmbh does

Cosmetic INCI experts GmbH is a Hamburg, Germany-based B2B services firm specializing in cosmetic product development and regulatory affairs. Founded and led by Dr. Martin Neubauer, the company packages 30+ years of formulation chemistry expertise into offerings for cosmetics brands, contract manufacturers, and specialty chemical players, primarily across the DACH region. The firm operates with a team of 9+ professionals and holds ISO 9001 certification, positioning itself as a quality-managed partner for both emerging brands and established players requiring outsourced formulation competence.

The company's core offerings span four pillars: customized product development (covering natural cosmetics, men's grooming, hair care, and specialty chemistry), regulatory affairs (EU Cosmetics Regulation compliance and FDA registration for US market entry), white-label/licensable formulations distributed through recurring Muster-Kit releases (2024 and 2025 editions), and paid training through the Product Compliance seminar series. Underlying these services is deep, codified expertise in INCI (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) chemistry and the regulatory frameworks that govern cosmetic product registration across jurisdictions.

The business model combines project-based professional services fees (quote-driven, tied to formulation complexity), licensing/royalty revenue from white-label formulation sales, and seminar/workshop fees priced at €75-€95 per attendee. Go-to-market relies on direct B2B sales, the recently hired Head of Business Development & Sales, industry trade show presence (notably In-Cosmetics Global), and a strategic partnership with JRS Group (Rettenmeier & Söhne) for raw material supply-chain access. The company remains privately held, founder-led, and bootstrapped, with no external funding disclosed.

Name

Inci-experts Gmbh

Legal name

Cosmetic INCI experts GmbH

Website

https://inci-experts.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cosmetic INCI experts GmbH is a Hamburg-based B2B services firm providing cosmetics product development, regulatory affairs, white-label formulations, and compliance training to brands and manufacturers, primarily in the DACH region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cosmetic Product Development & Regulatory Affairs Services

NAICS

Soap and Cleaning Compound Manufacturing (32561)

SIC

Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844), Soap, Detergents, Cleang Preparations, Perfumes, Cosmetics (2840)

akta.pro primary industry

Natural/Organic & Clean Skincare (CRABAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hand & Body Care (Lotions, Creams, Body Oils) (CRADANAC), Personal Care & Cosmetic Ingredients (IMAEABAJ)

Keywords

• Cosmetic product development
• Regulatory affairs services
• Formulation development
• Clean beauty formulations
• Cosmetic compliance consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Development Services: Custom formulation development services including concept development, prototype creation, stability testing, and efficacy studies. Clients receive full rights to their custom formulations.
2. White Label Licensing: Licensing fees for ready-to-market formulations. Clients pay a license fee to obtain full marketing rights to pre-developed, regulatorily-approved formulations under their own brand.
3. Regulatory Affairs Services: Comprehensive regulatory support including safety assessments, CPNP notifications, product registrations, claim support, and legal compliance services.
4. Seminars and Training: Educational seminars on EU Cosmetics Regulation compliance. Free introductory seminar with paid advanced seminars at €75-95 per session.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cosmetic INCI experts GmbH provides B2B cosmetic product development and regulatory affairs services, taking client concepts from idea through formulation, testing, safety assessment, claim validation, and market registration. Services span custom formulation development, white-label ready-to-market formulations, clean/natural/vegan formulation expertise (COSMOS, NATRUE, ISO 16128), CPNP/FDA registration, product safety dossiers, and educational seminars on EU Cosmetics Regulation (EG) Nr. 1223/2009.

