Swiss-based flavours and fragrances (F&F) powerhouse Givaudan announced last month its plan to acquire certain cosmetic ingredients from synthetic biotech company Amyris, including a high-performance emollient Neossance® Squalane, the plant-based silicone alternative Neossance® Hemisqualane and CleanScreen™, a sun protector ingredient. This is an interesting development, given that Amyris currently sells several skincare products that use these ingredients under its Biossance brand. The two companies signed a long-term partnership agreement under which Amyris will continue to manufacture ingredients for Givaudan to use in cosmetics as well as provide access to its innovation capabilities. Givaudan will become the commercialisation partner for future sustainable beauty ingredients.
Farnesene, which Amyris produces and sells under the Biofene trademark, is the key molecule for these cosmetic ingredients. I typically do not cover the terpenes market in my Bio-Materials report, but I do monitor Amyris’s projects and commercial activities. I recall Amyris’s announcement last year on the start-up of its new fermentation plant in Barra Bonita, Brazil, which can reportedly produce all 13 of the company’s molecules currently on the market for the manufacture of natural ingredients such as natural vanillin, sugarcane-based Reb M (for sweeteners), squalane, squalene, hemisqualene and patchouli, etc. My blog post from last year noted the timeline for Amyris’ production activities, including its transactions with DSM. By the way, from what I reported last year, 50% of the Neossance® farnesene-based squalane and hemisqualane business is owned by Japan-based NIKKOL Group (through the Apprinova JV). However, Amyris seems to have purchased 49% of the Apprinova shares in December last year for $49 million, paving the way for the sale to Givaudan.
Between DSM (now merged with Firmenich, another F&F powerhouse) and Givaudan, Amyris seemed to have cleared out a lot of its farnesene-based consumer ingredients portfolio. Amyris still owns a minority stake in Novvi LLC, which produces base oils and lubricants made from farnesene, while Ingredion owns a 31% stake in RealSweet LLC, which manufactures and sells its Rem M sweetener. It has been quite a journey since I started covering this company in 2009.