Product overview

Cosmetic INCI experts GmbH is a full-service provider for cosmetic product development and regulatory affairs, operating as a service-based company rather than a software product company. The core offerings encompass two interconnected divisions: (1) Product Development including Clean & Green sustainable formulations, Individual Recipe Development, White Label ready-to-market formulations, and Production support including upscaling; and (2) Regulatory Affairs covering Product Safety assessments, Product Registration (CPNP/FDA), Legal Support, and Claim Support. The company also offers Muster-Kits (sample kits) containing ready formulations such as Aqua Balance, Balance & Clear, Mindful Beauty, Rinse-off formulations, and DIY System-Set. Additionally, they provide educational seminars on cosmetics compliance. All services are quality-managed under ISO 9001.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Clean & Green Formulation Development Sustainable and clean beauty formulation development service covering COSMOS and NATrue certified natural cosmetics, 'free of' claims, ISO 16128 natural index calculations, and vegan certifications.
• Individuelle Rezepturentwicklung (Individual Recipe Development) Custom formulation development for all cosmetic segments, creating individualized recipes matched to marketing strategies, including prototyping, stability testing, efficacy studies, and certification support.
• White Label Ready-to-market formulation licensing service offering pre-developed, regulatorily-checked formulations available for immediate market entry under the customer's own brand, with options for light customization.
• Muster-Kits 2025 (Aqua Balance, Balance & Clear, Mindful Beauty) Three skincare routine sample kits containing complete formulations with ingredient lists and usage instructions. Aqua Balance focuses on hydration, Balance & Clear on oily/acne-prone skin, and Mindful Beauty on calming and mood-care formulations.
• Muster-Kits 2024 (Rinse-off, DIY System-Set) Two sample kits launched in 2024: 5 Natural Rinse-off Formulations (COSMOS compliant, vegan, ready-to-market) and DIY System-Set (individualizable cosmetics, sustainable, natural and vegan).
• Produktsicherheit (Product Safety) Product safety documentation services including safety assessment per Art. 10 and Annex 1 of EU Cosmetics Regulation, toxicological evaluation, and safety data sheets for the supply chain.
• Produktregistrierung (Product Registration) Product registration services including CPNP (Cosmetic Product Notification Portal) notification for the EU market and FDA registration for the USA market, along with PID (Product Information File) management.
• Legal Support Legal support services including claim support, MHD/PAO labeling, ISO 16128 natural index calculation, marketability certificates, and product-specific certifications (vegan, cruelty-free, microplastic-free).
• Claim Support Claim strategy development and validation service that creates legally compliant product claims, coordinates required studies and evidence, and ensures regulatory compliance for marketing statements.
• Seminare (Seminars) - Product Compliance Series Educational seminar series on EU Cosmetics Regulation (EG) Nr. 1223/2009 covering Product Compliance, Safety Report, PID, Claim Support, CPNP Notification, Cosmetovigilance, and Packaging Regulation. Free introductory session, with paid sessions at EUR 95 individually or EUR 75 each when booking all 8.

Quantifiable outcome

• Product compliance with EU Cosmetics Regulation from concept to market
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• JRS GmbH & CoKGminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 April 2024JRS Group (Rettenmeier & Söhne) is a raw material supplier. At In-Cosmetics Global 2024 in Paris, Inci-experts had a presence at JRS's booth (Stand Nr. 1H80) to present joint product development projects. This partnership helps showcase capabilities to a broader audience of cosmetic manufacturers.
• Raw Material Manufacturers NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInci-experts maintains a widely branched network of raw material manufacturers, testing institutes, and producers. This network provides a constantly up-to-date knowledge pool for product development and enables access to innovative ingredients and technologies.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Biorius: Independent regulatory and scientific consultancy specialized in cosmetics and related product categories. Closely comparable because both firms monetize EU Cosmetics Regulation expertise via safety assessments, claim support and product registration for brand owners and manufacturers.
• Cosphatec GmbH: Hamburg-based supplier of cosmetic raw materials and natural preservation systems that also offers formulation development and regulatory guidance. Comparable as a regional specialist pairing formulation know-how with regulatory documentation for cosmetics brands.
• CLR Berlin GmbH: Berlin-based developer of cosmetic active ingredients with formulation and efficacy testing support. Comparable because it sells proprietary cosmetic IP plus technical/regulatory support to brand owners in adjacent applications (skincare, hair care, body care).

Emerging players

• Hallstar Beauty: US-based specialty ingredients and formulation services provider for personal care and beauty brands. Comparable as a focused specialist offering formulation expertise paired with regulatory and claims guidance to mid-market cosmetic companies.

Broad incumbents

• Evonik Personal Care: Major specialty chemicals manufacturer with a Personal Care business providing cosmetic ingredients and formulation support. Comparable as a larger incumbent with deep formulation expertise and global regulatory know-how for the same target customers.
• Eurofins Cosmetics & Personal Care: Testing, certification and regulatory services arm of Eurofins focused on cosmetic products, including safety assessments, claim substantiation and regulatory guidance. Comparable as a broad incumbent serving the same regulatory compliance outsourcing need that Inci-experts addresses for mid-market brand owners.
• Croda International: Global specialty chemicals company with a large Personal Care division supplying ingredients, formulation tools and sustainability/claims support to cosmetic brands. Comparable as a broad incumbent in cosmetic formulation enablement and claim substantiation, competing for the same brand-owner wallet as Inci-experts.
• Seppic (Air Liquide): Specialty ingredients division of Air Liquide providing cosmetic formulation excipients, actives and technical/regulatory support worldwide. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering formulation development alongside regulatory documentation services in the personal care space.
• Gattefossé: French specialty ingredients and formulation lab serving global personal care brands with actives, excipients and formulation services. Comparable as a broader incumbent providing both the chemistry and application/regulatory guidance Inci-experts supplies, though at significantly larger scale and global footprint.
• Symrise Cosmetic Ingredients: Global fragrance and cosmetic ingredients supplier with formulation laboratories and application/regulatory support for personal care brands. Comparable as a broad incumbent providing both formulation IP and regulatory guidance for cosmetic products.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/inci-experts

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

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 Inci-experts Gmbh